Ah, another year, another slew of Dove nominations to ponder. Let the head scratching begin.

Is it odd that the nominees are not generally the popular artists heard on the radio? Not necessarily, given that the Dove is more of an industry insider recognition than an artistic award. Voters include not just professional artists but record companies, publicists, agents, and print music industry people. Business people recognizing peers for their accomplishments. (Read: sales, not art). These voters may very well consider impressive sales an accomplishment worthy of note. But you’d wonder why they wouldn’t also then take note of artists who have ventured into the mainstream, selling significantly as well as carrying the message of light in viable, appealing form? Mat Kearney, Relient K, and Jars of Clay easily come to mind.

While Steven Curtis Chapman and Jeremy Camp are finally absent from the nominations, it almost seems as if GMA has gone to the other extreme and thrown up names just to prove they know some: Gerald Wolfe is up for Male Vocalist of the Year? A new name, yes, but who is he? And Amy Grant and Sandi Patty for Female Vocalist of the Year…. Ok, but in 2007? How is it possible for GMA voters to be this stuck?

I could go on…. and on. As could any music lover with half an ear and even a handful of memory cells. But at this point it’s almost as meaningless as the awards themselves outside of the insulated industry.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 at 9:14 am and is filed under Staff Blogs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.