News & Scoops

Author's Website:
http://absolutelygospel.com/

Online Diamond Awards Ballot Now Available

The ballots are now coming in at an unpresedented rate. That's right, the Final Ballot is now available on the SGN SCOOPS WEBSITE (http://www.sgnscoops.com). Once again, a downloadable ballot as well as an online ballot will is available

Listed below are the Top Five Finalists in each category.

J.D. SUMNER LIVING LEGEND AWARD: Jim Hamill, Claude Hopper, Connie Hopper, Eva Mae LeFevre, and Ben Speer.

GROUP OF THE YEAR AWARD: The Crabb Family, Gaither Vocal Band, Gold City Quartet, The Hoppers, and The Perrys.

TRIO OF THE YEAR AWARD: Booth Brotehrs, Greater Vision, The Greenes, Karen Peck & New River, and The Talley Trio.

DUET OF THE YEAR AWARD: The Goldens, Bob & Jeanne Johnson, Tim & Mary Alice Lovelace, The McRaes, and Young Harmony.

SOLOIST OF THE YEAR AWARD: Big MO (Milton) Ostrander, Mark Bishop, Ivan Parker, Squire Parsons, and Janet Paschal.

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Jason Crabb - The Crabb Family, Brian Free - Brian Free & Assurance, Guy Penrod - Gaither Vocal Band, David Phelps -
Gaither Vocal Band, and Gerald Wolfe - Greater Vision.

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Sheri Easter - Jeff & Sheri Easter, Kim Hopper - The Hoppers, Karen Peck Gooch - Karen Peck & New River, Debra
Talley - The Talley Trio, and Lauren Talley - The Talley Trio.

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: Ricky Atkinson, Gerald Crabb, Phil Cross, Rodney Griffin, and Dottie Rambo.

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR: Roger Bennett, Anthony Burger, Tim Lovelace, Randy Miller, and Tim Surrett.

SUNRISE AWARD: The Dunaways, The Goldens, Nicole Watts Jenkins, The McRaes, and Three Bridges.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR: #1 Hits Live - The Crabb Family, Crabb Fest Live 2003 - The Crabb Family, Happy Hour - Jeff & Sheri Easter, Quartets Live -
Greater Vision, and Walk The Talk - Gold City Quartet.

SONG OF THE YEAR: Calvary Answers For Me - The Perrys, Jesus Saves - The Talley Trio, Just Ask - Greater Vision, That's Why They Call It Grace -
Karen Peck & New River, and The Cross - The Crabb Family.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: For His Glory - Karen Peck & New River, Great Day - The Hoppers, Ready - The Carolina Boys, The Walk - The Crabb Family, and This Is The Day - The Perrys.

FAVORITE ARTIST/INDUSTRY WEBSITE:
The Crabb Family - http://www.thecrabbfamily.com
Legacy Five - http://www.legacyfive.com
Singing News Magazine - http://www.singingnews.com
SoGospelNews.com - http://www.sogospelnews.com
U.S. Gospel News - http://www.usgospelnews.com

The 2004 SGN SCOOPS DIAMOND AWARDS WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE DIAMOND AWARDS PROGRAM, which is sponsored this year by LAMP MUSIC GROUP, will take place on Friday, September 17th in the SCOTS ROOM of the EXECUTIVE WEST HOTEL at the entrance of the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center in Louisville, KY, during NQC Week. THIS EXCITING PROGRAM WILL START AT 1:30 PM. ATTENDANCE IS FREE FOR EVERYONE.

LIST OF CURRENT CO-SPONSORS: Gateway Music Group (Agency), Sons of the Father (Artists), and Nicola Wyatt (Artist).

The co-emcees of this event will be singer/songwriter Mark Bishop and singer/songwriter Kyla Rowland.

The current list of additional presenters for this year's exciting program are : Garry Sheppard, former tenor for the Kingsmen and Perfect Heart;
Paul Heil of The Gospel Greats; Sandi Duncan Clark, of The Southern Gospel Music Forum; Fay Shedd, of Artist Direction Agency; Lou Wills Hildreth;
Soloist Tony Gore; Jim Hefner, president of the Southern Gospel Promoters Association; Bo & Rhonda Hinson, of The Hinsons; Soloist Sandy Glass;
Soloist Randy Miller, formerly of The Kingsmen; Ricky Atkinson of Ricky Atkinson and Compassion and Johnathan Martin. More names of presenters
will be announced at a later date.

PLEASE NOTE, AND PLAN NOW TO ATTEND - THERE IS NO ADMISSION CHARGE TO THE DIAMOND AWARDS PROGRAM, AND EVERYONE IS INVITED TO ATTEND.

In addition, the following regional artists have been included on the program: The Browns from Merrill, Iowa; and The Golden Street Quartet of
Festus, Missouri; The Bilderbacks of Springdale, AR; Victory Song of Valdosta, GA; Oasis, Pinson, AL; and Good News, the winners of the 2003
National Quartet Convention Talent Search.

In Addition, THE HINSONS will be performing on stage during the program. More artists will be announced at a later time.