Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News, December 2012: CASTING CROWNS, MARK HALL GARNER MULTIPLE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

CASTING CROWNS, MARK HALL
GARNER MULTIPLE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

HALL HONORED AS SONGWRITER WHILE
BAND PICKS UP ALBUM AND PERFORMANCE NODS

Band Celebrates RIAA GOLD Certification of
"Voice of Truth" For Sales of More than 500,000 Digital Tracks

NEWS SOURCE: Provident Music Group
December 6, 2012

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) December 6, 2012 - Last night, Contemporary Christian music touring and sales leader, Casting Crowns, celebrated three GRAMMY nominations and news of an RIAA GOLD certification. The band was honored in the Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance category for, "Jesus Friend of Sinners," and in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category for its 2011 RIAA GOLD certified, Come To The Well. Mark Hall was also recognized as a songwriter on "Jesus Friend of Sinners," in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Song category.

In addition, the band was notified that "Voice of Truth," a song from its 2005 self-titled debut project, surpassed the 500,000 mark in digital sales. This milestone comes on the heels of the RIAA double Platinum certification of its self-titled debut project, and its sixth career Gold certification for Come To The Well (Oct. 2011).

Nominations for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced last night during The Recording Academy's "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! - Countdown To Music's Biggest Night," a one-hour CBS entertainment special broadcast live for the first time ever from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on GRAMMY Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround-sound on CBS from 8-11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

About Casting Crowns:
Prolific CCM band Casting Crowns achieved sales milestones including one RIAA 2x multi-Platinum album, three RIAA Platinum albums, two RIAA Platinum DVDs, six RIAA Gold albums, two Gold DVDs and four RIAA Gold certified digital singles. The band currently holds the position as Billboard's top-selling act in Christian music since 2007.

The group has also been honored with two American Music Awards (out of six total nominations), a GRAMMY Award for its 2005 album Lifesong, and has received six GRAMMY nominations including three received on Dec. 5, 2012. The band has garnered 14 GMA Dove Awards and two 2012 Billboard Music Awards from four total Billboard Music Award nominations.

Casting Crowns' seven band members all remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta area and tour according to their local church commitments. Serving his 18th year in youth ministry, lead singer/songwriter Mark Hall maintains his role as the student pastor at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta.

As a testament to the band's impact, Casting Crowns performed for a second time in North Korea in April 2009, in partnership with Global Resource Services; the band continues to forge invaluable relationships with the people in the D.P.R.K. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

Casting Crowns concluded its 84-city "Come To The Well" tour on May 5 in Houston to an audience of more than 17,000. Across the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 legs, the tour saw 40 arena sellouts, exceeded 370,000 in total attendance and garnered 65,500 child sponsorships through the group's partnership with Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision.

For more information on Casting Crowns visit: www.castingcrowns.com, www.facebook.com/castingcrowns, www.twitter.com/castingcrowns or follow Mark Hall's Twitter at twitter.com/markhallCC.

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For more info on Casting Crowns visit the JFH Artists Database.