NASHVILLE, TN (April 11, 2003) - Two upcoming performers for the Evangelical Covenant Church's triennial high school conference CHIC2K3 - Kirk Franklin and Audio Adrenaline - were among the winners at the 34th annual Dove Awards Thursday night at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Franklin's recent album, The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin, earned the Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year award. Audio Adrenaline, with artists Mark Stuart, Will McGinnis, Ben Cissell and Tyler Burkum, earned Rock Album of the Year honors for the group's Lift album. Audio Adrenaline was also one of 19 performers that evening as the event was carried live on more than 60 radio stations in the United States and also via live Webcast. PAX TV will air the Dove Awards at 9 p.m. EDT on April 19.

Singer songwriters Nichole Nordeman and Michael W. Smith took top honors at the awards, the Gospel Music Association's (GMA) annual awards celebration. Christian musical artists Steven Curtis Chapman and CeCe Winans were co-hosts for the evening. Winans also performed along with Nordeman and other notable groups and individuals such as Blind Boys of Alabama, Sixpence None the Richer and Amy Grant with Vince Gill. There was an all-artist performance of "Friends," marking Smith's 20th anniversary in music. And the event also featured a tribute to the Armed Forces.

Nordeman earned a total of seven Dove Awards including Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Her record-breaking number one radio hit "Holy" from Woven & Spun also received Song of the Year honors. That song, which she both wrote (with Mark Hammond) and performed, received recognition in the Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song category. Her seventh Dove came for her performance on the Special Event Album of the Year, City on A Hill - Sing Alleluia.

Smith's Dove collection of six awards includes the Artist of the Year for the second straight year as well as his first Dove Award for Male Vocalist of the Year. Worship Again was honored for Praise & Worship Album of the Year, a project in which he performed as well as produced. Smith's Worship video was awarded a Dove for Long Form Music Video of the Year. Smith earned Doves for performing and producing that video.

Jesse Butterworth, the son-in-law of Bill and Betsy Luoto of McMinnville Covenant Church in McMinnville, Oregon, and the Christian music band Daily Planet were nominated for three Dove Awards, including New Artist of the Year, but did not win in any category. Paul Colman Trio won New Artist of the Year.

Daily Planet released its first album, Hero, last summer through Reunion Records in Nashville and a song written by Butterworth and Reggie Hamm from the Hero album, Tangled Web, was nominated for Rock Recorded Song of the Year, won by Third Day's "40 Days" from its Come Together album. Daily Planet's Hero album was among five nominated in the Recorded Music Packaging of the Year division - the category winner was the album Welcome To The Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus by The Rock 'N' Roll Worship.