Source: NRT Staff Reports (KM)
Winners in the Gospel/Christian categories of the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced tonight before the live telecast on CBS. Christian artists for KING & COUNTRY and Lauren Daigle served as host for 10 category announcements during the pre-broadcast.
Hillary Scott & the Scott Family received two GRAMMY wins for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (for their debut Love Remains) over records from All Sons & Daughters, Crowder, Natalie Grant and Hillsong Young & Free. They also won for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for the smash hit single, "Thy Will" over tracks from Lauren Daigle, for KING & COUNTRY, Natalie Grant and newcomer, Zach Williams. Hillary Scott is no stranger to the GRAMMYS, previously winning seven trophies with her mainstream country group Lady Antebellum.
Kirk Franklin seems to be a name GRAMMY voters can't skip over as he won Best Gospel Album for Losing My Religion, keeping his winning streak alive with a win over albums from Tim Bowman Jr., Shirley Caesar, Todd Dulaney and William Murphy. Kirk has now gone nine for nine since 1997.
Kirk also won by association as a co-writer on Tamela Mann's winning Best Gospel Performance/Song, "God Provides" from her latest album, One Way. This is her second GRAMMY, previously winning in 2013 for "Take Me To the King." The powerhouse singer responded with a simple emoticon filled tweet that said "GOD PROVIDES. Beyond grateful and humble."
Finally, Joey+Rory won Best Roots Gospel Album for their self-titled album. The win, and emotional acceptance speech by Rory Feek, comes just over 11 months after Joey passed away succumbing to a long and public battle with cancer.
"My wife's dream was to make a hymns album, and she didn't have a chance to do it until she was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer," said an emotional Rory, further recalling a conversation with Joey where she told him if the gospel album were nominated, he'd have to go. "And she said, 'If we win, I'll know before you will.'"
A full list of winners in the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards can be found here.
