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| Abbreviation | GMA Canada |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1974 |
| Website | gmacanada |
The Gospel Music Association of Canada or GMA Canada (formerly known as the CGMA) is a not for profit association, founded in 1974, whose purpose is to promote Christian music in Canada. [1] [2]
GMA Canada is created in 1974 in Ontario with Covenant Awards. [3] At the beginning, it was mostly for gospel music. [4] Over the years, all styles of Contemporary Christian music have been included.
In 2008 the association released a special three-CD collection to commemorate its 30th anniversary, the GMA Canada presents 30th Anniversary Collection .
GMA Canada works to raise the profile and interaction of Christian artists, songwriters, producers, promoters and others working in Christian music with media, retailers, distributors and church leadership. [5]
The business of the association is conducted by a board of advisors drawn from its membership. The current board consists of Gregory J. Strom (president), Gordie Cochran, Jaylene Johnson, Melayne Shenkel, and Clarence Giesbrecht. GMA Canada is loosely associated with the Gospel Music Association in the United States.
GMA Canada is the presenter of the annual Covenant Awards, Canada’s national awards for the Canadian gospel music industry. The 2012 awards were presented November 7 as part of GMA Canada Week in Burlington, Ontario. Awards were handed out in 50 categories, including the GMA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award and the newly created Scott's Parable Canadian Gospel Music Song Hall Of Fame. [6]
Written in 1643 by Jesuit Missionary Jean de Brébeuf The "Huron Carol" (or "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime") was admitted to GMA Canada Song Hall of Fame in 2012 as part of its inaugural year. Brébeuf wrote the lyrics in the native language of the Huron/Wendat people under the original name of "Jesous Ahatonhia" ("Jesus, He Is Born"). The melody came from the traditional French folk song "Une Jeune Pucelle" ("A Young Maid"). The English lyrics were written in 1926 by Jesse Edgar Middleton. They became public domain in 2011. The song has been recorded by many Canadian artists including Lianna Klassen, Cheryl Bear, Bruce Cockburn, Crash Test Dummies and Tom Jackson.
Written by Brian Doerksen in 1998. Doerksen, was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia in 1965 and is an internationally recognized worship leader and songwriter known globally for a string of well known modern worship songs including "Refiner's Fire" (1990), "Faithful One" (1998), "Hope of the Nations" (2003), "Holy God" (2006), and "Today (As For Me and My House)" (2004). He was recognized by the Gospel Music Association in the United States in 2003 with a special Dove Award for International Artist of the Year (only the second Canadian to be recognized), and has won a Juno Award and multiple GMA Canada Covenant Awards. "Come, Now Is The Time To Worship" became his most recognized song, being sung in churches around the world. It has been recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys, Phillips, Craig and Dean, VeggieTales and many others.
The hymn "My Jesus I Love Thee" was written as a poem by William Ralph Featherston in 1864 when he was 16 years old. Featherston was from Montreal, Quebec and was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Montreal (later renamed St. James Methodist Church, then St. James United Church). He died in 1873. Music was added to the poem after Featherton's death in 1876 by Adoniram Gordon. The song has been recorded by hundreds of artists including The Wiebes, Paul Baloche, Amy Grant, Avalon, Capstone and Selah.
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. The awards have been held in Nashville, Tennessee every year except 2011 and 2012 when they were held in Atlanta, Georgia. The ceremonies feature live musical performances and are broadcast on TBN.
Hokus Pick was a Christian rock band that was together from 1989 to 1999. The four members of Hokus Pick met in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hokus Pick was well known for their quirky sense of humour, using sarcasm, satire, and general silliness to convey a deeper message.
The Kry is a Christian rock and worship band from Quebec City, Canada. The band consists of Jean-Luc La Joie, Yves La Joie, Nic Rodriguez, and Steve Marcia.
Carolyn Arends is a Canadian contemporary Christian musician, songwriter, and author. She is based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Rob Wilson, better known by his stage name Fresh I.E., is a Christian rap artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Carried Away was a Canadian contemporary Christian musical group from Ontario, Canada. Signed to independent record label Glide Records until 2009, the group released three studio albums.
Amanda Lindsey Cook, also known as Falcon is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and contemporary Christian music recording artist from Niverville, Manitoba. She received a Juno Award at the 2006 awards ceremony for her eponymous debut album. Cook has released three albums under her maiden name – Amanda Falk, Beautiful, and In Between the Now & Then.
Brian Robert Doerksen is a Canadian Christian singer-songwriter and worship leader from Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Tara Dettman is a Canadian Christian music artist and songwriter from Clifford, Ontario, currently residing in South Africa. Her debut album, Overtaken was released in 2004.
The Covenant Awards are awarded to the Canadian gospel music industry by GMA Canada, the Gospel Music Association of Canada. The association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the growth and ministry of Christian music in Canada. The ceremonies are held annually in cities across the nation.
The GMA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award is handed out annually by GMA Canada. This annual award recognizes the achievements of artists and industry experts who have made the greatest contribution to further the Canadian Christian music scene. It is presented during GMA Canada Week, during which the annual Covenant Awards are handed out. Past winners have included Connie Scott (2006), Tommy Hunter (2005) and George Beverly Shea (2004).
Jon Bauer is a Canadian contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, worship leader, and songwriter from St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. Bauer leads worship, speaks, and performs over 100 concerts around the world each year. Some of his most well-known songs are "Come and Save Us", "Chasing After Me", "Forevermore", "Awaken", "Giver of Grace", "Your Amazing Grace", "Life of Worship", and "Pray". While Jon is a full-time touring artist, he is also an Artist in Residence at his home church of St. Albert Alliance where he returns one weekend each month to lead worship.
Lianna Klassen is a Canadian Christian Celtic and Christian New Age-influenced musician, songwriter, speaker and worship leader. A Juno Award nominee and GMA Canada Covenant Award winner, Klassen has released seven albums to date. Her compositions are chants, hymns and meditations on the themes of praise, prayer and worship. Stylistically they have also included Christmas carols, contemporary praise, country music and Christian folk. Notable songs written by Lianna include: "Song for Canada", "I will Not Be Silent" and "Song of Declaration."
Matt Brouwer is a Canadian singer and songwriter. While in college, he and fellow students founded the band Monday Night Worship (MNW). Because of the spiritual content of his lyrics he was 'discovered' by a Nashville record company in 2000, and in 2001 recorded his solo debut CD Imagerical. The album was released on May 29, 2001, on Reunion Records. He then formed his own label called Black Shoe Records and released albums titled Unlearning in 2005, Where's Our Revolution (Universal) in 2009, and Till The Sunrise in 2012. Brouwer's music is known for its Contemporary Christian message as he shares his life's story of tragedy and hope with his listeners.
Sea to Sea: For Endless Days is the third album in the Sea to Sea Christian praise and worship music series. The album has thirty songs and two bonus tracks performed by various Canadian artists on two CDs. It won a Gospel Music Association Canada Covenant Award in 2007 for Special Events/Compilation Album of the Year. The song "For Endless Days", written for this album, garnered a 2007 Covenant Award nomination for Praise And Worship Song Of The Year.
Sea to Sea: Filled With Your Glory is the first release in the annual Sea to Sea praise and worship music series. The album comprises thirty Christian worship songs on two CDs performed by Canadian artists. It won a Gospel Music Association Canada Covenant Award in 2005 for Special Events/Compilation Album of the Year. The Sea to Sea series was the brainchild of Executive Producer Martin Smith.
David John Hensman is a Canadian Christian singer-songwriter, minister, businessperson and politician from Mission, British Columbia, Canada.
Ali Matthews is a Canadian Contemporary Christian musician and songwriter from Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
The City Harmonic was a Canadian Christian rock band based in Hamilton, Ontario. Elias Dummer, Eric Fusilier (bass), Aaron Powell (guitar), and Josh Vanderlaan (drums) collectively made up The City Harmonic. Their music has been described as "nostalgic Brit-pop meets campfire sing-along mix that features raucous gang vocals along with agile, soaring anthems crafted to include the listener". Musically, their sound is often compared to artists like Coldplay, Keane, Aqualung, the Fray, or Arcade Fire. In 2011 they won three Covenant Awards from GMA Canada for New Artist of the Year, Recorded Song of the Year and Modern Worship Song of the Year. In 2013 they won Covenant Awards for Group of the Year and Praise and Worship Song of the Year. They also won a Juno Award for the 2013 Christian/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year. After announcing that they would retire, the band recorded their final show, which was released as a live album, Benediction (Live), on June 23, 2017.
Tim Neufeld is a Canadian singer, songwriter and recording artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba and now based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, best known as the co-founder and lead singer of Starfield who are four-time Juno Award nominees, Western Canada Music award recipients, winners of 10 GMA Canada Covenant Awards (CGMA) and two Dove Awards. He is currently lead singer of the country music group Tim and the Glory Boys.
