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The GMA Music Awards, also known as the Dove Awards, were created in 1969 by the Gospel Music Association to honor the outstanding achievements in contemporary Christian and gospel music. They are held annually in Nashville, Tennessee.
Awards are presented honoring a wide variety of musical styles, reflecting the diversity represented in Gospel music, including rock and roll, rap, country and traditional gospel. Each ceremony features performances by a number of the industry's newest and most popular artists.
Some might argue that the GMA Music Award voters tend to be musically conservative people that are more likely to vote for a traditional gospel artist, or a pop act than a rock and roll band. They also contend that most GMA Music Awards tend to go to either well-established acts that receive heavy radio airplay, or those which fall into the above categories. Some evidence for this is that Steven Curtis Chapman won the "Songwriter of the Year" award 9 out of 10 years and "Male Vocalist of the Year" 7 of 12 years, with some of those wins coming in years when he released no new material.
Since the voters are all GMA members and are usually people working in the industry, critics charge they would more than likely tend to vote for whichever bands happen to have the most "buzz" at the moment or are associated with their area of the industry, as with most award voterships. Supporters of the GMA contend that this is likely less prevalent than in secular awards due to Christians placing a high value on ethical behavior. [1]
A major scandal developed at the 1971 GMA Music Awards, when the Blackwood Brothers were found guilty of selling GMA memberships, which resulted in voting irregularities at the event. All awards were revoked to maintain the integrity of the event. James Blackwood was forced to apologise after the scandal, and the 1972 GMAMA was held under new rules designed to preserve the integrity of the voting.
Until 1978, the GMA Music Awards were held in September, during the National Quartet Convention. The Awards were not held in 1979 as they were moved to April 1980, for Gospel Music Week, where it has been held annually except in 1999, when the GMA Music Awards were moved to late March separate from GMA Week.
Shortly after the 1994 show, Male Vocalist winner Michael English admitted to an extramaritial affair with Marabeth Jordon, a member of former Group winner First Call.
In 1998, the GMA, growing concerned over some blatantly secular entries in their sacred categories, enacted a new Definition of Gospel Music, intended to strengthen standards which were too weak. Prior to the Definition of Gospel Music, the only music which qualified were music which was sold in Christian Booksellers Association affiliated stores. The new standards resulted in complaints by some fans and artists after thirteen entries were disqualified for being too secular in the 1999 GMAMA. The rules were rescinded afterwards, and many groups victimised by the rulings in 1999 were winners in 2000.
Another major scandal developed in 2004 with a tape-delayed broadcast which never aired. The GMA signed a contract to air the awards live in selected Regal Cinema multiplexes, with United Paramount Network featuring tape-delayed coverage to air five weeks after the GMA Music Awards were held. When GMA Music Awards co-host Deion Sanders announced on May 15, 2004, he was leaving Viacom's The NFL Today, intending to join Disney's ESPN NFL Countdown, UPN cancelled the broadcast of the GMA Music Awards. This move was reminiscent of the 1988 decision by CBS to cancel a 60 Minutes story featuring Richard Petty after reporter Diane Sawyer defected to ABC. The GMA Music Awards broadcast did not air for eight months, finally airing in late December 2004 on the i Network.
That reputation cost the GMAMA a chance at a national broadcast in 2005, and again in 2006, when the GMA recently announced there would be no television coverage.
The 2004 Awards included: