Crowder, Sufjan, 4th Ave win big during 2nd annual CMC Awards

Progressive hip-hop act 4th Avenue Jones won the the most awards, five in all, as David Crowder Band scored Artist and Album of the Year during the 2nd annual CMCentral Music Awards ceremony on Monday, February 20.

David Crowder Band was also named Praise & Worship Artist of the Year, and the band's critically acclaimed project, A Collision, was awarded Praise & Worship Album of the Year.

4th Avenue Jones was named New Artist of the Year, as well as winning 2 genre-specific awards for their pop hit "Stereo" and 2 more for their hip-hop smash "Take Me Away."

The nominees and winners for the CMCentral Music Awards were chosen by members of the CMCentral.com online Forum, which consist of almost 3,000 artists, musicians, industry personnel, and music fans. Forum members were specifically asked to vote based on artistic creativity, excellence, and integrity.

Other multiple winners included mainstream wunderkind Sufjan Stevens, who was named Male Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Best Christian artist in the mainstream, and Rock/Alternative Album of the Year for his critically lauded project, Illinois.

Natalie Grant, 2005's best-selling female artist, was awarded Female Artist of the Year and Adult Contemporary/Inspirational Vocal Performance, Solo Female for her multi-format smash hit, "Held." The song "Held" and it's writer Christa Wells won two additional awards, the coveted Song of the Year title, as well as Adult Contemporary/Inspirational Song of the Year. Both Wells and Grant accepted their awards with emotional speeches about the song's importance and personal impact on them.

Hip-hop collective Deepspace5 surprised the audience by besting big names like Switchfoot, Relient K, Jars of Clay and David Crowder Band to take the award for Group/Duo/Band of the Year. Deepspace5's critically acclaimed CD Unique, Just Like Everyone Else was also named Hip Hop Album of the Year during the ceremony.

To read the complete ceremony:
http://forum.cmcentral.com/index.php?showtopic=40700

Following is a complete list of all winners:

Artist of the Year: David Crowder Band 

Album of the Year: A Collision, David Crowder Band (producer: Ed Cash, David Crowder)

Single of the Year: "God Will Lift Up Your Head," Jars of Clay (producer: Jars of Clay)

Song of the Year: "Held," Natalie Grant (songwriter: Christa Wells)

Entertainer of the Year: Relient K

Female Artist of the Year: Natalie Grant

Male Artist of the Year: Sufjan Stevens

Group/Duo/Band of the Year: Deepspace5

New Artist of the Year: 4th Avenue Jones

Producer of the Year: Aaron Sprinkle

Songwriter of the Year: Sufjan Stevens

Best Christian Artist in the Mainstream: Sufjan Stevens

Pop Album of the Year: A Drunkard's Prayer, Over The Rhine (producer: Mahan Kaipa, Over The Rhine)

Pop Song of the Year: "Stereo," 4th Avenue Jones (songwriter: 4th Avenue Jones)

Pop Vocal Performance, Solo Female: Nichole Nordeman, "Brave"

Pop Vocal Performance, Solo Male: (tie) Mat Kearney, "Bullet" and  Shaun Groves, "Bless The Lord"

Pop Performance, Group/Duo/Band: 4th Avenue Jones, "Stereo"

Rock Album of the Year: Illinois, Sufjan Stevens (producer: Sufjan Stevens)

Rock Song of the Year: "Paperthin Hymn," Anberlin (songwriter: Anberlin)

Rock Vocal Performance, Solo Female: Plumb, "I Can't Do This"

Rock Vocal Performance, Solo Male: Kevin Max, "Sanctuary"

Rock Performance, Group/Duo/Band : Anberlin, "Paperthin Hymn"

Urban/R&B/Gospel Album of the Year: Mary Mary, Mary Mary (producer: Charlie "CSUN" Bereal, Warryn Campbell, David Delhomme, Steve Huff, Jazz Nixon, Nisan Stewart, Dontae Winslow)

Urban/R&B/Gospel Song of the Year: "Heaven," Mary Mary (songwriter: Mary Mary, Warryn Campbell, Joi Campbell)

Urban/R&B/Gospel Vocal Performance, Solo Female : CeCe Winans, "Pray"

Urban/R&B/Gospel Vocal Performance, Solo Male: Tonex, "Work On Me"

Urban/R&B/Gospel Performance, Group/Duo/Band: DJ Maj featuring Liquid, "Love (So Beautiful)"

Hip Hop Album of the Year: Unique, Just Like Everyone Else, Deepspace5 (producer: Deepspace5)

Hip Hop Song of the Year: "Take Me Away," 4th Avenue Jones (songwriter: 4th Avenue Jones)

Hip Hop Performance, Solo: Listener, "What Would You Do If I'm Not What I'm Supposed To Be"

Hip Hop Performance, Group/Duo/Band: 4th Avenue Jones, "Take Me Away"

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational Album of the Year: (tie) Brave, Nichole Nordeman (producer: Jay Joyce);  and  The Far Country, Andrew Peterson (producer: Ben Shive)

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational Song of the Year : "Held," Natalie Grant (songwriter: Christa Wells)

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational Vocal Performance, Solo Female: Natalie Grant, "Held"

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational Vocal Performance, Solo Male: Bebo Norman, "Nothing Without You"

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational Performance, Group/Duo/Band: Shane & Shane, "Yearn"

Praise & Worship Album of the Year: A Collision, David Crowder Band (producer: Ed Cash, David Crowder)

Praise & Worship Song of the Year: "How Great Is Our God," Passion (songwriter: Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves, Chris Tomlin)

Praise & Worship Artist of the Year: David Crowder Band

Country/Southern Gospel Album of the Year: Why Should The Fire Die?, Nickel Creek (producer: Tony Berg)

Country/Southern Gospel Song of the Year: "I'll Fly Away," Jars of Clay featuring Sarah Kelly (songwriter: Albert E. Brumley, Jars of Clay [new arrangement])

Country/Southern Gospel Artist of the Year: Carrie Underwood

Hard Rock/Loud Music Album of the Year: ...And The Rest Will Follow, Project 86 (producer: Ben Kaplan, Project 86)

Hard Rock/Loud Music Song of the Year: "Mouth Like a Magazine," Showbread (songwriter: Showbread)

Hard Rock/Loud Music Artist of the Year: Underoath

Short Form Music Video of the Year: "Nuisance," John Reuben featuring Matthew Thiessen

Again, you can read the ceremony in its entirety:
http://forum.cmcentral.com/index.php?showtopic=40700