Group of the Year was The Ascensions (St. Stephen, NB) and the Bill LaPointe Pioneer Award (determined by committee) went to Lance and Peggy Matheson of that group. With eleven albums, ten MGMA wins and twelve NB Gospel Music Hall of Fame wins, The Ascensions have ministered in Canada, the US, Mexico, the Philippines, etc. for nearly forty years. Their web site is http://www.theascensions.com.
As stated earlier, the MGMA Gala takes place over two days. The Friday evening Awards Concert, in which we participated, allowed nominees to perform one song for each category in which they were nominated. They were also invited to set up booths in the exhibit hall. This offered a good time to fellowship with other artists. The concert was a blessing. At the end of it, some of the awards were presented. The events the following day included an afternoon hymn sing, followed by a concert featuring those nominated for male and female vocalist, song of the year and group of the year. Some awards were presented at the end of this concert. An evening concert featured 2016 awards winners and The McGuires (2015 Joey Knight People’s Choice recipients). This award and the Bill LaPointe Pioneer Award were presented at this concert.
Those working on the Awards Gala and the MGMA, in general, are to be commended for doing a great job at promoting gospel music in their area.
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