The 2015 Dove Awards Nominations; Album of The Year

The Album Awards for the 2015 Dove Awards are down to the genre based awards. Yes, that is the bulk of the awards, but not giving honor to the album which rose above it all cross-genre seems a major oversight. Country, Southern Gospel, and Bluegrass aren't represented at the Platinum Vinyl Awards and wont be discussed. One small exception. Bluegrass has revitalized Contemporary Christian Music as hard as that may be to believe. Folk Rock and Rock and roll have The Vespers and Hip Hop has Whosoever South. There is a strong bluegrass influence in both.

One other quick note, I think the GMA needs to clean its closets out, so to speak, unless they are intentionally messing with me. Since I don't believe they even know I exist, I am going with the former. Most of the entries are in the #PlatVnyl6 pool so I can't comment without tipping my hand. A good amount of entries are in the already awarded #PlatVnyl5 pool, but a number of them are from #PlatVnyl4. It's time for the oldies to be let go. On to the albums

Worship Music corresponds to the Modern Worship Album of The Year with us. Three nominees (We Will Not Be Shaken, Bethel Music; Love Ran Red, Chris Tomlin; and Even So Come by Passion Conference) are in the #PlatVnyl6 pool. Based on results from 2013 and 2014 I will say that the winner should be one of these three. I know, that's an awful big limb I'm going out on. I said I don't want to show my cards. Red has been known to draw attention, though. Just shaking things up. The two nominees from #PlatVnyl5 (All Sons and Daughters (Self-Titled); and No Other Name, Hillsong Worship) took different paths. ASD was one of the final nominees in Folk/Folk Rock, and Hillsong Missed The Mark needed to gain the initial pool.

Pop Music (Pop/Contemporary in Dovespeak) has 6 entries, 4 of them in the current #PlatVnyl6 pool. (Tomlin; How Can It Be, Lauren Daigle; Saints and Sinners, Matt Maher; and Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship by Third Day). As much as I love Lauren Daigle's Powerful Voice, I don't think they will reward the newbie. I would either pick Tomlin as part of a multiple category win or #PlatVnyl5 pool entrant For King and COUNTRY.

Rock Music is a whole lot easier to pick. Of the 5 nominees four of them are from #PlatVnyl5 (Lowborn, Anberlin; Attack, Disciple; Fight The Silence, For Today; and Oxygen: Inhale, TFK). While I would be thrilled if the sole #PlatVnyl6 nominee, Red's Of Beauty and Rage won, I think the public sentiment in this horse race is for Disciple to win.

I'll just make a few predictions to shake things up in the other categories, since in a lot of them I didn't have any of the Dove nominees in my pool. Inspirational Album we'll go with Phillips, Craig and Dean's Above It All; Rock Contemporary to Colton Dixon's Anchor; Rap with Anomaly by Lecrae; Traditional Gospel with Any Given Sunday by Charles Jenkins; and Kierra Sheard's Graceland for Contemporary Gospel Album. Next time we will discuss the Song Awards. Until Then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.