Late Artist Praised At Dove Awards
It was out of character for the late Rich Mullins to covet recognition, though he had always wanted one of the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards.
The 41-year-old songwriter who died in a September car crash was named the Artist of the Year on Thursday night.
"He wanted one of these very very badly," his brother David said as he accepted the trophy. "He was disappointed on a couple of occasions when he was supposed to be a shoo-in and didn't win."
Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Phil Keaggy took part in a musical tribute to Mullins, who stole the show at the Nashville Arena without even being there.
Mullins, who wrote such church standards as Awesome God and Sing Your Praise to the Lord, had left Nashville several years ago to teach music to children on Indian reservations in the Southwest.
He'd been nominated for 12 Dove Awards since 1983. Thirteen was the charm.
Steven Curtis Chapman won five awards during the ceremony broadcast live by The Nashville Network, including best male vocalist and songwriter. The best female vocalist was Crystal Lewis, and Group of the Year went to Jars of Clay.
Only eight awards were presented on television to make room for 12 performances spanning nearly every musical genre. There was the exuberant rap of God's Property, alternative rock from Jars of Clay and new ballad We Fall Down from Bob Carlisle of Butterfly Kisses fame.
Whitney Houston closed the show with a rousing I Go to the Rock, which won the award for traditional gospel recorded song. After accepting the award, Houston hugged I Go to the Rock songwriter Dottie Rambo.
"Dottie, thank you for writing the song," Houston said.
Houston boycotted the Grammys this year because her soundtrack to The Preacher's Wife movie was nominated in the R&B category instead of gospel.
Grant and husband Gary Chapman each won a Dove. Her Behind the Eyes won for pop-contemporary album and Chapman got best country album for Hymns from the Ryman.
Country singer Collin Raye won the award for country recorded song for The Gift," a collaboration with Jim Brickman. Kirk Franklin & God's Property won best urban album and single awards for God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation and Stomp, respectively.
But the night belonged to sentimental favorite Mullins. Said Grant: "Rich Mullins was the uneasy conscience of Christian music."
The GMA was founded in 1964 to promote gospel music. More than 6,000 GMA members nominate and select winners.