Thank you for checking out Hutson Harmony…I know this week I am supposed to be looking at the Blackwood Brothers but something came up this week that comes up every year, and it got me fired up!! So I thought I would share a little of my steam. Now I like awards – I don’t have any problem with giving awards, BUT I know I am going to miss a lot of them. Here are just a few for Southern Gospel:

1. Singing News: Great Awards program voted on by the readers of the Singing News Magazine (this is the one that I like). That being said, in the old days we have one group of the year award. If you won this award it was something to be proud of. Now we have “Traditional Male Quartet of the Year;” “Mixed Group of the Year;” “Trio of the Year;” “Soloist of the Year:” WHY??? I have my opinion…I hope you want to hear it because here it is: They have four groups of the year awards instead of one group of the year because, if only one group wins then only one group can raise their flat rate. What is a FLAT?? It is the rate the groups charge to come to a date. If four can win and four groups can raise their rates…it boils down to money. Now I like money, I know it takes money to run a group, but it makes the award less meaningful if four groups win “Group of the Year.”

2. Dove Awards: This awards program started many years ago by Southern Gospel Artists. Les Besley of the Florida Boys named the Dove Awards, but the Dove Awards have been taken over by Contemporary Christian artists. Only in the past 10 years have they included Southern Gospel artists again. I have watched the Dove Awards several times and to be honest unless things change drastically I would not watch again. I think we may be part of this world…but we are not to be of this world. I feel some of the Artists attend and perform on this show need to learn this fact.

3. National Quartet Convention Awards: This is a new awards program unveiled this year at the National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The NQC and the Singing News have partnered together, then three years ago the Singing News decided to move to Dolly Wood for their awards show, leaving the NQC, so the NQC wanted or needed an Awards show of their own. ALL the groups go to the NQC as it is a week-long concert. By the way if you have never gone, I urge you to go. I promise you won’t miss again. Now Gospel Singers don’t make the kind of money other types of music make, so time off the road costs them money, so if they are not nominated for an award by Singing News they won’t take that week off just to go to an awards program. The smart thing for both the NQC and Singing News would have been to fix whatever problems there were and remain civil.

4. The Diamond Awards: I must admit I don’t get this at all. I love local artists, I am one..I sing other groups hits. A few years ago I sang with a group that was bragging about winning three Diamond Awards and when they got up to sing I was excited to hear them…which was strange because I follow Gospel Music very close. If they have music on radio, or have advertising, or are doing anything in this business it is likely I have heard of them. I had no clue of this group…but it had happened before so I thought maybe they had just gotten by me. Again, I was excited to hear them…they got up and at first not very good…they were a family group Dad, and two Sons. The picture they used for publicity was 10 years old, the boys in the picture were young just barely teenagers…when they came on to sing they were in their early 20′s and sang the big groups hits…how can they win diamond awards?

There are several more Awards programs…I love awards I think we should give roses when we can smell them..BUT an award just because..I don’t like that..and I don’t like Awards just to raise the flat rate for a group to book a date.

Next time on Hutson Harmony I will take a look at the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. THANKS for reading…feel free to send me comments/emails to: jhutson@wygs.org God Bless!