Donald Lawrence, Pastor Marvin Sapp Win Top Honors

U.S. performing right organization BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year’s most performed songs on Christian radio and television during the annual Christian Music Awards last night at the company’s Music Row offices in Nashville. BMI named Donald Lawrence the 2009 Christian Songwriter of the Year, while “Never Would Have Made It,” co-written by Pastor Marvin Sapp and Matthew Brownie, garnered Song of the Year honors. Universal Music Publishing Group garnered its second consecutive Christian Publisher of the Year crown. BMI Vice President Jody Williams, along with Senior Director Thomas Cain and Associate Director Beth Mason, of BMI’s Writer/Publisher Relations Department in Nashville, presented awards spanning five categories: Christian Rock, Contemporary Christian, Inspirational, Urban Gospel and Southern Gospel. BMI Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations Phil Graham joined his staff on stage for the presentation of the night’s top honors, Song, Songwriter, and Publisher of the Year.

Prior to the presentation of awards, guests enjoyed a round of intimate performances from a selection of Christian music’s elite composers and rising stars. 2009 Dove New Artist of the Year nominee Fee front man Steve Fee delivered an acoustic rendition of BMI Award-winner “All Because Of Jesus”; songwriters Jim Daddario and Catt Gravitt, joined by Jim Kimball on guitar, performed their BMI Award-winning composition “In Better Hands,” recorded by Natalie Grant.

Prolific producer, choir director and songwriterDonald Lawrence earned the BMI Songwriter of the Year crystal thanks to his compositions “Giants,” recorded by Donald Lawrence Presents the Tri-City Singers, and “Livin’,” recorded by the legendary Clark Sisters. A profoundly influential figure in contemporary gospel music, Lawrence was also an honoree at the prestigious BMI Trailblazers of Gospel ceremony in January of this year.

The impassioned testimonial “Never Would Have Made It” garnered the BMI Song of the Year honors for Stellar Award-winner and Grammy-nominated Pastor Marvin Sapp and his esteemed collaborator Matthew Brownie. Recorded by Pastor Sapp on his critically acclaimed album Thirsty, “Never Would Have Made It” was published by Marvin L. Sapp Music and Minstrel Melodies. Pastor Sapp will also vie for the Artist of the Year title at the 2009 Dove Awards on April 23 in Nashville.

Read entire article at Breathecast.com.