Sugarland, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mary Mary, Jars of Clay, Chris Tomlin, Israel Houghton & Skillet Among Finalists for 2009 Gospel Music Channel Music Video Awards

Viewers to Select Best Gospel/Christian Music Videos in Rock, Pop, Country, Soul, Hip Hop, Contemporary and New Praise & Worship Categories

Contact: Jim Weiss, Gospel Music Channel, 770-692-4579

ATLANTA, Oct. 21 /Christian Newswire/ -- Sugarland, Jars of Clay, Francesca Battistelli, Canton Jones, Billy Ray Cyrus, Marvin Winans, Jr., Sara Evans, Brandon Heath, Point of Grace, Mary Mary, tobyMac, Skillet and Israel Houghton are among the nominees as Gospel Music Channel (GMC) honors the most popular music videos of the year across all genres of Gospel/Christian music in its annual Gospel Music Channel Video Awards (GMCVAs). COMPLETE LIST BELOW.

Viewers can go to GMC's web site (www.gospelmusicchannel.com/gmcva) to cast votes for their favorite videos in seven categories: Rock, Pop, Country, Soul, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Praise & Worship (a new category in 2009). The winning videos in each of the seven categories become eligible to win "GMC Video of the Year," which will be selected by a GMC Blue Ribbon Committee. The 2009 GMCVA winners will be announced in a one-hour television special to premiere on GMC on Saturday, January 2, 2010.

Nominated videos will be seen on GMC's new weekday morning series Joyful Noise Café (Mon-Fri mornings) and other GMC video programming blocks (Soulful Voices, Rock Block, Hype & Glory, One Voice Worship) beginning today.

GOSPEL MUSIC CHANNEL MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS 2009 NOMINEES

Contemporary
More Beautiful You - Jonny Diaz
Wait And See - Brandon Heath
None Like You - Javen
Just Wanna Say - Israel Houghton
Free To Be Me - Francesca Battistelli
Two Hands - Jars Of Clay

Country
I Wish - Point Of Grace
Somebody Said A Prayer - Billy Ray Cyrus
Low - Sara Evans
My Hallelujah Song - Julianne Hough
Up To Him - Tracy Lawrence
Love - Sugarland

Hip Hop
Don't Waste Your Life - Lecrae
G.O.D. - Canton Jones
Beautiful Morning - GRITS feat. Pigeon John
My Lane - Dre Murray
Goin' Outta Control - Kaboose
Back Man - big AL

Rock
Comatose Comes Alive - Skillet
The Difference - Philmont
Hard To Believe - VOTA
Death of Me - Red
Blue - Manic Drive
Fight For Your King - Corpus Christi

Pop
Lose My Soul - tobyMac feat. Kirk Franklin & Mandisa
In Your Eyes - The Wrecking
Arise (Stand Up) - Shachah
Get Up - Mary Mary
Go On - B. Reith
Time For A Change - 21:03

Praise & Worship
Rain On Us - Earnest Pugh
I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin
I Trust You - James Fortune & FIYA
Everything Glorious - David Crowder Band
A New Hallelujah - Michael W. Smith
A Heart That Forgives - Kevin LeVar

Soul
You Never Let Me Down - Marvin Winans, Jr.
Tell The World - Amos Saint Jean
It Ain't Over - Maurette Brown Clark
The Goodness - W.H.A.T.
Happy - Tim Rogers & The Fellas
It Ain't Over - Claude Deuce

Gospel Music Channel (www.gospelmusicchannel.com) is the fastest-growing network in television and can be seen in 45 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224.