Downhere Sweeps Covenants

The Covenant Awards—Canada’s equivalent to the Dove Awards—might as well have been named the Downhere awards at last week’s ceremony, as the band picked up nine trophies, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (for Ending Is Beginning), and Song of the Year (for “Here I Am”).

Other winners included Newworldson (Group of the Year), Joel Auge (Male Vocalist of the Year), Janelle (Female Vocalist of the Year) and Hawk Nelson (Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year for “Live Life Loud”). Cindy Morgan won for Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year for penning Point of Grace’s “King of the World,” while Matt Brouwer won Folk/Roots Song of the Year for his collaboration on “The Other Side” with Amy Grant and Vince Gill.

Idol
‘s inspirational dedication

American Idol star Danny Gokey recently performed at the 15th anniversary of Los Angeles’ Dream Center, which provides care to the homeless and needy. The occasion also marked the naming of the Dream Center’s Youth Outreach program—Sophia’s Heart, named for Gokey’s late wife, who ministered to the poor and lonely. Sophia died from complications of congenital heart disease surgery.

Susan Boyle to the CCM market

She went from an anonymous church volunteer who sang in her spare time to one of the most famous faces on the planet thanks to participation in Britain’s Got Talent. Now Susan Boyle will release her debut disc I Dreamed a Dream on November 23; the album will be distributed to the Christian market via Integrity, and will mix gospel and pop standards such as “How Great Thou Art,” “Amazing Grace,” “Who I Was Born To Be,”and “Silent Night.”

Choirs compete for $50,000

Taking cues from music reality shows, the touring competition “How Sweet the Sound” seeks out the country’s top church choirs under a cast of celebrity judges including Marvin Sapp, CeCe Winans, James Fortune, and Dorinda Clark Cole. The outing is currently in the midst of an 11-city trek before wrapping up in Detroit November 7, with the top church choir scoring $50,000.

Madonna making charitable waves

Pop star Madonna and her four children are in Malawi to break ground on the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, which she’s calling for fans to support. “I’m making a straightforward request,” she wrote on her Huffington Post blog, while also pledging $100,000 to match their contributions dollar for dollar. “I’m writing to urge you to join me in saving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. And I’m asking you to do it right away.”

Be a winner … Almost!

The Almost is giving away an autographed electric guitar that it used in recording its upcoming album, and fans will automatically be entered to win it for pre-ordering the album. The album, Monster Monster, marks front man Aaron Gillespie and company’s first studio collection in two years following double duty in hard rock group Underoath.

Country’s Jo Dee Messina returns

After catching the ear of Tim McGraw and scoring a deal with Curb Records, Jo Dee Messina ruled the country charts in the 1990s and early 2000s. Since then, she got married, had a son, and is currently putting the finishing touches on her first studio CD in five years. In advance of the 2010 release, she hits the road this fall to debut the spiritually-inspired single, “That’s God.”

Motown memories

With 50 years of history, Motown: The DVD chronicles several of the record label’s groundbreaking artists. Catch music video and rare television clips from The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. Other dusties include The Marvelettes performing “Please Mr. Postman” on Teen Town, and Martha & the Vandellas singing “Dancing in the Street” on The Ed Sullivan Show.