The following is a complete listing of Provident Label Group and Essential Music Publishing artist and project nominations:

Brandon Heath (Reunion Records) 4 Nominations
Song of the Year- Give Me Your Eyes (Songwriter Nomination for Brandon Heath)
Male Vocalist of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song- “Give Me Your Eyes” (Artist/Writer Nomination)
Special Event Album - Billy: The Early Years Official Motion Picture Soundtrack
Casting Crowns (Beach Street/ Reunion Records) 5 Nominations
Group of the Year
Artist of the Year
Christmas Album- Peace on Earth
Short Form Music Video- Slow Fade
Long Form Music Video- The Altar and the Door: Live
*Additional Mark Hall nomination as Producer:
Christmas Album- Peace on Earth- Producer: Mark Hall

Fireflight (Flicker Records) 4 Nominations
Artist of the Year
Rock Recorded Song- “The Hunger”
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song- “Unbreakable”
Rock/Contemporary Album- Unbreakable
*Additional nominations, 1 per writer:
-Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song- “Unbreakable”-
Writers: Dawn Richardson, Justin Cox, Glenn Drennen, Wendy Drennen, Phee Shorb
-Rock Recorded Song- “The Hunger”
Writers: Dawn Richardson, Justin Cox, Glenn Drennen, Wendy Drennen, and Phee Shorb

Leeland (Essential Records) 1 Nomination
Praise and Worship Album- Opposite Way
*Leeland Mooring Additional Nomination:
Special Event Album Your Name

Michael W. Smith (Reunion Records) 4 Nominations
Worship Song- A New Hallelujah- Writer: Michael W. Smith
Inspirational Recorded Song- “A New Hallelujah” (Artist/Writer nomination)
Praise & Worship Album- A New Hallelujah (Artist/Producer Nomination)
Special Event Album- Billy: The Early Years Official Motion Picture Soundtrack

Pillar (Essential Records) 3 Nominations
Rock Recorded Song- For the Love of the Game
Rock Album- For the Love of the Game
Rock Recorded Song- “For the Love of the Game”
*Additional nominations, 1 per writer: Rob Beckley, Lester Estelle, Noah Henson, Michael Wittig

Red (Essential Records) 1 Nomination
Rock Recorded Song of the Year- “Lost”

*Jasen Rauch – 1 Additional Nomination
Rock Recorded Song- “Lost” Writer: Jasen Rauch

Third Day (Essential Records) 3 Nominations
Group of the Year
Artist of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Album- Revelation

*Mac Powell – 1 Additional Nomination
Special Event Album- How Great Thou Art: Gospel Favorites from the Grand Ole Opry

Tenth Avenue North (Reunion Records)
New Artist of the Year

Billy: The Early Years Official Motion Picture Soundtrack
(Arista Nashville/Essential Records)
Special Event Album

How Great Thou Art (Sony BMG Nashville)
Special Event Album

Sleepytime Lullabies (Praise Baby/Big House Kids) 2 Nominations
Children’s Music Album

Recorded Music Packaging – 2 Nominations
Tim Parker (Art Director/Graphic Designer, Provident Label Group) – Third Day’s Revelation
Becka Blackburn (Art Director, Provident Label Group) – Third Day’s Revelation

Essential Music Publishing – 2 Nominations
-Song of the Year- Give Me Your Eyes (Recorded and written by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram)
-Jason Ingram (Essential Music Publishing writer) Nominee in the Producer of the Year Category

For the first time, fans will become stakeholders in the Dove Awards with an opportunity to vote for the winner of Artist of the Year along with New Artist of the Year, which includes nominees Tenth Avenue North. Fan voting, which will be conducted through the Gospel Music Channel website (www.gospelmusicchannel.com) and at www.doveawards.com, will open on February 26, the same day online voting opens for GMA members. The cumulative fan vote, which will continue through the live Dove Awards broadcast, will account for one-third of the total vote in those two categories.

The GMA Dove Awards will be broadcast nationwide live on the Gospel Music Channel from 8 – 10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Thursday, April 23, 2009. GMC is now available in more than 43 million homes in all major markets on the major cable systems as well as on DIRECTV on Channel 338. The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards will be handed out at Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry House. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 615-242-0303.

Dove Awards will be handed out in 43 categories. The Songwriter of the Year nominees were not announced today, but will be revealed prior to the GMA Dove Awards. Dove Awards nominations go to recordings released during the eligibility year November 1, 2007 through October 31, 2008 and voted on by the members of the GMA. The complete nominations list is at http://e2ma.net/go/1748476522/1590644/58473945/goto:http:/www.doveawards.com/.

About Provident Music Group
Provident Music Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, is one of the world’s leading Christian entertainment companies. Provident Music Group operates under the umbrella of Sony Music Nashville and comprises Provident Label Group, Provident Films (designed to produce and distribute faith-based films), Essential Music Publishing and Provident-Integrity Distribution.

Provident Label Group is home to Reunion Records, Essential Records, Beach Street Records and Flicker Records. Provident Label Group’s acclaimed roster includes artists garnering accolades such as RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications and GRAMMY and Dove nominations or trophies: Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith, Third Day, Red, Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North, Pillar, Fireflight and Leeland.