Joseph Habedank and Kenna Turner West Lead Artist Nominations; Wayne Haun Named Most Nominated Industry Professional
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (February 19, 2022) – The administrators and staff of AbsolutelyGospel.com are proud to announce the nominees for the 2022 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. As in years past, the nominees were chosen by the staff of AbsolutelyGospel.com and select media representatives. Starting on March 1, 2022, the fans will get a chance to vote for their favorites in several categories.
Amy Marie Zika, acting-president of AbsolutelyGospel.com said, “These last two years have been some of the hardest our industry has ever had to face, and with the passing of our father and site-founder Deon Unthank, the end of 2021 was even harder for our family and staff. We know that Deon would want us to continue and honor the artists and industry professionals who supported him and our family through this trial.”
“This awards program was established over 20 years ago by our parents,” said Chris Unthank, Editor-In-Chief of AbsolutelyGospel.com. “We feel like as in year’s past, the staff nailed the nominees. This isn’t about favorites, but rather the artists and professionals who have made the biggest impact in our genre.”
The reigning Male Vocalist of the Year Joseph Habedank landed the most nominations among artists this year. The popular soloist landed a stellar 12 nominations for both his recording and songwriting prowess in 2021. He landed key nominations in Song of the Year (for “Religion Isn’t Working”), Album of the Year (for Change Is Coming), Male Vocalist of the Year, Fan Favorite Artist of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year (Artist).
Newly-minted recording artist Kenna Turner West followed closely behind with 11 nominations – including Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year (Artist), and Progressive Recording of the Year (for her debut album A Reason for Hope). She received an impressive eight additional nominations for her songwriting credits in 2021.
Husband/wife duo Jim & Melissa Brady followed behind with nine nominations, including mentions in Song of the Year (for “You Gotta Have a Song”) and Album of the Year (for Ever Faithful). Triumphant Quartet‘s Bigger Than Sunday landed the group eight nods.
Three artists earned seven mentions for their work in 2021 – LeFevre Quartet, The Isaacs,and last year’s big winner The Nelons. Karen Peck & New River and Kingdom Heirs both earned a solid six nominations.
Next in line was 11th Hour and Legacy Five with five nominations apiece. The Sound, Tribute Quartet, The Erwins, and Endless Highway landed a solid four nods.
High Road, 3 Heath Brothers, Southbound, Gordon Mote, The Freemans, and The Kingsmen all landed three nods. Several artists earned double nominations, including Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, The Inspirations, Kelly Crabb & the Bowling Sisters, Zane Donna King, McKamey Legacy, Johnny Minick, Jeff Stice, Collingsworth Family, Mark209, and Jim Sheldon – The Positive Cowboy.
Another perennial favorite, producer/songwriter Wayne Haun is the most nominated industry professional this year, taking a record-setting 16 nominations for his work this past year. Haun earned six separate Album of the Year nominations for her production credits (Triumphant Quartet’s Bigger Than Sunday, Habedank’s Change Is Coming, Endless Highway’s Come Home, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound’s Keeping On, LeFevre Quartet’s My Jesus, and Legacy Five’s Something New). Haun is also nominated in the Producer of the Year category.
Popular songwriters Jason Cox and Legacy Five’s Lee Black followed behind with eight mentions for their songwriting work in 2021.
Triumphant Quartet’s Scott Inman and producer Jeff Collins earned an impressive seven nods as well. Jim Bradylanded six individual nominations, while Aaron Wilburn, Michael Farren, and Tony Wood had three mentions each.
Four individuals received posthumous nominations this year after their unexpected deaths. Aaron Wilburn was nominated for Song of the Year and Progressive Single of the Year as the songwriter for the #1 single “First Church of Mercy” as well as a Songwriter of the Year (Artist) mention. Jeff Stice landed in Musician of the Year and Special Event Project of the Year (for his Dottie Rambo tribute Sheltered In the Arms of God). Celebrated songwriters Dianne Wilkinson and Kyla Rowland both earned nominations in the Songwriter of the Year (Professional) categories.
This year’s awards program will return with a live program. Details on the show will be announced at a later date.
The nominees for the 2021 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards are listed below:
SONG OF THE YEAR
“A Good Day Coming On” – Kingdom Heirs & 3 Heath Brothers (L.Black, M.Harland)
“First Church of Mercy” – The Sound (L.Black, A.Wilburn)
“Grace Ain’t Fair” – The Nelons (J.Clark, W.Haun, J.Lindsey)
“He Walked Out” – Triumphant Quartet (J.Cox, S.Inman, K.T.West)
“I Call It Home” – Tribute Quartet (S.Parsons)
“Messiah Overcame” – Karen Peck & New River (A.Homer)
“My King Is Known By Love” – Crabb Family (J.Bumgardner, J.Cox, K.T.West)
“Practice What You’re Preaching” – LeFevre Quartet (L.Black, S.Inman)
“Religion Isn’t Working” – Joseph Habedank (J.Habedank, M.Farren, J.Reeves, N.Romes, T.Wood)
“The God I Know” – The Erwins (J.Cox, K.T.West)
“You Gotta Have a Song” – Jim & Melissa Brady (J.Brady)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Anthem of the Ages – 11th Hour (J.Collins)
Bigger Than Sunday – Triumphant Quartet (W.Haun, S.Inman)
Change Is Coming – Joseph Habedank (W.Haun, J.Habedank, L.Habedank)
Come Home – Endless Highway (W.Haun)
Ever Faithful – Jim & Melissa Brady (J.Brady, J.Webb)
I Feel a Good Day Coming On – Kingdom Heirs (J.Collins)
Keeping On – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (W.Haun, K.Crunk)
More to the Story – The Kingsmen (J.Collins)
My Jesus – LeFevre Quartet (W.Haun)
Something New – Legacy Five (W.Haun, G.Mote)
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Avenue
McKamey Legacy
Phillips & Banks
Red Letter Edition
Southbound
Kenna Turner West
MALE VOCALIST
Jim Brady (of Jim & Melissa Brady)
Joseph Habedank
Scott Inman (of Triumphant Quartet)
Chris Jenkins (of The Kingsmen)
Steve Ladd (of The Old Paths)
Levi Mills (of The Sound)
FEMALE VOCALIST
Melissa Brady (of Jim & Melissa Brady)
Autumn Nelon Clark (of The Nelons)
Katie Erwin (of The Erwins)
Karen Peck Gooch (of Karen Peck & New River)
Amber Nelon Kistler (of The Nelons)
Amber Eppinette Saunders (of 11th Hour)
MALE GROUP
The Inspirations
Kingdom Heirs
LeFevre Quartet
Legacy Five
Tribute Quartet
Triumphant Quartet
FEMALE GROUP
Exodus
High Road
Kelly Crabb & the Bowling Sisters
Lori Jonathan Trio
Sisters
Sweetwater Revival
MIXED GROUP
11th Hour
Endless Highway
The Erwins
The Isaacs
Jim & Melissa Brady
Karen Peck & New River
The Nelons
SONGWRITER (ARTIST)
Lee Black (of Legacy Five)
Sara Davison (of High Road)
Joseph Habedank
Scott Inman (of Triumphant Quartet)
Becky & Sonya Isaacs (of The Isaacs)
Kenna Turner West
Aaron Wilburn
SONGWRITER (PROFESSIONAL)
Chris Binion
Jason Cox
Rachel McCutcheon
Rebecca J. Peck
Kyla Rowland
Sue C. Smith
Dianne Wilkinson
PRODUCER
Jim Brady (of Jim & Melissa Brady)
Les Butler
Jeff Collins
Wayne Haun
Ben Isaacs (of The Isaacs)
Trey Ivey
Donna King (of Zane & Donna King)
Gordon Mote
MUSICIAN
Stone Carter (of The Nelons)
Bryan Elliott (of LeFevre Quartet)
Eli Fortner (of McKamey Legacy)
Matthew Gooch (of Karen Peck & New River)
Blaine Johnson (of Kelly Crabb & the Bowling Sisters)
Johnny Minick
Gordon Mote
Jeff Stice
TRADITIONAL SINGLE
“A Good Day Coming On” – Kingdom Heirs & 3 Heath Brothers (L.Black, M.Harland)
“Given, Buried, Risen” – Legacy Five (C.Duren, L.Black)
“I Call It Home” – Tribute Quartet (S.Parsons)
“It Runs In the Family” – Collingsworth Family (D.Williams, K.Talley)
“The 99” – LeFevre Quartet (M.Funderburk, C.DeGazio)
“The God I Know” – The Erwins (J.Cox, K.T.West)
TRADITIONAL RECORDING
30th Anniversary – Paid In Full (W.Haun)
Everybody Needs Jesus – Poet Voices (P.Cross, D.Henderson)
I Feel a Good Day Coming On – Kingdom Heirs (J.Collins)
Just Sing – Collingsworth Family (K.Collingsworth, B.Knight)
Keeping On – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (W.Haun, K.Crunk)
More to the Story – The Kingsmen (J.Collins)
Still Standing – Mark Trammell Quartet (M.Trammell, T.Ivey)
PROGRESSIVE SINGLE
“Address Change Notification” – Southbound (J.M.Wilson)
“First Church of Mercy” – The Sound (L.Black, A.Wilburn)
“Grace Ain’t Fair” – The Nelons (J.Clark, W.Haun, J.Lindsey)
“He Walked Out” – Triumphant Quartet (J.Cox, S.Inman, K.T.West)
“Messiah Overcame” – Karen Peck & New River (A.Homer)
“Religion Isn’t Working” – Joseph Habedank (J.Habedank, M.Farren, J.Reeves, N.Romes, T.Wood)
“Thunder” – Jim & Melissa Brady (J.Brady, M.Farren, T.Wood)
PROGRESSIVE RECORDING
A Reason For Hope – Kenna Turner West (J.Collins)
Anthem of the Ages – 11th Hour (J.Collins)
Bigger Than Sunday – Triumphant Quartet (W.Haun, S.Inman)
Change Is Coming – Joseph Habedank (W.Haun, J.Habedank, L.Habedank)
Ever Faithful – Jim & Melissa Brady (J.Brady, J.Webb)
Something New – Legacy Five (W.Haun, G.Mote)
Southbound – Southbound (C.Brown)
COUNTRY/ROOTS SINGLE
“Bring That Giant Down “- 11th Hour (A.E.Saunders, K.T.West)
“Everyday Battles” – Zane & Donna King (D.Williams, D.King, Z.King)
“God Walks In” – Freemans (R.Rambo-McGuire, D.McGuire, S.C.Smith)
“Higher” – Adam Crabb (J.Cox, D.Doss, K.T.West)
“Peace In Trusting” – Isaacs (S.I.Yeary, J.Yeary, R.I.Bowman)
“Raised On Red” – Wilburn & Wilburn (L.Black, J.Cox, J.Habedank)
“The Book” – Karen Peck & New River (K.P.Gooch, W.Haun, K.T.West)
COUNTRY/ROOTS RECORDING
Come Home – Endless Highway (W.Haun)
Front Porch Singin’ – Oak Ridge Boys (D.Cobb)
Roundtable – Doyle Lawsn & Quicksilver (D.Lawson)
The American Face – The Isaacs (B.Isaacs, B.Sutton)
Till the End – The Freemans (D.McGuire, D.Freeman)
SPECIAL EVENT PROJECT
Once Again – Tribute Quartet
Remembering the Happy Goodman Classics – Johnny Minick
Sheltered In the Arms of God: A Piano Tribute to the Songs of Dottie Rambo – Jeff Stice
Softly & Tenderly – Kim Hopper
The Collection, Vol. 1 – Jim & Melissa Brady
What a Wonderful Time Live – The Inspirations
MUSIC VIDEO
“A Good Day Coming On” – Kingdom Heirs & 3 Heath Brothers
“First Church of Mercy” – The Sound
“Just As I Am” – Jason Crabb
“Practice What You’re Preaching” – LeFevre Quartet
“The American Face” – The Isaacs
“The Day I Got Saved” – High Road
COUNTRY GOSPEL ARTIST
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Endless Highway
Freemans
High Road
The Isaacs
Jordan Family Band
Mark209
Jim Sheldon – The Positive Cowboy
FAN FAVORITE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Gaither Vocal Band
GloryWay Quartet
Joseph Habedank
Jim & Melissa Brady
Karen Peck & New River
LeFevre Quartet
Mark209
The Nelons
David Phelps
Jim Sheldon – The Positive Cowboy
