Mullen and Israel & New Breed share with Switchfoot and The Crabb Family the unique ability to create music that reaches across cultural, religious and generational divides to encourage the gospel music faithful and inspire a newer generation of music fans. These two groups could not be more different culturally and musitcally and yet, the message of the Gospel is evident in both of them. I love the fact that Switchfoot and The Crabb Family share top Dove Award honors this year because it powerfully reveals the variety of cultural expressions of the Gospel through music, said President of the Gospel Music Association (GMA) and executive producer of the 36th Annual GMA Music Awards. (A complete list of winners can be found below). Other multiple winners of the night were pop band Casting Crowns, gospel worship artist Israel & New Breed, and singer/songwriters Jeremy Camp and Nicole C. I'm proud of every one of you tonight and what we represent and who we're singing about,'' said Crabb Family patriarch and principal songwriter Gerald Crabb.
The Crabb Family also took home 4 Doves, winning in the categories of Southern Gospel Album of the Year for their critically acclaimed recording Driven as well as Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for He Came Looking for Me, Country Recorded Song of the Year for ∿orever, and Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for Through the Fire, a song which also features gospel artist Donnie McClurkin. The groups concert DVD Switchfoot Live In San Diego also earned the band a statuette for Long Form Music Video. The bands breakthrough hit, ∽are You to Move, was honored for Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year with the music video for the song also winning a Dove in the category of Short Form Music Video of the Year. Switchfoot, who were surprisingly absent from the ceremony, earned a total of 4 awards including the events premier prize, the Dove for Artist of the Year. Ap The 36th Annual Dove Awards ended last night in beautiful celebration of the diversity and unity within todays Gospel music scene, with San Diego alt rockers Switchfoot and southern gospels Kentucky-bred The Crabb Family taking home the ceremonys highest honors.