2004 Readers’ Choice Christian Music Awards

Jeremy Camp, Rebecca St. James, tobyMac, Third Day and Casting Crowns are the big winners in our second annual Readers’ Choice Christian Music Awards.

The readers chose Camp as Best Male Artist, St. James as Best Female, tobyMac’s Welcome to Diverse City as Best Album, and Third Day as Best Group or Band. Casting Crowns, meanwhile, was chosen as Best New Artist, and their hit “Who Am I” was voted Song of the Year.

We received 2,012 votes, almost twice the response from last year’s inaugural survey. Forty-two percent of the voters were aged 13-19; another 19 percent were aged 20-24. And 62 percent of the voters were female. It’s also worth noting that several artists’ websites and e-newsletters encouraged their fans to vote in our poll, which can affect the outcome.

Meanwhile, thank you to ChristianBook.com, which generously offered 15 free CDs to one voter chosen at random as an incentive for taking part in our survey. Our winner was a teenage girl from Michigan.

Thank You To Everyone Who Voted In The Survey!

Best Male Artist Jeremy Camp

2. tobyMac 3. Steven Curtis Chapman 4. Michael W. Smith 5. Chris Tomlin 6. Mark Schultz 7. David Phelps 8. Bebo Norman 9. Todd Agnew 10 (tie). Chris Rice 10 (tie). Matthew West

Best Female Artist Rebecca St. James

2. Bethany Dillon 3. Stacie Orrico 4. Rachael Lampa 5. Nicole C. Mullen 6. Nichole Nordeman 7. Amy Grant 8. Jaci Velasquez 9. Jennifer Knapp 10 (tie). Sara Groves 10 (tie). Joy Williams

Best Group or Band Third Day

2. Switchfoot 3. MercyMe 4. Casting Crowns 5. Newsboys 6. Relient K 7. Audio Adrenaline 8. Point of Grace 9. Avalon 10. Building 429

Best New Artist Casting Crowns

2. Building 429 3. Bethany Dillon 4. BarlowGirl 5. Hawk Nelson 6. Falling Up 7. Shawn McDonald 8 (tie). Day of Fire 8 (tie). Mute Math 10. Matthew West

Nominees for Best New Artist had to release their deubt CD between 10/1/2003 and 11/2/2004.

Album of the Year tobyMacWelcome to Diverse City

2. Third Day, Wire 3. Jeremy Camp, Carried Me 4. Steven Curtis Chapman, All Things New 5. Casting Crowns, Casting Crowns 6. Mercy Me, Undone 7 (tie). Building 429, Space in Between Us 7 (tie). Pillar, Where Do We Go from Here? 7 (tie). Point of Grace, I Choose You 10. Chris Tomlin, Arriving

Nominees for Album of the Year had to be releases between 10/1/2003 and 11/2/2004.

Song of the Year Casting Crowns”Who Am I”

2. tobyMac, “Gone” 3. Jeremy Camp, “Walk by Faith” 4. Third Day, “I Believe” 5. Building 429, “Glory Defined” 6. Steven Curtis Chapman, “All Things New” 7. Switchfoot, “Dare You to Move” 8. Switchfoot, “Meant to Live” 9. Chris Tomlin, “Indescribable” 9. BarlowGirl, “Never Alone”

Nominees for Song of the Year had to be releases between 10/1/2003 and 11/2/2004.

How did the results compare with the editors’ picks? Read our list of The Best Christian Albums of 2004 to find out.