Winners will be announced at The 50th GRAMMY Awards ceremony broadcasting live on CBS, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008, from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT) at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Norman Miller, music industry veteran and Casting Crowns manager says, “In all my 44 years in various aspects of the music business, I have not seen an artist impact sales, radio and touring on the tremendous level that Casting Crowns has, or as quickly. This artist truly has become the face of Inspirational/Gospel music, and I congratulate them on the GRAMMY nominations today.”

Casting Crowns is poised to have the No.1 top-selling album in Christian music for 2007 with its RIAA Gold project The Altar and The Door. The landmark album has shipped 500,000 units in the 10 weeks since its historical debut at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart. The album’s first radio single “East to West” spent a record-setting 14 weeks at No. 1 on Christian AC radio. Plus, more than 200,000 fans attended the fall leg of Casting Crowns’ The Altar and The Door Fall Tour claiming the top-grossing Christian music event of the year.

During its four-year career, Casting Crowns has been honored with a GRAMMY Award, an American Music Award, and multiple Gospel Music Dove Awards serving as the industry’s “Group of the Year” for the last three years. Casting Crowns has been the most played artist on all Christian radio formats combined, with seven consecutive No.1 AC radio hits, and the group has sold more than 3 million albums to date. Earlier this year, Casting Crowns set an RIAA record as the fastest Christian music artist in its career to have its first two albums certified Platinum, and only the second in RIAA history ever to achieve it. Casting Crowns’ lead singer and songwriter is full-time Youth Pastor Mark Hall, who is serving his 17th year as student pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. All seven band members remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta-area and tour part-time around their local-church duties. For more information, please visit www.CastingCrowns.com or www.reunionrecords.com.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. In its 50th year, The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com