The 22nd Annual Absolutely Gospel Awards took place on April 18th, 2023, at the Capitol Theater in Lebanon, Tennessee. Daywind Music Group artists and songwriters were honored with 19 wins at the ceremony, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Fan Favorite Artist of the Year.

The night also featured great performances from Daywind Music Group artists Tribute Quartet, High Road, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Joseph Habedank, and Jim & Melissa Brady.

Dusty Wells, director of Artist and Label Relations for Daywind, commented, “What a great night for DAYWIND MUSIC GROUP at the ABSOLUTELY GOSPEL MUSIC AWARDS.  Congratulations to all of the artists, songwriters, producers, musicians, engineers, orchestrators, arrangers, publishers, and label staff for their excellent work. 

Our mission at Daywind is to help creators make music that touches hearts and changes lives.  Our entire team wants to thank the fans, radio, retail, and digital service providers. 

We appreciate greatly ABSOLUTELY GOSPEL not only for hosting such a wonderful event but also for the work they do every day to celebrate and grow Gospel music!  We are humbly honored and so grateful.”

Dusty Wells received a special surprise of his own during the evening when he received the Deon Unthank Memorial Award for his work on advancing Southern Gospel music.  The award is named for the founder of Absolutely Gospel.

Karen Peck & New River were the big winners of the night, taking home 5 awards: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Fan Favorite Artist of the Year, Mixed Group of the Year, and Artist Songwriter of the Year.

Winners:

Progressive Single of the Year
“He’s Got A Way” – Southbound (written by Clint Brown, Jody Braselton, and Seth J. Elbe

Artist Songwriter of the Year
Karen Peck Gooch

Professional Songwriter of the Year
Jason Cox

Producer of the Year
Wayne Haun.

Fan Favorite Artist of the Year
Karen Peck & New River

Male Vocalist of the Year
Joseph Habedank

Female Vocalist of the Year
Melissa Brady

Southern Roots Single of the Year
“Children Sing” – Nelons (written by Jason Clark and Tony Wood)

Southern Roots Recording (Album) of the Year
God is Real – The Sound (produced by Barry Weeks)

Traditional Single of the Year
“Not My Will” – Tribute Quartet

Deon Unthank Memorial Award
Dusty Wells

Special Event Project of the Year
Songs That Pulled Me Through the Tough Times – Becky Isaacs Bowman (produced by Becky Isaacs Bowman and Ben Isaacs)

Bluegrass Artist of the Year
Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Southern Music Video of the Year
“Scars in Heaven” – The Nelons

Mixed Group of the Year
Karen Peck & New River

Female Group of the Year
High Road

Male Group of the Year
Brian Free & Assurance

Album of the Year
2:22 – Karen Peck & New River (produced by Wayne Haun)

Song of the Year
“Answer Is Jesus” – Karen Peck & New River (written by Karen Peck Gooch, Lee Black, and Kenna West)

SOUTHBOUND, the dynamic trio consisting of Clint Brown, Jody Braselton, and Seth J. Elbe, won the award for Progressive Single of the Year at the 2023 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards.

The 22nd annual ceremony, which honors the best in Christian and gospel music, took place on April 18 at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Clint Brown expressed his appreciation upon receiving the award, stating, “We are grateful to the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards for this honor. We would also like to extend our thanks to Michael Turner and the entire team at Straight Arrow Management and Daywind Records.

Winning Progressive Song of the Year for “He’s Got A Way” is a tremendous thrill for me, Seth, and Jody. We hope that listeners will never forget the song’s message – that no matter what you’re facing, God has a plan.”

SOUTHBOUND’s winning track is a powerful and uplifting single that explores finding strength and hope during difficult times. The unique sound, which blends traditional gospel with modern influences, has garnered them critical acclaim and a devoted fan base.

WME has signed five-time GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist Brandon Lake for global representation in all areas.

With over a decade of experience as a worship leader and songwriter, Lake has become one of the most sought-after artists in the Christian music genre, releasing music under Provident Entertainment/Sony Music. 

His debut single “This Is a Move” has been streamed over 18 million times on Spotify, and his latest album House of Miracles has received critical acclaim and includes his recent single ‘Gratitude,” which has held the No. 1 spot at Christian radio for six weeks and counting.

Lake is currently on his sold-out, 26-city Miracle Nights Tour with special guest Benjamin William Hastings and made his headlining debut at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium this past weekend with special guest Thomas Rhett.

In August, he is set to co-headline the Summer Worship Nights Tour with Phil Wickham, hitting arenas in 12 cities. The singer-songwriter is currently working on new music slated to be released this summer.

Lake joins WME’s notable Christian roster and has seen prominent success over the past year. Clients Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin walked away with seven wins in the Gospel and Contemporary Christian Music categories at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, and their 2022 Kingdom Tour is now recognized as the largest-grossing tour in Christian Music history.

WME also had a stellar showing at the 53^rdAnnual GMA Dove Awards, with clients Phil Wickham, Crowder, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Maverick City Music, Tauren Wells, and others taking home twelve wins, the most of any agency.

Todd Tilghman, the winner of the 18th season of NBC’s “The Voice,” has added three more accolades to his collection at 2023 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards, the 22nd annual ceremony.

The annual ceremony, which honors the best in Christian and gospel music, took place on April 18 at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Tilghman won the award for Positive Country Music Video of the Year for “Home Wasn’t Built In A Day,” as well as Positive Country Male Artist of the Year and Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Upon receiving his awards, Tilghman expressed his gratitude and excitement, saying, “Man, I am so blown away. Thank you to Absolutely Gospel Music and everyone out there who’s part of what I’m doing. It’s not easy. Not at all.

But nights like tonight remind me that people are listening, and they care. God is so very good.”

Tilghman continues an aggressive tour schedule filled with concerts, festival appearances, and more.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Julie Elias is proud to announce the release of her latest album “The Dreamer” today. The album, which features 16 tracks, follows the success of the title cut, “The Dreamer,” which was released to Christian radio on April 4, 2023, and debuted at #1 on the Christian Radio Chart weekly.

Elias’ new album is a culmination of her passion for music and her unwavering faith. It features 16 uplifting and inspirational tracks, including “Free,” “Stampede,” “Truth,” “The Dreamer,” “You Make Me Brave,” “HeartSong,” “Radiant Love,” “Goodness of God,” “Mistakes,” “You Have to Be There,” “River Runs Dry,” “Mojave,” “Phoenix,” “Won’t Hold Back,” “Swan Song,” and “The Prayer” (featuring John Owen-Jones).

“The Dreamer” is a collection of songs that encourages listeners to pursue their dreams and trust in God’s plan for their lives. Elias’ soaring vocals and heartfelt lyrics are sure to inspire and uplift audiences of all ages.

“I am beyond thrilled to release ‘The Dreamer’ to the world,” Elias said. “This album is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to my craft. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share these songs with my fans and I hope that they will find as much inspiration and joy in them as I did in creating them.”

“The Dreamer” is now available for purchase and streaming on all major music platforms. Fans can also catch Elias on her upcoming tour, which kicks off on May 1, 2023.

The Dreamer – Julie Elias

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‘It’s Alright’ is based on an old Spiritual of the same name. The original was a simple call and response, seeking to remind each other that life is bigger than this present moment, especially when the present moment is full of anguish and suffering.

Anchor Hymns present a new version from Matt Maher, Dee Wilson, Jasmine Mullen, and Lucy Grimble, who looked at the song’s lyrics and expanded the idea into a deep Gospel groove.

‘It’s Alright’ tells the story of a lost and lonely someone being swept up in the arms of Jesus and welcomed into a loving and eternal family. As Wilson cries out towards the end of this one-take recording, this is good news “for my family in Texas, for my brothers and sisters in Ukraine, for all of God’s children”.

Anchor Hymns cut across the noise of pain with a hopeful admonition, “It’s alright, Jesus is calling from the other side, and it’s alright.”

It’s Alright – Anchor Hymns

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Sarah Kroger releases ‘The London Sessions‘ an album that marks a “meeting of the streams” moment for the Nashville-based singer-songwriter. The new album is the artist’s first completely live record, recorded just outside of London following Kroger’s first UK tour, marking another milestone in her international appeal.

As a Catholic, Kroger is no stranger to the global church, celebrating this as an opportunity to continue leaning into that side of her artistry and serving listeners beyond her native borders.

This project is a collection of intentionally chosen songs that tell of where Kroger has been musically over the past few years, both as a solo artist and as a part of various side projects and collectives. The songs were selected from her album “Light” (2020), as well as from her work with musical communities REVERE (2021), FAITHFUL (2021), and Village Lights (2021). “The London Sessions” emphasizes Kroger’s diverse creativity and highlights her smooth vocals, which shine through each of the 7 tracks.

“We went into this recording as a band saying to each other, ‘How would you want to hear this song live?’ After each person added their own flavor, my music director, Zorin McGuire, took all the flavors and made sure they worked together,” Kroger explains.

The new album is concluded with “What A Wonderful World” – a longtime favorite for Kroger who always includes it in her concert sets, creating an extra layer of the uniqueness and broad appeal of this album.

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With a powerful reminder that God is always with us—even in the darkest seasons of life—acclaimed acoustic/pop duo After Grace returns with “It’s Okay (Feel This Way).” Now available on streaming platforms, the poignant ballad was penned by After Grace’s Cody Clark along with Nick Schwarz and was produced by Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, artist, and producer Boy Bennett.

Hallmarked by the duo’s signature harmonies, “It’s Okay (Feel This Way)” acknowledges that pain and heartache are an inevitable part of life, but God promises to never forsake us. Inspired by Clark’s son, who struggled with grief following the loss of his grandfather, the song’s message is universal.

“Dad got sick in 2020, and three weeks later we were at his funeral,” Clark shares. “It was a whirlwind of emotions and faith-shaking reality. My dad was our rock, and he meant the world to all of us, but he and my son were the best of friends and did so much together.

Shortly after Dad passed away, my wife and I noticed our son’s behavior had changed. He was six years old at the time, and his joy and happiness started to fade away. He became angry at teachers and other students at school, and he wandered off by himself at recess. When we talked with him about it, he told us that he just missed Pop-Pop.”

“He’s doing better these days, but my son still has moments of grief and tears, so I wrote this song for him,” Clark continues. “I want him to know that no matter what he’s going through, I am always here for him. He doesn’t have to face the hardships of this life alone. And not only am I here for him, but God is here for him through it all.”

“’ It’s Okay’ offers a real and honest message from a very personal place,” adds After Grace’s Jerad Moffitt. “Everyone hurts and sometimes you just want to give up—it’s okay to admit that.

It doesn’t make us sinners; it makes us human. God isn’t afraid of our very real and raw emotions, and we must give ourselves permission to face our feelings and confront our heartache.”

“Christ tells us that in life, we will have hardships, but we can take heart because He has overcome the world,” Moffitt says of the ultimate message the song conveys. “God offers the one thing that nothing else in this life can—genuine Hope. His Hope isn’t circumstantial; it’s steadfast and unwavering no matter what life throws our way.”

After Grace Finds Home Amidst Heartache With “It’s Okay (Feel This Way)”

Mac Powell, former frontman of the four-time GRAMMY Award-winning band Third Day, has released his new song, Today (Apr 21), Mac Powell shares a new version of “1991.” It was first featured in Powell’s 2021 New Creation. 

Mac Powell – 1991

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Award-winning artist Meredith Andrews shares a passionate ballad of hope and relief with Double Single. Today (Apr 21), Meredith Andrews releases new music with “God Of The Living” and “My Undoing.” The official lyric videos can be viewed below. 

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