Ricky Skaggs, Craig Morgan & Tracy Lawrence among 2009 ICM Award winners

October 17, 2:33 AMNashville Country Music ExaminerLisa L. Rollins

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Nashville Country Music Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

    Ricky Skaggs is the ICM's Mainstream Country
    Artist for 2009 (Photo: Courtesy of Ricky Skaggs)

A peppering of mainstream country artists, interspersed with an amply supply of Christian-country performers, turned out for the15th Annual Inspirational Country Music Awards, with a handful of the former taking home ICM trophies.

Held Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Trinity Music City USA Auditorium in Hendersonville, the ICM's top prize for a mainstream performer went to country-meets-bluegrass favorite Ricky Skaggs, who can now list the its Mainstream Country Artist of the Year title alongside the slew of other tropies he's collected, including Grammys, CMA Awards and IBMA accolades, to name but three.

Mainstream's Tracy Lawrence, a native of Atlanta, Texas, was a winner, too, Thursday evening, thanks to his "Up To Him" track, which captured Mainstream Inspirational Song of the Year. Moreover, Craig Morgan, in addition to wowing those in attendance with his live-show performance of his nominated tune, "God Must Really Love Me" from his That's Why CD, walked away with the ICM's Video of the Year prize.

Other big winners included, CrossCountry the Band, whose lineup won Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row. Christian-country artist Tommy Brandt received Male Vocalist of the Year, with artist Sandra Dee taking home the 

  Craig Morgan perfromed and took home an
  award from this year's ICM event. (Photo: BNA

In the group category there were no true suprises, with Point of Grace earning Vocal Group of the Year. Insiders within the inspirational-country genre were predicting the group would take the prize, thanks to the players'  poignant hit, “How You Live (Turn Up the Music).” The ballad is the centerpiece of Point of Grace’s How You Live Deluxe Edition, which features a newly recorded acoustic version of the multi-format hit.

In addition to the aforementioned performance by BNA Records hit-maker Morgan's, ICM winner Skaggs and The Whites performed "Salt of The Earth" and mainstream newcomers the Carter Twins demonstrated their airtight brotherly harmonies when they performed a song titled “Erasable.”

Hosted by actor David Keith, the 15th incarnation of the ICMs also included memorable moments, such as Wayne Elsey, CEO and founder of Soles4Souls, going barefoot as he presented an award to raise awareness to the fact that more than 300 million children in the world don't have shoes. Elsey's visit to the event coincides with the ICM's support of his international shoe charity, which has given away 5.5 million pairs of shoes in some 170 countries during its first five years of existence.

     Mainstream country's Tracy Lawrence was an
     '09 ICM Award winner. (Photo: Rocky Comfort)

Another highlight of the 2009 show was a performance by ICM Musician of the Year Dennis Agajanian, who's recognized as one of the best acoustic guitar players of his time--never mind that he's also an alum of the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest flatpicker.

Additional star-studded performances included duo Halfway to Hazard, Katalyst, Jordyn Shellhart, the Cherryholmes, CrossCountry the Band, Jason Crabb, Randy Houser, Adam Gregory, James Payne, Del Way, ICM winner Brandt, Greg McDougal and Amanda Fessant, giving the 2009 ICM show a jam-packed talent lineup.

The Oct. 15 show was taped show with a live audience was held at Trinity Music City USA, but for those who couldn't attend, expect the 2009 ICM Awards to be aired on TCT Networks, The Worship Network, Cornerstone TeleVision, NRB Network, My Family TV, CTS Television Canada, Angel Two Network, Total Living Network, Golden Eagle Broadcasting (Oral Roberts University) and DayStar Television Network to reach an estimated viewing audience of 500 million-plus, organizers reported. 

The following is a comprehensive list of winners in the 21 categories voted on by the Christian Country Music Association's membership:

• Entertainer of the Year:  CrossCountry the Band
• Male Vocalist:  Tommy Brandt
• Female Vocalist:  Sandra Dee
• Vocal Duo:  The Roys
• Vocal Group:  Point of Grace
• Mainstream Inspirational Country Song:  "Up To Him" by Tracy Lawrence
• Mainstream Country Artist:  Ricky Skaggs
• Christian Country Song:  "Good Ole Boys" by James Payne & Del Way
• Songwriter:  Russ Murphy
• Video of the Year:  "God Must Really Love Me" by Craig Morgan
• Director: Eric Welch

• New Artist: Steve Richard
• Musician:  Dennis Agajanian

• Comedy Act:  Barry McGee
• Radio Personality:  Leon Joplin
• Radio Station:  WCWV, Summersville, W.V.
• Living Legend Award:  Ken Holloway
• Inspirational Bluegrass Artist:  The Isaacs
• Youth In Music Award:  Matthew Wacaster
• Music Evangelist of the Year:  Russ Murphy
• Faith, Family, & Country Movie:  Fireproof, Provident Films
• Television Network: TCT Network

 vote it up!