
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 7, 1990                   TAG: 9004070110
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NASHVILLE, TENN.                                LENGTH: Medium

CHAPMAN VOTED TOP GOSPEL ARTIST

Steven Curtis Chapman, who has been making records for just three years after giving up his ambition to become a doctor, has been voted gospel music's artist of the year and top male vocalist.

He won the two top honors and three others Thursday night at the Gospel Music Association's 21st annual Dove Awards presentations.

"My prayer and desire is to represent Christian music to honor my peers and the one to whom we all sing for: our Lord, Jesus Christ," he said after the show.

The 27-year-old Chapman's other awards, presented during a live broadcast on cable's The Nashville Network, were songwriter of the year and songwriting honors for the tunes "His Strength Is Perfect" and "I Can See the Hands."

Sandi Patti, who has dominated gospel music awards for much of the past decade, was chosen best female vocalist for the ninth straight time. She also received a Dove trophy for "The Friendship Company," voted top children's music gospel album.

"It's a privilege to travel around the country and remind people they are not losers in heaven's eyes," Miss Patti said during the 90-minute ceremony at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

She had been voted top artist in 1987 and 1988 and was a finalist this year in the category that Chapman won for the first time.

"I'm so proud of Steven," she said about the rising Christian music star whose No. 1 gospel hits include "His Eyes" and "My Turn Now."

The Winans, a brother-sister duo from a well-known gospel music family in Detroit, won four awards to add to the two Grammy honors they won in February in Los Angeles. The four awards: best group; No. 1 contemporary black song for "With My Whole Heart"; and top contemporary album and best contemporary recorded song, both for "Heaven."

"The Lord has appointed us for this time," CeCe Winans, the sister in the act, said about the duo's recent achievements.

Amy Grant, a traditional big winner in gospel music, received one award when her "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" won for best country-gospel song.

The winners were chosen by the 3,000 members of the Nashville-based gospel association, mostly singers, songwriters and musicians.

Actor Clifton Davis and Patti were the show's hosts.

The honors are called the Dove Awards to signify the bird mentioned in the Bible.

by CNB