CASTING CROWNS NAMED “GROUP OF THE YEAR”
FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR AT ANNUAL DOVE AWARDS
Platinum-Selling Band Celebrates Three Dove Awards Including
First Christmas Album of the Year Win for Peace On Earth
Awards Follow Band’s Second Visit to North Korea Performing in
“April Spring Arts Festival” Celebrating Artistic Exchange
Casting Crowns pictured backstage following Dove Awards wins. Pictured L-R: Chris Huffman, Hector Cervantes, Juan DeVevo, Mark Hall, Melodee DeVevo, Megan Garrett and Brian Scoggin.
Christian music’s leader in sales and touring, Casting Crowns picks up a monumental fifth consecutive win last night for the prestigious Group of the Year award at the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards, broadcast live on the Gospel Music Channel from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
Additionally, the band took home the Dove Award for Christmas Album of the Year for its 2008 chart-topping, first Christmas project Peace On Earth. The top-selling album reached No.1 on iTunes Christian albums chart, and No. 3 on iTunes overall Holiday albums chart in 2008, weekly topping seasonal releases from Faith Hill and Elvis Presley. Lead vocalist Mark Hall was also recognized as the project’s producer.
Hall said, “It’s been an amazing year of ministry for Casting Crowns. We are proud to be a part of Christian music and we thank GMA for making the Dove Awards such a special event.”
Casting Crowns received an additional Dove Award win in the Short Form Music Video category for its powerful music video “Slow Fade,” appearing on the band’s RIAA Gold-certified The Altar and The Door Live DVD/CD.
This week, the band returns from performing a second time in North Korea as a U.S. delegate in the nationally-televised “April Spring Arts Festival” in Pyongyang, D.P.R.K. Casting Crowns participated in 2007 as the only U.S. delegate.