The Pacesetter Award honors individuals, companies, artists, events, and the like who raise the standard in the industry during the previous year. Past winners have included such names as the Crabb Family, Daywind Records, Booth Brothers, and artist manager Kathy Hannah. It is the most prestigious award handed out at the awards program, and after its second year as a major concert event in the Southern Gospel Community, the Branson Gospel Music Revival was honored again.

Branson Gospel Music Revival is owned, organized, and hosted by gospel singer Rod Burton and his wife Kelly, working as YMR Music Productions, LLC.

Rod said, “God gave us a vision for this event to make a difference in people’s lives. We’re so honored to have that recognized and supported.”

“The award is even more special to us this year,” mentioned Kelly. “I believe the gospel community is seeing what we’re about: elevating the gospel message above all. Celebrating gospel through song and changing people’s lives with its message is truly our sole purpose for the Branson Gospel Music Revival.”

During the couple’s acceptance speech, Kelly thanked the late Susan Unthank, who founded AbsolutelyGospel.com, for her legacy in the gospel music community. “Susan did not have the time or tolerance for competition,” Kelly said. “There are many fields to plow; we don’t need to fight over them. God has too much work for us to do.”

The Branson Gospel Music Revival was honored to be mentioned in the same category and stand alongside such names like SGN Scoops Digital (of which Kelly is the Editor-in-Chief), This Week in Gospel Music with Mickey Bell, Ernie Haaase and Signature Sound, and Gaither Vocal band.

The Absolutely Gospel (SGN) Music Award nominees were chosen by the staff of AbsolutelyGospel.com (formerly SoGospelNews.com) and select members of the Southern Gospel media and community. Voting was then open to fans to choose the winners.

The 2011 Absolutely Gospel (SGN) Music Awards Celebration took place on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at River of Life Church in Smyrna, Tennessee to a standing room only crowd.

The Branson Gospel Music Revival is put on by YMR Music Productions, LLC.

The third annual Gospel Music Revival will take place Tuesday, June 28 – Friday, July 1 at the Tri-Lakes Center in Branson, MO.

Artists scheduled for the 2011 event include the HisSong, Dino, Freedom, Beyond the Ashes , The Greesons, Kenny Bishop, Ann Downing, Mike Allen, McMillan & Life, Sunday Edition, 2nd Generation, Rod Burton, Jay Stone Singers, Voices of Glory, Young Harmony, and many more! The Annual SGN Scoops Diamond Awards will also again take place during Branson GMR on the evening of Thursday, June 30.

More information about the Branson Gospel Music Revival can be found at http://www.bransongmr.com or by calling (615) 530-3726.

More information about YMR Music Productions, LLC. can be found at http://www.ymrmp.com or by calling (615) 530-3726.

About YMR Music Productions
YMR Music Productions, LLC. is a corporation formed initially for the exclusive purpose of organizing, promoting, and producing the Branson Gospel Music Revival.

Karen Peck & New River, Gaither Vocal Band, Jeff & Sheri Easter, and producers Wayne Haun and Lari Goss Named Big Winners

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – (April 13, 2012) – The 2011 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards were handed out last night at a special concert celebration in Smyrna, Tennessee to a standing room only crowd. The award winners were spread evenly throughout the course of the evening as three artists and two producers walked away with three or four awards apiece.

Karen Peck & New River was the big winner of the evening again this year. The popular trio took home another four awards including a second consecutive win for Fan Favorite Artist of the Year. The group also won Mixed Group of the Year and Progressive Song of the Year (for “Why Can’t All God’s Children Get Along”). Group founder and owner Karen Peck Gooch took home the coveted Female Vocalist of the Year trophy.

The Gaither Vocal Band won three awards, including Male Group of the Year. The group’s lead vocalist Michael English took home his second consecutive Male Vocalist of the Year honor as well as Producer of the Year (Artist).

Jeff & Sheri Easter also made out well this year taking home their first ever Song of the Year award for their #1 hit single “Born to Climb.” The group also won Country Song of the Year for “Born to Climb.” Group guitarist and last night’s host Madison Easter walked away with his second consecutive Musician of the Year award as well.

Producer, songwriter, and pianist for Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Wayne Haun was the most awarded individual of the evening. Haun took home awards for producing the Album of the Year and Traditional Album of the Year (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound’s A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet) and writing the Song of the Year and Country Song of the Year (for the aforementioned “Born to Climb”).

Lari Goss, who co-produced A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet, took home two awards for that recording as well as Producer of the Year (Professional) for a total of three individual awards throughout the night as well.

The biggest award of the evening – 2011 Pacesetter Award – was handed to the Branson Gospel Music Convention – one of the Southern Gospel industry’s newest and most impressive multi-day events. This was the second consecutive year that the Branson Gospel Music Convention won this prestigious award.

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound and songwriter Joel Lindsey (co-writer of “Born to Climb”) won two awards throughout the evening as well.

The staff of AbsolutelyGospel.com and the Unthank family introduced a new award to this year’s program – the Susan Unthank Memorial Award. This new award will honor women who have worked in this field of music and made a resounding impact on Southern Gospel music. The very first recipient of the Susan Unthank Memorial Award was veteran booking agent Beckie Simmons Bates.

The event was hosted by Madison Easter and Devin McGlamery. The evening featured show-shopping performances from the Booth Brothers, Karen Peck & New River, Triumphant Quartet, Jeff & Sheri Easter, the Bowling Family, The Nelons, Sisters, Beyond the Ashes, Three Bridges, The Dunaways, Crystal River, Crawford Crossing, and sponsors the Mystery Men Quartet.

“With the passing of my wife and site founder Susan earlier this year, it made it extremely difficult to do this show without her this year,” mentioned Deon Unthank. “However, we knew that she wouldn’t want us to stop, and though it was touch and go for a while leading up to the show, we are so thankful for everyone who turned up and supported us this year!”

The Absolutely Gospel Music Awards are an annual award handed out each year by the staff at AbsolutelyGospel.com. Each January, the staff decides upon the nominees in over twenty categories. In February of that year, the readers of the site are then allowed to vote for their favorites. This is the tenth year the awards have been in existence.

The official sponsors for the 2011 Absolutely Gospel Music Awards Celebration were The Mystery Men.

2011 Absolutely Gospel Music Award Winners:

SONG OF THE YEAR:
“Born to Climb” – Jeff & Sheri Easter (written by Wayne Haun & Joel Lindsey)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (produced by Lari Goss & Wayne Haun)

PACESETTER:
Branson Gospel Music Convention

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Beyond the Ashes

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:
Michael English (Gaither Vocal Band)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:
Karen Peck Gooch (Karen Peck & New River)

MALE GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Gaither Vocal Band

FEMALE GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Sisters

MIXED GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Karen Peck & New River

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (Artist):
Joseph Habedank (The Perrys)

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (Professional):
Kenna West

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (Artist):
Michael English (Gaither Vocal Band)

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (Professional):
Lari Goss

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR:
Terry Thompson

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR:
Madison Easter (Jeff & Sheri Easter)

BEST LIVE PERFORMER:
Booth Brothers

TRADITIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR:
“Somebody Died For Me” – Triumphant Quartet (written by Kyle Matthews & Christy Sutherland)

TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
A Tribute to the Cathedral Quartet – Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (produced by Lari Goss & Wayne Haun)

PROGRESSIVE SONG OF THE YEAR:
“Why Can’t All God’s Children Get Along” – Karen Peck & New River (written by Stephen Hill)

PROGRESSIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
Never Walk Alone – Brian Free & Assurance (produced by Ricky Free)

COUNTRY SONG OF THE YEAR (a tie necessitated 2 winners in this category):
“Born to Climb” – Jeff & Sheri Easter (written by Wayne Haun & Joel Lindsey)
and
“When There’s No Hope, There Is Grace” – The Dunaways (written by Rick Hendrix)

COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
Shine – The Bowling Family (produced by Kelly Bowling, Mike Bowling, & Terah Penhollow)

SPECIAL EVENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR:
Christmas – The Isaacs (produced by Ben Isaacs)

FAN FAVORITE ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Karen Peck & New River

SUSAN UNTHANK MEMORIAL AWARD:
Beckie Simmons Bates

More information on the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards and past winners can be found at http://absolutelygospel.com .

About AbsolutelyGospel.com
AbsolutelyGospel.com (formerly SoGospelNews.com) has grown from relative obscurity to the industry’s leading internet publication for Southern Gospel news and information in only a few short years. The site includes a wide variety of features, consisting of artist interviews, a weekly chart, late-breaking news, and much more.

James 5:16 NIV

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Hello friends,

Beginning this Friday, April 8, we will ‘countdown’ the 80 days until Branson GMR 2011 by inviting you all to join us in prayer.

Each day, a member of our prayer team will post a “prayer focus” on our Branson GMR FB page. We’d love for you to take a minute and speak to our Heavenly Father about whatever that focus might be. These will not all be event-specific prayers; they might be general, personal, global. They might be praise reports. They might be songs. Whatever they are, we believe the Spirit will lead us to bombard Heaven corporately.

We have already seen calls AND answers to prayers on our site, so this isn’t new. We’re thankful that those who are participating in, attending, and following Branson Gospel Music Revival are believers in the power of prayer. We want you to know we are committed to keeping JESUS and the work He wishes to do at the center of Branson Gospel Music Revival.

We also thank our prayer team: Brenda Denney, Mike & Darla Cornell, Bobby Carter, Cheryl Golden, & Wanda Deering for their help in this endeavor.

And don’t forget you may always share your prayer requests by emailing “prayer@bransongmc.com”

In His Service,
Rod & Kelly Burton

Click here for info, or simply call:
1-800-785-1550

We are partnering with our new venue, Tri-Lake Center, and Branson Tourism Center to offer your tickets conveniently and at a great value. If you’re a returning guest, you’ll be pleased to know that family passes are now available!

Click here for info, or simply call:
1-800-785-1550

Beginning today, artist registration is open for Branson Gospel Music Revival 2011.

Visit this page to register.

Notes & changes:
- Exhibitor space at the Tri-Lakes Center is 8×6.
- There is a limit of two spaces per organization that may be reserved.
- Priority will be given to artists and ministers who register, with businesses reviewed and received as space permits.
- No registration is complete without payment in full and a confirmation email from “registration@bransongmc.com” . All registrations are subject to review.

We are looking forward to a great time at our 3rd annual event! If you’d like to talk to us in person before submitting your registration, visit Rod & Kelly at NQC booth 635!