NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Gospel Music Association hosted the 47th Annual Dove Awards Tuesday night (10/11) at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville. Country Music Hall of Fame member Jimmy Fortune took home the award for “Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year” for the track “Life’s Railway to Heaven,” which features legendary quartet The Oak Ridge Boys. The song was featured on Fortune’s latest critically-acclaimed album Hits & Hymns, which became the Gospel Music Hall of Fame singer’s first solo top ten project on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
“I’m extremely honored and humbled to win my first Dove award, and sharing the win with my friends The Oak Ridge Boys makes it even more special,” said Fortune. “To be recognized by the Gospel Music Association is one of the biggest moments of my life. I will treasure it forever, and I thank God for the opportunity to do this project with producer Ben Isaacs and the Gaither Music Group community.”
“The Oak Ridge Boys were at a sound check at Renfro Valley, Ken., about twenty years ago when, out of the blue, we started singing ‘Life’s Railway To Heaven,’” said Duane Allen, of The Oak Ridge Boys. “It felt so good we added it to the show that night. Since then, the song has become a regular part of our shows, so it seemed natural when Jimmy Fortune asked us to record it with him for his latest album. Now… we’re humbled and honored to hear that it has won a Dove Award. Congratulations Jimmy! Thank you for inviting us to be a part of the magic.”
Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) will exclusively air the awards show on Sunday, Oct. 16. The GMA Dove Awards celebrate the contributions of artists from every style of Christian/Gospel music. Nominees are determined by over 1,600 professional members, and winners are voted on by the entire GMA membership of nearly 2,500.