Gospel Music Association

{{Use American English|date=April 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox organization
| name         = Gospel Music Association
| logo         = GMAlogo Color.jpg
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| logo_alt     =
| logo_caption = GMA Logo
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| abbreviation = GMA
| formation    = 1964 <!-- {{Start date and years ago|1964|MM|DD}} -->
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| extinction   = <!-- date of extinction, optional -->
| type         = <!-- GO, NGO, IGO, INGO, etc -->
| status       = <!-- ad hoc, treaty, foundation, etc -->
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| affiliations = GMA Foundation
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| website      = {{URL|www.gospelmusic.org}}
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}}

The '''Gospel Music Association''' ('''GMA''') is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of [[gospel music]].<ref name="balmer">{{Cite encyclopedia |year=2002 |title=Gospel Music Association |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism |publisher=Westminster John Knox |location=Louisville |last=Balmer |first=Randall |isbn=0-664-22409-1}}</ref> As of 2011, there are about 4,000 members worldwide.<ref name=":0" /> The GMA's membership comprises a network of artists, industry leaders, retail stores, radio stations, concert promoters and local churches involved with the wider [[Christian music industry]].

== History ==

The GMA was founded in 1964 to promote gospel music.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Westover |first=Jonas |year=2013 |title=Gospel Music Association |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002249657 |access-date=April 11, 2020 |website=[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|Grove Music Online]] |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2249657|isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 }}</ref> It was created as an extension of the National Quartet Convention, a convention devoted to [[Southern gospel]] that had been operating since 1956.<ref name="cusic">Cusic, Don, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock and Worship''. ABC-CLIO, 2009, pp. 223-224.</ref> Its founding board included [[Don Butler]], [[Cecil Blackwood|Cecil]] and [[James Blackwood]], [[Vestal Goodman]], [[Charlie Lamb]], [[Don Light]], and [[J.D. Sumner]], and its first president was [[Tennessee Ernie Ford]].<ref name=cusic/><ref>W.K. McNeil, ed. ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music''. Routledge, 2013, pp. 149–150.</ref> In its early years, it faced competition from the United States Gospel Music Association, a for-profit entity also focused on gospel music.<ref>"Editorial Notes Differences in Gospel Music Assn. and GMA". ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', October 22, 1966. ([https://books.google.com/books?id=-SgEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22gospel+music+association%22&pg=PA54 Google Books])</ref> It began organizing the [[Dove Awards]] in 1969,<ref name=":0" /> which eventually expanded into an awards ceremony covering the whole of Christian music. The Dove Awards had their [[50th GMA Dove Awards|50th ceremony]] in 2019.<ref>[https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/05/14/gma-honors-and-hall-fame-ceremony-part-landmark-year/3671047002/ GMA Honors and Hall of Fame ceremony part of landmark year for Gospel Music Association]. ''[[The Tennessean]]'', May 14, 2019.</ref> By 1976, the GMA was well-established, with its award show bringing recognition to Christian music.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cusic |first=Don |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gUDROVX5Du4C |title=The Sound of Light: A History of Gospel and Christian Music |publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation]] |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-634-02938-7 |location=Milwaukee |pages=282 |language=en}}</ref>

In the 1970s and 1980s, tension and conflict emerged between [[Southern gospel]] and the newer developments of [[Jesus music]] and [[Contemporary Christian music]].<ref name=":1">Cusic, Don. 2002. p. 377–380</ref><ref name=":2">Goff, James R. 2002. p. 271–274</ref> Southern gospel conservatives had been resistant to [[racial integration]], and even as they were slowly becoming more receptive to integration, the new developments in Christian music resulted in Southern gospel becoming increasingly marginalized by music consumers and losing influence in the GMA.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Cheatham |first=Russ |title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Volume 8: Genres: North America |date=March 8, 2012 |publisher=[[A&C Black]] |isbn=978-1-4411-6078-2 |editor-last=Hornd |editor-first=David |volume=8: Genres: North America |location=New York and London |pages=252 |language=en |chapter=Gospel Music, White |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HZQemZyozqwC&pg=PA252}}</ref> Many Southern conservatives, including members of the GMA, also disapproved of rock music and felt that the newer styles of gospel music being promoted by the GMA indicated that the organization was essentially moving into an alliance with the "enemy".<ref>Goff, James R. 2002. p. 272</ref> The Southern gospel industry became disenchanted with the direction that the GMA was heading and a new organization, the Southern Gospel Music Association, was formed by Charles Waller.<ref name=":4">Cusic, Don. 2002. p. 379</ref> However, in 1985, this organization was absorbed by the GMA.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> A new, independent [[Southern Gospel Music Association]] was formed in 1995.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Cusic, Don. 2002. p. 380</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Goff |first=James R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kJQtrJNvo7gC&pg=PA277 |title=Close Harmony: A History of Southern Gospel |date=2002 |publisher=UNC Press Books |isbn=978-0-8078-5346-7 |language=en}}</ref>

== Events ==

In April of every year for several years, the GMA held GMA Week (or GMA Music Week) around [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], [[Tennessee]].<ref name=":0" /> The week-long event includes seminars, concerts and "meet and greet" events for artists, industry workers and members of the media. "GMA Music Week" ends with the annual GMA Dove Awards ceremony, which honors [[contemporary Christian music|contemporary Christian]] and gospel music.<ref name=cusic/> The GMA began holding the Dove Awards in the [[Grand Ole Opry]] in the 1990s and arranged for the ceremony to be broadcast on the [[The Family Channel (American TV network, founded 1990)|Family Channel]], raising its public profile.<ref name=balmer/>

Annually held in [[Estes Park, Colorado|Estes Park]], [[Colorado]] from 1974 to 2008, "[[Music in the Rockies]]" (formally Seminar in the Rockies) was a showcase event for aspiring (often unsigned) songwriters and artists in the Christian music industry.<ref name=cusic/> This event was replaced by a new event, "Immerse", in Nashville in 2009. The GMA also founded the Gospel Music Academy, which trains musicians, hosts [[artists-in-residence]] (which have included [[Cindy Morgan]] and [[Michael W. Smith]]), and organizes seminars on issues related to the music industry.<ref name=balmer/>

== Gospel Music Hall of Fame ==

The GMA [[Gospel Music Hall of Fame]], which was created in 1971, is dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions of individuals in all forms of gospel music.<ref name=":0" /> Inductees include [[Elvis Presley]], [[Mahalia Jackson]], [[Keith Green]], [[Larry Norman]], [[The Blackwood Brothers]], [[The Imperials]], [[J. D. Sumner]] and [[Stamps Quartet|The Stamps]], [[The Jordanaires]] and others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gospel Music Hall Of Fame |url=https://gospelmusichalloffame.org/ |website=Gospel Music Hall Of Fame}}</ref> The Gospel Music Hall of Fame is overseen by the GMA Foundation, a "sister organization" established by the GMA to focus on gospel music history and education.<ref name=cusic/>

== Positions and controversies ==

In 1971, a scandal broke out over the [[4th GMA Dove Awards]] when [[The Blackwood Brothers]], some of whose membership was also part of the GMA leadership, won almost every award for which they were eligible, a total of nine out of fourteen awards.<ref name=":5">Goff, James R. 2002. p. 235</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite magazine |date=October 23, 1971 |title=Blackwood Bros. Return 'Dove' Awards; New Ballot Possible |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]], Inc. |volume=83 |issue=43 |pages=36, 42 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The group was accused of unfairly stacking the vote through an aggressive recruitment campaign, with some industry members accusing the group of also distributing "marked ballots, gifts and free memberships."<ref name=":5" /> As a result of the controversy, all awards from that year were stripped and [[James Blackwood]], a GMA board member, took responsibility for what he called "unethical behavior."<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />

The GMA has staunchly supported anti-[[music piracy]] efforts, and launched its own antipiracy campaign in 2004.<ref name=cusic/> In 2011, the GMA appeared on a list of organizations supporting the "Stop Online Piracy Act" ([[Stop Online Piracy Act|SOPA]]) before the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 21, 2011 |title=The 439 organizations SOPA opponents should worry about [updated] |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/opinion/the-439-organizations-sopa-opponents-should-worry-about/ |access-date=May 4, 2019 |website=Digital Trends}}</ref>

The GMA drew criticism from [[Kirk Franklin]] after his speech at the 2019 Dove Awards, which addressed [[shooting bias]] in police violence, was censored. The GMA later issued Franklin a formal apology.<ref>[https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-gospel-music-association-apologize-kirk-franklin-censorship-boycott-20191029-le6ohvnmrzbnbj43zypfv6cq3u-story.html Gospel Music Association issues apology to Kirk Franklin in aftermath of proposed boycott over editing his comments about police brutality for telecast]. ''[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]], New York'', October 29, 2019.</ref>

== See also ==

* {{annotated link|GMA Canada}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.gospelmusic.org/ Official website]

{{Contemporary Christian Music}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gospel music associations]]
[[Category:Culture of Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1964]]