#PlatVnyl6 v. #WLCMA4 - The Album Awards, Part Two

Welcome back to our picks for the 4th We Love Christian Music Awards, as well as commentary on how it stacks up against the Platinum Vinyl Awards, more specifically, the current awards year, which is #PlatVnyl6. This is the third post, so check out the introduction and the first three groups of nominees by clicking on the appropriate links.

The next two groups of nominees are competing for one award in the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Let me explain. The Encounter Award (Worship Album of The Year) and The Chorus Award (Church Based Worship Album of The Year) are both competing for the Modern Worship Album of The Year at the Platinum Vinyl Awards. And I think it will stay that way for a while. It's the sound, not the location, that makes the difference for me.

The Encounter Award nominees are:

• Aaron Gillespie - Grace Through The Wandering 4.50 Emeralds
• Amanda Cook - Brave New World 4.50 Emeralds
• Christy Nockels - Let It Be Jesus 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Maher - Saints and Sinners 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Redman - Unbroken Praise 4.75 Emeralds

The Chorus Award nominees are:

• Bethel Music - We Will Not Be Shaken 4.75 Emeralds
• Gateway Worship - Walls 4.50 Emeralds 
• Jesus Culture - Unstoppable Love #PVA5 (2014 Release)
• Passion - Even So Come 4.75 Emeralds
• Vertical Church Band - Church Songs 4.75 Emeralds

I Don't know why NRT dropped the ball on this one by putting a 2014 album for best of 2015. Other than that we don't have too many problems. I wasn't that impressed with Gillespie and Cook in the first grouping and Gateway worship in the second, but other than that the choices were very good. As I said, however, I have combined all the Modern Worship Music into one award. The Automatic Qualifiers for #PlatVnyl6. I have six, which is 1 short of a full bracket without busting it open. They are:

• Bethel Music - Without Words: Synesthesia 5 EMERALDS
• The Katina's - Sunday Set 5 EMERALDS
• Planetshakers - #LETSGO 5 EMERALDS
• Planetshakers - This Is Our Time 5 EMERALDS
• Soulfire Revolution - Afterglow 5 EMERALDS
• Young Oceans - I Must Find You 5 EMERALDS

A much better grouping. There probably will be an expansion of the categories beyond seven to accommodate a few more worthy nominees, but there will be no ties.

The Hype Award corresponds to our Rap/Hip Hop Album of The Year, and personally I would say, don't believe the hype. Let's get right to the nominees.

• Alex Faith & Dre Murray - Southern Lights: Overexposed MTM
• Andy Mineo - Uncomfortable 4.75 Emeralds
• JGivens - Fly Exam MTM
• KB - Tomorrow We Live 4.50 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - Death Before Love 4.50 Emeralds

It's an OK bracket, but you notice those two MTM's. That means I consider them to have Missed The Mark and awarded them a score under 4 Emeralds. That means they don't get into the nominee pool, and KB and Tosh would be a stretch in the pool at 4.50. Here our the Automatic Qualifiers for #PlatVnyl6

• Eshon Burgundy - The Fear of God 5 EMERALDS
• Flame - Forward 5 EMERALDS
• KJ-52 - Mental 5 EMERALDS
• LA Symphony - You Still On Earth? 5 EMERALDS
• Derek Minor - Empire 5 EMERALDS
• Skrip - Renegades Never Die 5 EMERALDS
• TobyMac - This Is Not A Test 5 EMERALDS
• Whosoever South - Come On In 5 EMERALDS

This one was a category buster. 8 Perfect 5's in one year. And others may get snubbed if I don't go higher. 

Finishing with my picks. I'll go with Christy Nockels for the Encounter Award and Bethel Music for The Chorus Award. For Rap and The Hype Award, I'll pick Andy Mineo. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Spring Tunes Up: The 2015 3rd Quarter - Modern Worship

This is it folks, the final post for the third quarter wrap. We had a whopping 18 entries for this one folks. Of course, this is the winner almost every quarter. Personally, I think that it is a bloated category that could be pared down quite a bit, but everyone wants to make a worship album. Let's get with it.

Modern Worship

• Daniel Bashta - For Every Curse
• Canyon Worship - Canyon
• Elim Sound - Elim 100
• Mia Feldes - Ashes
• House of Peace - Into The Great Unknown
• Jesus Culture - This Is Jesus Culture
• Derek Johnson - Real Love
• Chris McClarney - Everything and Nothing Less (Live)
• Matt McCoy - Alive and Free
• John Mark and Sarah McMillan - You Are The Avalanche
• Andy Needham Band - Love Is The Song
• Christy Nockels - Let It Be Jesus
• Northwest Collective - Rejoice: Live From Seattle
• Onething Live - Shout Your Name
• Planetshakers - Outback Worship Sessions
• Matt Redman - Unbroken Praise
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Kingdom Come
• Various - Top 25 Modern Worship Songs

That does it for the third quarter, and we are now one month into the Final Quarter. It's almost time for #PlatVnyl6. Wow. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Dissecting The Doves

I Think I shall finally do my annual wrap-up of the Dove Awards, though it seems that things have been reduced to the ridiculous on their own due to the 18 month eligibility year in order to switch from an April to an October Award. All that was fixed was the placement of the award, nothing else.

The +Dove Awards have always seemed to me to have been a popularity contest, more than any of them. Even the +Grammy Awards, when they had a Christian Category worth mentioning, which they don't anymore, had a better finger on the pulse of what people listened to. I used to call the Dove's the Amy and Smitty Show. Since they aren't really in the public eye anymore on a regular basis, that has abated.

Unfortunately, the process of block voting, as it were, has not changed. This year the favorites were Matt Redman and +Toby Mac. Both of them had perfect nominations. Now while I am accusing nothing, I am just saying that the Doves seems to be prone to sloppy voting practices. It's almost as if we say, this year we are going to give the award to X and, regardless of how the album actually is, they win. Now I usually expect such shenanigans from the Emmy Awards. Those are usually fraught with winners whose "turn" had come. Usually in a crappy movie, though, and for a less than stellar performance. But I digress. In this case Eye On It was far from Toby's best, plus it came out over a year ago. It was for the previously awarded PVA's and it didn't win. Same with Redman. He won awards for his song 10,000 Reasons, which came off an album from July 2011. It should have been dropped from contention due to age.

In addition to Redman's 5/5 Night and Toby Mac going 4/4, there were also a number of categories where the Song winner was from the album winner. Now I may have done that as well, but to my knowledge there is no rule that that must be the case. It was a hat trick at the Dove's, because it happened in Contemporary Gospel, Traditional Gospel, and Hip Hop.

One more gripe and I'm done. Demon Hunter's album True Defiance was one of my best albums of 2012 (#8), and all the Dove's liked about it was the Album Cover. Glad you recognized something about it guys, but it should have been nominated for much more.

The Awards came out back in October, and it's now November. It's an old, possibly irrelevant post. And I'm fine with it. If it's good enough for the Dove's then it should be good enough for all. Just Kidding. Here's hoping the next Dove's improves. Until then you always have the +The WENC Night Beat and the +We Love Christian Music Awards, which, despite adding a Southern Gospel and Country category this year, has a much superior field of nominees. I guess you can learn something from us young ones. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heating It Up: Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees - Modern Worship

Moving On to Modern Worship. And there's only one Hillsong Entrant. I guess it is possible to have a best of Modern Worship not dominated by the Australian Megachurch.

Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees

Like I said, this is Modern Worship. Now for anyone not clear on the concept, basically it is worship music with a rock beat. Now I have a problem with most modern worship music, but it's not the same problem that most have. Sure, there is the standard gripe that Hillsong Church seems to dominate the genre, but my biggest gripe is it's too tame. I Prefer Skillet and Worth Dying For. Let's crank this up to 25. Who do we think we are, the Talley Trio?

Modern Worship

• Jeff Anderson - A Thousand Tongues
• Daniel Bashta - The Sounds of Daniel Bashta
• The Ember Days - Emergency
• My Epic - Broken Voice
• Hillsong Live - God Is Able (Live)
• Leeland - The Great Awakening
• Planetshakers - Nothing Is Impossible
• Pocket Full of Rocks - Let it Rain: The Best of Pocket Full of Rocks
• Cindy Cruse Ratcliff - Twenty Three
• Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons
• Jeremy Riddle - Furious
• Vineyard Worship UK - My Soul Yearns 

Scroll down to the bottom of the Darlene Zschech review for my bonus on C.C.R. Now while The Ember Days doesn't exactly crank thinks up as high as I would like, no one can doubt that they set themselves apart with an Alternative/Trance Sound. They definitely are the Anti-Hillsong. There is still more to come, so stay with me. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: July 2011

We have completed the first third of the final quarter of entries for the 2011 Platinum Vinyl Award. Boy things have gone by quickly this summer. August looks to be a little quiet. I guess when you're out on the festival circuit you can't have a CD coming out.

Not Exactly Precious Metal

The following handful of entries just missed making the Platinum Vinyl Awards initial cut. We had a very good July. It should make up for having a pretty sparse August.

• Opposition, Altars, 3.5 Emeralds
• Volition, As Hell Retreats, 3 Emeralds
• Out for Blood, Farewell Flight, 3.75 Emeralds
• Turn up the Music: The Hits of Point of Grace, Point of Grace, 3.5 Emeralds
• Kingdom Days in an Evil Age, Sleeping Giant, 3.75 Emeralds

As I have said, four emeralds is my bar. While I think Sleeping Giant and Farewell Flight have some potential, there was just something lacking with their releases. Maybe next time.

July 2011 Platinum Vinyl Nominees

This month was pretty good. We had almost two dozen possible nominees. Now remember, this is the initial list, and things will get whittled down before the finals. This is the first step.

• Brokenness Aside, No. 1, All Sons & Daughters, 4 Emeralds
• Stop the Funeral, Ambassador, 4.5 Emeralds
• A Thousand Tongues, Jeff Anderson, 4.25 Emeralds
• American Dreams, Dominic Balli, 4 Emeralds
• Burlap to Cashmere, Burlap to Cashmere, 4.75 Emeralds
• Validation, Call to Preserve, 4.5 Emeralds
• The Best of, Ricky Dillard and New G, 4.25 Emeralds
• Heavy Worship, The Great Commission, 4.5 Emeralds
• Give Me Rest, Hands, 4.25 Emeralds
• God Is Able (Live), Hillsong Live, 4.25 Emeralds
• You Got My Attention, Dara Maclean, 4.5 Emeralds
• Time And Space, Miss Angie, 4.5 Emeralds
• Broken Voice, My Epic, 4.5 Emeralds
• Come Down O Love Divine, Fernando Ortega, 4.5 Emeralds
• To Those Perishing, A Past Unknown, 4.25 Emeralds
• The God Machine, Phinehas, 4.5 Emeralds
• I'm All In, Robert Pierre, 4.25 Emeralds
• Let it Rain: The Best of Pocket Full of Rocks, Pocket Full of Rocks, 4.25 Emeralds
• 10,000 Reasons, Matt Redman, 4.25 Emeralds
• These Simple Truths (Deluxe Edition), Sidewalk Prophets, 4.25 Emeralds
• Promises, Richard Smallwood, 4.25 Emeralds
• Beautiful Monster, This'l, 4 Emeralds
• Holy Hip Hop, Volume 11, Various Artists, 4.5 Emeralds

That's it for July. It's kind of hard to believe, but in just a few short months I will be beginning the process to pick the seven final nominees in each category for the 2nd Platinum Vinyl Awards. Wow. I hope you stay with me through it all, tell your friends, and as always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.