CCMA awards big night for Josh Turner

[Janice Brooks]

Josh Turner big Christian Country Music winner


By PETER COOPER
Staff Writer

Oak Ridge Boys take mainstream artist award; Stella Parton, Mike Hammock top vocalists

If it's Christian-leaning and country-sounding, it's eligible for the Christian Country Music Awards, an annual event intended to spotlight the best in spiritual twang.

Country singer Josh Turner served as host for last night's CCMA show in the Ryman Auditorium, and he also walked away as the night's biggest winner.

Turner's Long Black Train, written while he was a student at Belmont University, won Song of the Year and Video of the Year awards, and Turner also notched a win in the songwriter category.

Turner did not, however, win the Mainstream Country Artist of the Year category. That one went to the Oak Ridge Boys, the longstanding country harmony group that began as a gospel quartet.

Clifton Jansky of Texas unseated Dennis Agajanian as the CCMA's top entertainer. Stella Parton was named Female Vocalist of the Year, and Mike Hammock was the CCMA's Male Vocalist of 2004.

For the second straight year, the program was broadcast on the Great American Country cable network.

Winners

A complete list of winners follows:

Entertainer of the Year — Clifton Jansky

Male Vocalist of the Year — Mike Hammock

Female Vocalist of the Year — Stella Parton

Vocal Duo of the Year — Young Harmony

Vocal Group of the Year — Fox Brothers

Trio of the Year — Last Light Band

Song of the Year — Long Black Train, Josh Turner

Songwriter of the Year — Josh Turner

Mainstream Country Artist of the Year — Oak Ridge Boys

New Artist of the Year — Tommy Brandt

Musician of the Year — Rory Hoffman

Comedy Act of the Year — Frankie Punkintown Smith

Radio Personality of the Year — Bobby Lynn, WNAH

Radio Station of the Year — WNAH - Nashville

Video of the Year — Long Black Train, Josh Turner

Pioneer Award — Jimmy Snow

Youth in Music Award — Jana Brooke

Music Evangelist of the Year — Del Way

Living Legend Award — Jimmy Snow


------------------
Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047