The Big Hitters

Perennial favorites Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace, and dc Talk again reaped the most nominations. Here's what we had to say:

dc Talk

Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
Rock album of the year
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year
(Between You and Me)
Rock recorded song of the year
(Like It, Love It, Need It)

dc Talk has come a long, long way since its early days; Jesus Freak is enlivening stuff -- from each song to the next, you're never sure if you're about to hear cascading acoustic guitars and pop harmonies, grungy alternative rock, gentle acoustic pop, or straight ahead rock 'n' roll that's sometimes loud and fast, other times moody and introspective. Each track is a sonic adventure with Kevin Smith, Toby McKeehan, and Michael Tait expanding their music beyond hip-hop rock and soul to embrace such rootsy elements as slide guitars and harmonicas. (ACL 1/96)

Point of Grace

Artist of the Year
Group of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year
(Keep the Candle Burning)

Shelley Phillips (27), Heather Floyd (26), Terry Jones (26), and Denise Jones (27) are down-home girls who are amazed and very grateful at the way things are going. After singing together since college, their break came in 1992 when Word Music saw them perform and eventually signed them up.
They won a Dove Award for new artist of the year in 1994 and recently won three Dove Awards for 1996, including Group of the Year. They've been much profiled in the media, and they have a hardcover book coming out this fall from Pocket Books in tandem with their new CD by the same title: Life, Love, & Other Mysteries. (ACL 10/96)

Steven Curtis Chapman

Song of the Year (Lord of the Dance; Signs of Life)
Songwriter of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
Artist of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year (Lord of the Dance)

Chapman, concerned that he had begun to repeat himself musically, took a break from the studio to consider his next musical move. When he returned to the studio, Chapman aimed for a more varied sound to carry this new collection of his thoughtful, thought-provoking lyrics, and he got it. Signs of Life features straight-ahead rock as well as folk-based tunes, Bonnie Raitt-ish bluesy rock, and a couple of gorgeous ballads. The album's first track, "Lord of the Dance," introduces Chapman's new musical range, starting as it does with a jangly Dobro guitar and building to a finish with pounding bass, drums, electric guitars, and fiddles. (acl 10/96)