The Atlanta-based band entered into the evening’s show with four nominations and left with three Doves in tow. Additional wins by Christian music’s top group were for its latest blockbuster, RIAA Gold project, The Altar and The Door which was named Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, and included the No.1 smash hit, “East To West,” which won the coveted Song of the Year honor, and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.

Mark Hall, the leading nominee going into the night with seven (including Songwriter of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year), collected four individual Doves, including two as songwriter of “East to West” in the above mentioned categories, and two for his participation on the Glory Revealed project which nabbed Special Event Album of the Year, as well as its hit radio single, “By His Wounds,” receiving the award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year.

“I’m so thankful just to get to be part of the songs,” Hall said to the press backstage and noted by the Associated Press.

The Altar and The Door, the third studio recording from Casting Crowns, achieved an historical debut at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart with 130,000 first-week copies sold, making it the highest debut in the country that week. The album sailed to RIAA Gold status in 10 weeks. Its massive first single, “East to West,” topped four Christian radio charts, including a record-setting 14 weeks at No. 1 on Christian AC radio.

Hall is a full-time youth pastor, serving his 17th year in youth ministry as a 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.

Casting Crowns wrapped 2007 as the No. 1 top-selling Christian music artist of the year. The group’s “The Altar and The Door Tour” will wrap May 4 in Louisville, Kentucky as the top-grossing tour of 2007/08 season for a Christian music artist. On this tour, Casting Crowns has played to 500,000 fans over 84 dates with 21 sell-out shows. In addition to this week’s multiple Dove Award wins, the band won its first American Music Award in November and received three GRAMMY nominations for The 50th GRAMMY Awards.

The Dove Awards were presented live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and broadcast to a nationwide audience live on Gospel Music Channel. A complete list of winners is available at doveawards.com.

For more information on Casting Crowns please visit castingcrowns.com.

(photo: John DiBiase, Jesusfreakhideout.com)

 

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