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

Winners Unveiled Sat. Jan. 2 at 7:00 P.M. ET/PT

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

ATLANTA, Dec. 29 /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). The 2009 GMCVA winners will be announced in a one-hour television special to premiere on GMC (www.gospelmusicchannel.com) on Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 7:00 pm ET.

Viewers went go 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.

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.