NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame inductees The Imperials recently received word that they have been nominated for five SGN Music Awards. The Imperials were nominated in the categories of:

* Album of the Year (for Back to the Roots),
* Best Live Performer
* Traditional Southern Song of the Year (for "All That Matters to the Lord")
* Progressive Southern Album of the Year (for Back to the Roots).
* In addition, Imperials lead singer, Shannon Smith, received a nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year

Shannon Smith said, "We are truly honored to be considered for these awards and appreciate all that SoGospelNews.com is doing to promote artists, their music, and their ministries. Thank you!"

"Anyone who has worked in Gospel music over the last few years can't deny just how much buzz this group has accumulated," mentioned Deon Unthank, administrator of SoGospelNews.com. "Their new album, Back to the Roots, was really one of the finest records released last year and proved to everyone that this group wears the title of 'The Imperials' exceptionally well."

The nominees for the SGN Music Awards were chosen by the staff of SoGospelNews.com. Voting for the winners started on February 1, 2008 and will continue through February 15, 2008. Fans interested in voting for their favorites can visit http://sogospelnews.com/index/awards/comments/8553/.

(Just a quick note here: As far as voting - it is one vote per email address - or 2 votes if it is a married couple - but you must put separate names in the form when you vote - or else it will just look like a duplicate vote and the moderator will discard the vote. Also, the form says it requires you to vote in all categories. If you don't know enough about some of the nominees in some categories, you don't HAVE to vote - it is just encouraged. Bottom line - we would really appreciate your votes! We would also appreciate you encouraging others to vote.)

The SGN Music Awards Celebration will take place on Tuesday evening, April 29, 2008 in Smyrna, Tennessee. The event is free to the public, and doors will open at 6:00 p.m. More information on the 2008 SGN Music Awards Celebration will be forthcoming, including hosts, performers, sponsors, etc.

The Imperials were recently featured on Southern Gospel's most prestigious syndicated radio program – The Gospel Greats with Paul Heil. The Imperials were the Featured Artist on The Gospel Greats in syndication on January 18 & 19, 2008 all over the nation.

Fans are encouraged to be listening for the group's newest single – "We've Got a Great Big Wonderful God." It is the debut single from their critically acclaimed Back to the Roots recording. The song ranked as the 1 New Release for the February 2008 issue of the Gospel Music News Top 100 and the 3 New Release for the upcoming March 2008 issue of the Singing News Top 80.

For more information on The Imperials, the new recording, and their recent television and media appearances, please visit http://theimperials.com.

Fans are encouraged to visit The Imperials on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/imperialsmusic/. You can also visit The Imperials on Shoutlife at http://www.shoutlife.com/theimperials/ or at myCCM at http://www.myccm.org/theimperials.

About The Imperials
The Imperials have a vast and rich history that expands beyond genre borders. The Imperials have released over 40 albums and have had 14 songs go number one. They have won 12 Grammy Awards and 13 Dove Awards, and they also were the first Christian artist to perform on the Grammy Award telecast. The group was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame.