Fervent Records’ artist and Dove Awards’ “Artist of the Year,” Francesca Battistelli, received a surprise onstage Friday night when Word Entertainment President and CEO, Rod Riley, presented her with a gold album for her debut release My Paper Heart. This marks the first debut album from a CCM artist in nearly a decade to receive RIAA-certified Gold status for sales in excess of 500,000 units. Casting Crowns’ release in 2003 was the last debut album to receive RIAA Gold certification.
On Friday, September 7, just prior to her performance at Disney World’s “Night of Joy” at the Magic Kingdom, Riley and Word Entertainment Senior VP of A&R, Josh Bailey, stepped onstage with a surprise gold record for the singer. "I was totally overcome with emotion,” said Battistelli. “As soon as Josh walked onstage with the plaque, all this emotion hit me at once. This has been a dream of mine, and to be honored and surprised this way at Disney World in front of my wonderful fans, my family, and my record label...it truly couldn't have been more special. I feel so incredibly blessed and will remember this night forever!" The next day, the singer visited the ?Magic Kingdom once again with her family and record group to take an iconic photograph in front of Cinderella’s castle.
Battistelli’s 2008 debut album features the No. 1 single, “Free To Be Me,” and Top 10 hits, “I’m Letting Go,” “It’s Your Life” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” The release topped Billboard’s Christian Albums chart in August of 2010 and earned her a Grammy nod for “Best Gospel Performance.” In 2011, she received the Dove Awards for “Artist of the Year,” “Female Vocalist of the Year” and “Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.”
On October 16, the singer is set to release her first solo Christmas album, Christmas, which includes classics and newly-penned tunes. She also has songs showcased on two additional holiday albums due out the same day: Word Record’s A Very Special Christmas: Bringing Peace on Earth and A Very Special Christmas 25th Anniversary benefitting the Special Olympics.
Since her debut in 2008, Francesca Battistelli has earned a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Performance), six Dove Awards including 2011 “Artist of the Year” and 19 Dove Award nominations. Both her debut album, My Paper Heart, and her 2011 sophomore release, Hundred More Years, took the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Christian Album chart. With over 700,000 in album sales to date, she is the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. Her music has also been featured on TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and several other television and movie outlets. For more information on Francesca Battistelli, please visit www.francescamusic.com .
GRAMMY-nominated artist Francesca Battistelli will kick off her first headlining tour, the “Hundred More Years Tour," September 20th. Sponsored by World Vision, the tour will kick off in Jackson, KY and will showcase Dove Award-winning Artist Of The Year Battistelli, as well as feature Sidewalk Prophets and special guests Andy Cherry and City Harbor. The “Hundred More Years Tour" will run through October 28th.
Concertgoers will be able to hear songs from Battistelli’s hit albums, My Paper Heart and her sophomore release Hundred More Years, which debuted at No. 1 on the Christian Album chart and No. 16 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. That project's first single, "This Is The Stuff," debuted in the Top 20 on Billboard's Christian chart and Top 10 on iTunes' Christian and Gospel chart.
"I am thrilled to be announce my first headlining tour!" exclaims Francesca Battistelli. "It's been a dream for so long, and I pray that it will be a night where everyone feels the presence of God and has a great time. I'm honored to be sharing the stage with Sidewalk Prophets, Andy Cherry, and City Harbor, and I hope to see you all there!"
Dove Award “Artist of the Year,” Francesca Battistelli made a surprise visit to seven-year-old, Tori Svenson, last Friday, January 6 - check out the video clip
here.
Tori has inspired thousands with her YouTube video lip syncing to, “Angel By Your Side,” off Francesca’s album, Hundred More Years.
CNN Blog:
Watch Tori’s YouTube video lip syncing and dancing to “Angel By Your Side”
here.
For more information on Francesca Battistelli, visit
www.FrancescaMusic.com.
Multi-award winning and GRAMMY nominated artist, Francesca Battistelli, will make the world premiere video debut of her multi-week No. 1 hit, “This is the Stuff” on USAToday.com tomorrow, Nov. 18. The fun, animated video brings to life Francesca’s smash hit single about taking life’s little frustrations in stride. Fans can catch a 30-second preview of the anticipated new video today at www.FrancescaMusic.com.
Check out the full-version of “This is the Stuff” beginning tomorrow at www.USAToday.com.
Fervent Records’ GRAMMY-nominated artist and reigning Dove Awards Artist of the Year Francesca Battistelli will release her new single “Motion of Mercy” to CCM radio today, July 18. The multi-talented songstress, powerhouse vocalist and performer already has radio motioning for the song with 25 stations on board, making it the most added song on the Christian airwaves this week. “Motion of Mercy” is now available on iTunes and is featured on her critically acclaimed sophomore album Hundred More Years, available everywhere now.
Written by Francesca Battistelli and Ian Eskelin, “Motion of Mercy” is a driving mid-tempo tune that showcases Battistelli’s vocal prowess while effortlessly making clear the pass-it-on nature of God's love in so many forms. This is the follow-up single to her No. 1 hit “This Is The Stuff” which has already sold over 171,000 singles.
“At the end of a writing session with Ian Eskelin, this is the one we were jumping up and down about,” smiles Battistelli. “The motion of mercy is a cycle. You can't really give mercy until it's been given to you. When you receive something, you want to give it in return. I love the word picture that ‘Motion of Mercy’ is, a beautiful and unexpected giving cycle that helps make the world go around “
Currently, Battistelli is out on the road playing shows all across the country and will be joining Jeremy Camp on his upcoming “We Cry Out” Tour this fall.
Hundred More Years released to rave reviews and features the smash No. 1 “This Is The Stuff.” Her sophomore album is the follow-up to her debut My Paper Heart which delivered the smash No. 1 single “Free To Be Me” and hit singles “It’s Your Life,” “I’m Letting Go” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” With over 454,000 albums sold and well over one million downloads to date, Battistelli has become the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. To date Battistelli has earned a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Song Performance), 5 Dove Awards and 15 Dove Award nominations. Her music has also been featured on TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and several other television and movie outlets.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli and upcoming tour dates please visit, www.FrancescaMusic.com.
For the Dove Awards darling Francesca Battistelli, her fans are ‘the stuff.’ And to say thank you, Battistelli is unveiling a fan-directed music video for her smash No 1 hit “This Is The Stuff.” The video features a compilation of footage shot by fans during the Winter Jam tour. To see which fans’ films made the final cut, tune in to Francesca’s website – www.FrancescaMusic.com or click here: http://www.francescamusic.com/news/stuff-live-music-video
“I have the best fans and feel so blessed,” shares Battistelli. “It was so fun to have them be my directors and stand right up on the stage with me every night of Winter Jam!”
“This Is The Stuff” is from her sophomore album Hundred More Years, which debuted at No. 1 on the Christian Album Chart and No. 16 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart. The album is available everywhere now.
Battistelli recently made Dove Awards history when she won the award for “Artist of the Year” making her the first female vocalist in 19 years to claim the elite title and also took home the honors “Female Vocalist Of The Year” and “Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song Of The Year” for the smash hit "Beautiful Beautiful."
Hundred More Years released to rave reviews and is the follow-up to her debut My Paper Heart which delivered the smash No. 1 single “Free To Be Me” and hit singles “It’s Your Life,” “I’m Letting Go” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” With over 430,000 albums sold and well over 900,000 downloads to date, Battistelli has become the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. Battistelli has earned a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Song Performance), 5 Dove Awards and 15 Dove Award nominations and was recently featured in Associated Press, USA Today, M Magazine, and Atlanta Journal Constitution. Her music has also been featured on TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus 8, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, and several other television and movie outlets.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli, please visit www.FrancescaMusic.com.
Fervent Records and reigning Dove Awards “Female Vocalist Of The Year” Francesca Battistelli, proves that she’s got the stuff with her sophomore album Hundred More Years landing in the No. 1 spot on the Christian SoundScan Album Chart and No. 16 on the Billboard Top 200 chart today, making it her highest charting album debut to date. The album features her current No. 2 single “This Is The Stuff.” Battistelli’s impressive debut is right on the heels of scoring four nominations including the prestigious Artist Of The Year for the upcoming 42nd annual Dove Awards, making her the most nominated Female Artist this year.
“I do what I do every day in the hopes that my music will inspire and bring light to my fans. And to know that you’re on the right path is an incredible feeling!” shares Battistelli. “I feel so blessed and can’t thank Christian radio, my fans and my team at Fervent Records, Paradigm Agency and Proper Management enough for all of their support in this release.”
USA Today calls the release “eloquent long-range views on family and love” rounding out their 3 ½ star review. And the Gospel Music Channel says Hundred More Years is “a gorgeous meditation on life’s fleeting moments and our desire to see them last forever.”
The leadoff single “This Is The Stuff” is already a smash hit at radio and “full of the witticism and appeal you’d hope for” (Soul-Audio). It is the perfect introduction to an album that takes the treasures of her debut My Paper Heart one-step further. Working with producer Ian Eskelin, she has crafted a CD that is every bit as hooky and infectious as its predecessor but whose subject matter, as befitting a young woman whose life has changed so dramatically, addresses a wider spectrum of the human experience.
Since her debut in 2008, Battistelli has earned a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Song Performance), 2 Dove Awards and 15 Dove Award nominations. Her debut album delivered the smash No. 1 single “Free To Be Me” and hit singles “It’s Your Life,” “I’m Letting Go” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” With over 400,000 copies sold and well over 840,000 downloads to date, Battistelli has become the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. Her music has also been featured on TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and several other television and movie outlets.
Fans can vote for this talented songstress for The Dove Awards’ Artist Of The Year by visiting http://www.watchgmctv.com/fanvote. Voting is now open and will close on April 19th at midnight (EST), with the winner being announced at the 42nd Annual Dove Awards show taped live at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, on April 20th and broadcast on The Gospel Music Channel (GMC) on Sunday, April 24th at 8:00 p.m. EST.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli and her upcoming album release, tour and media appearances, please visit www.FrancescaMusic.com.
For Fervent Records and reigning Dove Awards Female Vocalist Of The Year Francesca Battistelli, March 1 is going to be a day that she remembers for at least a ‘hundred more years’ with the release of her sophomore album entitled Hundred More Years available everywhere beginning today. The release comes on the heels of Battistelli scoring four nominations including the prestigious Artist Of The Year for the upcoming 42nd annual Dove Awards, making her the most nominated Female Artist this year.
“This year has been such a blessed one so far,” said Battistelli. “I’m out on the Winter Jam Tour with David Crowder Band and Newsboys, just found out that I’ve broken the Top 5 with the new single "This Is The Stuff," and today I’m releasing my sophomore album across the country. To top it off, being nominated for the Dove Awards’ Artist Of The Year is an incredible honor and I feel deeply humbled to be in a category with so many amazing artists. I want to thank all of the Christian radio stations and fans that believe in me.”
The Dove Awards’ Artist Of The Year nod is fan-voted. Fans can vote for Battistelli by visiting http://www.watchgmctv.com/fanvote. Voting for the Artist Of The Year category is now open and will close on April 19th at midnight (EST), with the winner being announced at the 42nd Annual Dove Awards show taped live at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, on April 20th and broadcast on The Gospel Music Channel (GMC) on Sunday, April 24th at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Battistelli’s new single “This Is The Stuff” is already a Top 5 smash at radio and is the perfect introduction to an album that takes the treasures of her debut My Paper Heart one-step further. Working with producer Ian Eskelin, she has crafted a CD that is every bit as hooky and infectious as its predecessor but whose subject matter, as befitting a young woman whose life has changed so dramatically, addresses a wider spectrum of the human experience.
My Paper Heart released to rave reviews and has since earned Battistelli a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Song Performance), 2 Dove Awards and 15 Dove Award nominations in a two-year period. Her debut delivered the smash No. 1 single “Free To Be Me” and hit singles “It’s Your Life,” “I’m Letting Go” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” With over 400,000 copies sold and well over 840,000 downloads to date, Battistelli has become the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. Her music has also been featured on TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and several other television and movie outlets.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli and her upcoming album release, tour and media appearances, please visit www.FrancescaMusic.com.
Fervent Records and reigning Dove Awards Female Vocalist of the Year Francesca Battistelli hopes to have a ‘hundred more years’ like 2011 with scoring four Dove Award nominations in the following categories: Artist Of The Year, Female Vocalist Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song Of The Year for the smash hit "Beautiful Beautiful" Also adding to this year’s list of exciting news, Battistelli will release her sophomore album Hundred More Years, available everywhere beginning March 1.
“It is such an incredible honor to be nominated and I'm so thankful for the hundreds of blessings that have come into my life this year," shares Battistelli. "And to hear the great news in Atlanta surrounded by family and friends makes it even more special."
The 42nd Annual Dove Awards show will be taped live at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, on April 20th and broadcast on The Gospel Music Channel (GMC) on Sunday, April 24th at 8:00 p.m. EST.
And the nods keep on coming, as Battistelli is also up for the fan-voted About.com’s Readers’ Choice Awards in the Best Female Vocalist category for Christian Music/Gospel. Voting is now open and will continue through midnight March 8. About.com will announce the winner on March 15. To cast your vote, please visit: http://christianmusic.about.com/od/ReadersChoice/tp/2011-Readers-Choice-Awards.htm
Battistelli’s new single “This Is The Stuff” is already a Top 5 smash at radio and is the perfect introduction to an album that takes the treasures of her debut My Paper Heart one-step further. Working with producer Ian Eskelin, she has crafted a CD that is every bit as hooky and infectious as its predecessor but whose subject matter, as befitting a young woman whose life has changed so dramatically, addresses a wider spectrum of the human experience.
My Paper Heart released to rave reviews and has since earned Battistelli a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Song Performance), 2 Dove Awards and 11 Dove Award nominations in a two-year period. Her debut delivered the smash No. 1 single “Free To Be Me” and hit singles “It’s Your Life,” “I’m Letting Go” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” With over 400,000 copies sold and well over 840,000 downloads to date, Battistelli has become the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. Her music has also been featured on Jon & Kate Plus 8, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and several other television and movie outlets.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli and her upcoming album release, tour and media appearances, please visit www.FrancescaMusic.com.
In anticipation of her sophomore release Hundred More Years available everywhere beginning March 1, Fervent Records and reigning Dove Awards Female Vocalist of the Year is offering a sneak peak of her album through her website – http://www.francescamusic.com/hundredmoreyears. Beginning today, fans will be able to access Hundred More Years with full song streams and share with friends for the entire month of February.
Hundred More Years Track Listing:
1. This Is The Stuff
2. Constant
3. You Never Are
4. Angel By Your Side
5. Motion Of Mercy
6. Emily (It’s Love) featuring Dave Barnes
7. Good To Know
8. So Long
9. Don’t Miss It
10. Worth It
11. Hundred More Years
The Grammy-nominated artist’s lead off single “This Is The Stuff” is already a Top 10 smash at radio and is the perfect introduction to an album that takes the treasures of her debut My Paper Heart one-step further. Working with producer Ian Eskelin, Battistelli has crafted a CD that is every bit as hooky and infectious as its predecessor but whose subject matter, as befitting a young woman whose life has changed so dramatically, addresses a wider spectrum of the human experience. Battistelli co-wrote every song on the upcoming release, which features an 11-track ensemble of soulful pop-tinged inspiring Christian Music. Battistelli is currently playing the main stage on the major “Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular”
Battistelli will be announcing the nominees for the 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards on February 16 in Atlanta, GA at the historic FOX Theatre’s Grand Salon. The Dove Awards show will air on The Gospel Music Channel on Sunday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli and their upcoming album release, tour and media appearances, please visit www.FrancescaMusic.com.
For Fervent Records’ GRAMMY-nominated artist and reigning Dove Awards Female Vocalist of the Year Francesca Battistelli, the New Year is bringing in all things ‘New’ with her fresh single “This Is The Stuff” hitting both the Christian radio airwaves and iTunes on January 11, 2011, her highly anticipated sophomore album Hundred More Years set for release on March 1 and a coveted slot on the 47-city “Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular” that kicks off this week on January 7 in Chattanooga, TN.
Written by Francesca Battistelli, Ian Eskelin and Tony Wood, “This Is The Stuff” is an irresistible, up-tempo tune that expresses the frustrations of every day life that often drive us crazy but in the end teach us patience and thankfulness. This is the leadoff single from her forthcoming release Hundred More Years.
To top it all off, K-LOVE is presenting an exclusive online presale for the new release beginning today January 6 on Francesca’s website - www.FrancescaMusic.com. This unique version of Hundred More Years includes special, limited edition packaging featuring a personal touch from Battistelli. Fans will have the chance to be one of the first to order the new album and with purchase will instantly receive a download of “This Is The Stuff.”
Inspired by legendary jazz greats and current contemporaries like John Mayer and Sara Bareilles, singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli set out to write pop, soul-infused music that would motivate and encourage listeners of any age. Her exposure to the arts began at a young age with her interest and involvement in theatre, music and dance, and at 15, Francesca began writing and performing her own songs. My Paper Heart released to rave reviews and has since earned her a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Song Performance), 2 Dove Awards and 11 Dove Award nominations in a two-year period. Her debut delivered the smash No. 1 single “Free To Be Me” and hit singles “It’s Your Life,” “I’m Letting Go” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” With over 390,000 copies sold and well over 775,000 downloads to date, Battistelli has become the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. Her music has also been featured on Jon & Kate Plus 8, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and several other television and movie outlets.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli and tour dates please visit, www.FrancescaMusic.com
.
For information on K-LOVE, visit www.klove.com.
Fervent Records’ GRAMMY-nominated artist and reigning Dove Awards Female Vocalist of the Year Francesca Battistelli is on top of the world right now with her debut album My Paper Heart topping the overall Christian/Gospel Album Chart for four weeks in a row, making her the highest selling female artist in the genre in five years. This album features the hit singles “Beautiful Beautiful,” “I’m Letting Go,” “It’s Your Life” and the record-breaking smash hit “Free To Be Me” that held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Christian/AC Radio chart for 10 consecutive weeks. Not to mention, all four singles have sold well over 100K digital downloads each with “Free To Be Me” already nearing 300k downloads. In addition to all of these phenomenal milestones, Francesca and husband Matt are expecting the birth of their first child in October.
“I’m so incredibly thankful to my fans and Christian radio for all of these unbelievable blessings that I have cherished this year,” said Battistelli. “Without your support, none of this would be possible. It's amazing to see what God has done in such a short time. Thank you!”
And, all of the support has definitely paid off for Battistelli. Released in 2008, her album has had the longest run to No. 1 for a female artist in Billboard Christian Album Chart history, a testament to her continually growing fan base and infectious pop soul sound that has been featured on such popular TV shows as ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and MTV’s The Hills. Luckily, fans will not need to wait much longer for new music. Battistelli is currently in the studio writing and recording for her much anticipated sophomore album, expected to release early next year.
For additional information on Francesca Battistelli please visit, www.francescamusic.com
Three of Christian music’s favorite artists will be joining the 2nd Annual Rock and Worship Roadshow tour, launching March 18 in Indianapolis, IN. Word Label Group’s Francesca Battistelli, Remedy Drive, and Sidewalk Prophets are set to be featured alongside leading industry acts including MercyMe, David Crowder*Band, Family Force 5 and Fee. With $10 admission, the tour will be hitting 25 cities through the end of April. For more information, including a full list of tour stops, please visit http://www.therockandworshiproadshow.com.
Grammy-nominated Francesca Battistelli set the Christian radio charts on fire in 2009 with her smash hit “Free To Be Me” which held the #1 slot for 10 consecutive weeks. She recently released My Paper Heart: Deluxe Edition featuring two songs and four new versions of the hits “Free To Be Me”, “It’s Your Life”, “I’m Letting Go”, and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” Additionally, Battistelli had music featured on AOL Music's homepage, in ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," NBC's "Biggest Loser," Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance," and many other television shows and movies.
Known for their over-the-top live performance antics, three-time GMA Dove Award nominee Remedy Drive is preparing for the March 30 release of Daylight is Coming: Expanded Edition featuring three new songs. Fans who already have the original Daylight is Coming release in their music collection can download the digital-only Daylight EP featuring three new songs, plus the acoustic version of “All Along” and the dance remix of “Daylight”, mixed by Family Force 5 frontman Soul Glow Activatur. The band’s new single “Speak to Me” will hit radio stations on April 9.
New artist Sidewalk Prophets recently garnered two GMA Dove Awards nominations including a nod for “New Artist of the Year.” The band’s debut single “The Words I Would Say” held the #1 slot on the AC Indicator chart for 5 consecutive weeks. Releasing in August 2009, Sidewalk Prophets debut record These Simple Truths scanned more than 10,000 units the first month of release. Booked by Word’s own The Breen Agency, Sidewalk Prophets is currently on their self-proclaimed “VanGo Tour” comprised of the Winter Jam 2010 tour and Rock and Worship Roadshow playing for nearly 550,000 fans this spring.
With a music-making history of 59 years, today Word Entertainment, through its artists, projects and other contributors, garnered 62 Gospel Music Award nominations. Fervent Records’ Francesca Battistelli led the way matching last year’s five total nominations including “Artist of the Year,” “Female Vocalist of the Year,” “Song of the Year”(“Free To Be Me”), “Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year” (“Free To Be Me”) and “Short Form Video of the Year” (“Free To Be Me”).
Fervent Records’ newest artist Sidewalk Prophets was honored with their first nominations in this year’s “New Artist” grouping, in addition to a nod in the “Pop/Contemporary Recorded Album of the Year” category. Atlantic Records’ NEEDTOBREATHE received three nominations including “Group of the Year”, “Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year” (“Lay ‘Em Down”), and “Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year.” Fervent Records’ popular sister rock act BarlowGirl was nominated for “Rock/Contemporary Album” and “Short Form Music Video.” Word Records’ country music favorite Diamond Rio was nominated for “Song of the Year” (“God is There”), “Country Recorded Song of the Year” (“God is There”), and “Country Album of the Year.”
Word Label Group (a division of Word Entertainment comprised of Word Records, Fervent Records, Myrrh Records, and Canaan Records) garnered 27 nominations, including top categories “Artist,” “Song,” “Group,” “Female Vocalist”, “Male Vocalist” as well as “New Artist.”
Word Distribution collected an additional 20 nominations including “Song of the Year” (“Let The Waters Rise”, MIKESCHAIR), “Male Vocalist of the Year” (Michael English), and “Female Vocalist of the Year” (Natalie Grant).
Word Music Print was represented with 8 nominations, including three for “Musical of the Year,” two for “Youth/Children’s Musical of the Year,” and three for “Choral Collection of the Year.”
The Breen Agency, another division of Word Entertainment handling artist touring and booking, was acquired by Word earlier in 2009. This division garnered nominations in “Song of the Year” (“Revelation Song”, Phillips, Craig, & Dean), “Female Vocalist of the Year” (Laura Story), and “Inspirational Album of the Year” (Fearless, Phillips, Craig & Dean) with 3 total nominations.
Grammy Award nominee and five-time GMA Dove Award nominee Francesca Battistelli will be releasing My Paper Heart: Deluxe Edition March 2 on Fervent Records. Featuring all the songs from the original release of My Paper Heart, this deluxe edition will also include two new songs (“Keeping Me Guessing” and “Lead Me To The Cross”) and four new recordings of the hits “Free To Be Me”, “It’s Your Life”, “I’m Letting Go”, and “Beautiful, Beautiful.”
The release of My Paper Heart: Deluxe Edition comes after Battistelli finished off an extraordinary year which resulted in the break out singles, "Free To Be Me", "I'm Letting Go", and "It's Your Life." She was the most added new female artist in Christian radio history and her record breaking "Free To Be Me" held the #1 slot on four radio charts simultaneously. Additionally, Battistelli had music featured on AOL Music's homepage, in ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8," NBC's "Biggest Loser," Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance," and many other television shows and movies.
Francesca is offering fans the opportunity to pre-order My Paper Heart: Deluxe Edition in her official online store offering exclusive downloads and products. Visit http://www.francescamusic.com/store for more information.
For more information about Francesca Battistelli, visit http://www.francescamusic.com
Singer-songwriter Francesca Battistelli earned her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Gospel Performance for her hit single “Free To Be Me” from her debut record, My Paper Heart. “Free To Be Me” shattered records when it became the most added song by a female artist in Christian radio history, holding the number one slot for ten consecutive weeks and becoming the first number one song from a female at AC radio since 2005. Additionally, the song was the #4 most downloaded Christian Digital track for 2009.
"I am shocked, thrilled, and honored to be nominated for a Grammy award! I started dancing in my dressing room in Boston the night I found out,” Francesca shares. “It's truly a dream come true, and it means so much that a song I wrote in college has resonated with people so deeply.”
Francesca was nominated alongside Heather Hadley with Smokie Norful, Jonny Lang, Donnie McClurkin with Karen Clark Sheard, and Third Day in the Best Gospel Performance category. The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be held January 31, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A full list of Grammy nominees can be found at http://www.grammy.com.
“It’s Your Life,” Francesca’s current single, was recently featured on the series finale of TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8 as part of a dramatic montage recapping all five seasons of the show. “It’s Your Life” is currently the #1 digital track in the Christian market, generating over 23,000 downloads this past week. The song debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 list this week.
Francesca is currently on the road celebrating the holiday season with label mates Big Daddy Weave for Newsong’s “Very Merry Christmas Tour.” The tour is stopping in 19 cities, wrapping up on December 18 in Albany, GA. For a complete list of tour dates and cities, visit www.francescamusic.com.
For more information about Francesca Battistelli, visit http://www.francescamusic.com or http://www.wordlabelgroup.com.
Fervent/Reprise Records singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli continues to make significant headway with her acclaimed debut, My Paper Heart. From the small screen to now the big screen, Battistelli's top 5 radio hit, "I'm Letting Go," can be heard in the promotions for the just-released "Julie & Julia" movie featuring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, while her current radio single, "It's Your Life," was heard during last week's season finale of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance."
Battistelli is set to perform this fall on the 43-city "Follow You Tour" as special guest to co-headliners Brandon Heath and Leeland. The high-profile touring event kicks off Sept. 23rd in Norfolk, Nebraska and goes through November 22, ending in Birmingham, Alabama. Not one to sit back and relax, Battistelli is confirmed to also perform on Newsong's 2009 Christmas tour and will kick off next spring appearing on the "Rock and Worship Road Show," along with headliner MercyMe. Upcoming dates will be announced shortly.
Appearing earlier this year on the 35-city nationwide 2009 WinterJam tour, Battistelli continues to perform this summer across the country at churches and festivals. She will appear in mid-September at DisneyWorld's famed "Night Of Joy."
Nashville, TN - (March 31, 2009) - On the heels of five Dove Award nominations, recent music features on AOL Music's homepage, ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," NBC's "Biggest Loser," and The Style Network's new reality show "Running In Heels," Fervent/Reprise Records artist Francesca Battistelli is at the top of the charts - again! This time, though, she's #1 on four charts!
Battistelli's single, "Free to be Me," reached #1 this week on all three R&R Christian radio charts: AC-Monitored, AC-Indicator, and CHR, as well as on the Mediabase chart, as printed in USA Today. This is the 5th week in the top spot at CHR, and the second week as #1 at AC-Indicator. Additionally, "Free to be Me" is the first #1 single from a female at AC since 2005.
Here's what just a few stations have shared about her and her hit song:
"I think we all saw this day coming. You can't ignore a positive, fresh pop song with stunning vocal talent."
- Sarah Taylor, Spirit 105.3 Seattle
"We could not be prouder of our hometown girl, Franny, for getting to #1 but it is no surprise! We always knew she would be a big success and make a major ministry impact with music! This is just the beginning!"
- Jeff Cruz, Z88.3 Orlando
"How long has it been since a female has been #1? Since this morning! Go Francesca!"
- Mike Prendergast, 94.9 KLTY Dallas
Nashville, TN - March 19, 2008 - Five-time Dove Award nominee Francesca Battistelli is having one amazing week. After wrapping up the nationwide 35-city WinterJam tour last Sunday in Nashville, Battistelli continues to be heard everywhere from the world wide web to radio to network television.
Today, Battistelli's music video for "Free to be Me" was chosen to be AOL Music's "Video of the Day" (http://music.aol.com). Adding to the huge coverage, her song "It's Your Life" is currently being featured in the promo for ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and also was featured on Tuesday's episode of NBC's "Biggest Loser."
"Free to be Me" continues to capture top airplay on radio stations nationwide, hitting the top spot on both CHR and AC Indicator. Additionally, "Free to be Me" is the first #1 single from a female at AC since 2005.
This New York City-born singer and songwriter is now readying for the upcoming Dove Awards. She is nominated for Female Vocalist and New Artist of the Year, while her Top 5 hit single "I'm Letting Go" has received Dove Award nominations for Song of the Year as well as Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year. Her summer 2008 debut CD, My Paper Heart, is nominated for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year.
For the first time, fans have the opportunity to cast their vote for the upcoming Dove Awards with the ability to help choose Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. Fan voting is being conducted through the Gospel Music Channel website (www.gospelmusicchannel.com) and at www.doveawards.com. The cumulative fan vote, which is open now and will continue through the live Dove Awards broadcast, will account for one-third of the total vote in these two categories. Visit both sites for more information and most of all, don't forget to vote for Francesca for New Artist of the Year!
Visit www.Francescamusic.com for her blogs, current tour information, and more.
(NASHVILLE, TN) February 20, 2009 –Today Word Entertainment, through its artists, projects and other contributors, garnered 56 GMA Dove Award nominations, with Fervent/Reprise Records’ new singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli leading the way with five nominations, including “Song of the Year” (“I’m Letting Go”), “Female Vocalist of the Year,” and “New Artist of the Year,” the most for any new female artist in the history of the Gospel Music Awards.
“I am thrilled and honored to just be nominated!” says Battistelli. “It’s humbling to be among such great company, especially as a new artist, and being nominated for Song of the Year is a dream come true. I’m still soaking it all in!”
Word Records’ rock newcomers Remedy Drive were also honored in this year’s “New Artist” category, in addition to nods for “Rock/Contemporary Album” (Daylight Is Coming), and “Short Form Music Video” (“Daylight”). Fervent Records’ Dove-award winning hip hop trio Group 1 Crew were also honored in three categories this year, including “Rock/Contemporary Song” (“Keys To The Kingdom”), “Rap/Hip Hop Album” (Ordinary Dreamers), and “Short Form Music Video” (“Movin’”). Word Records’ powerhouse vocalist David Phelps received “Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Long Form Music Video” (“O Holy Night”) nominations, while Word Records’ new worship artist Meredith Andrews garnered two nominations for “Worship Song” (“You’re Not Alone”) and “Praise & Worship Album” (The Invitation). Canaan Records’ legendary Kim Hopper also received two GMA Dove Award nominations including “Bluegrass Recorded Song” (“What Will I Wear”) and “Southern Gospel Album” (I Just Wanted You To Know).
Word Label Group (a division of Word Entertainment comprised of Word Records, Fervent Records, Myrrh Records, Canaan Records and Word Music Publishing) garnered 38 nominations, including top categories “Song,” “Male Vocalist” (David Phelps), “Female Vocalist” (Francesca Battistelli) as well as “New Artist” (Francesca Battistelli and Remedy Drive).
Word Distribution, another division of Word Entertainment, collected an additional 17 nominations including two nominations for “Song of the Year” (Chris Sligh and Natalie Grant), “Female Vocalist of the Year” (Natalie Grant), and “New Artist of the Year” (Chris Sligh).
Word Music was represented with five nominations, including two for “Musical of the Year,” one for “Youth/Children’s Musical of the Year,” and two for “Choral Collection of the Year.”
Encompassing distributed labels, artists, affiliated producers, published writers and printed collections, Word Entertainment has representation in 31 of 43 total nomination categories.
A full list of Word Entertainment and Word Label Group finalists are below. The GMA Dove Awards event will be held April 23, 2009 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
Nashville, TN - (December 10, 2008) - Fervent Records'/Reprise singer and songwriter Francesca Battistelli hasn't stopped since the release of her debut project, MY PAPER HEART, released July 22nd. With the success of her first radio single, the hit "I'm Letting Go," which nabbed the #3 spot on the radio charts, to numerous appearances and touring non-stop this past summer and fall, Battistelli is more than excited for what's ahead in 2009. Set to follow up with her next radio single "Free To Be Me" hitting the airwaves next month, Battistelli has joined the 35-date "Winter Jam" tour, performing in markets all over the country starting in January and going through March. She'll be sharing the stage with artists such as TobyMac, Brandon Heath, and Hawk Nelson, among many other special guests. For the most updated tour dates and information, please visit www.jamtour.com.
FRANCESCA TOPS AT iTUNES!
The music of Francesca Battistelli has been recognized by being named one of iTunes' best new artists of 2008 within the Christian/Gospel Category. In addition, she received accolades for "I'm Letting Go" as the #3 "Best iTunes Song" of the year, following Steven Curtis Chapman and Casting Crowns, respectively.
CHRISTMAS TIME
Garnering even more radio airplay, Battistelli's two newly recorded Christmas songs - "You're Here" (written by Battistelli) and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - are currently being played on stations nationwide. In fact, both songs are so popular that "You're Here" was the most added Christmas single for the first week of December, while "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" was the 4th highest add, according to Radio & Records (chart below). Not shy to radio charts, Battistelli's "You're Here" also debuted at #25 on AC Monitored and #27 at AC Indicator this week. Both Christmas singles are available exclusively on iTunes.
Did we mention that radio loves Francesca?
"I was blown away by Francesca's debut single "I'm Letting Go." Uptempo, fresh and fun - that actually describes her whole album My Paper Heart. And then, on top of that, she surprises us all with the touching (original) "You're Here" for Christmas. This girl is the real deal." - Sarah Taylor, Spirit 105.3 KCMS Seattle
"Francesca is one of those artists that you just kind marvel at...she can live life, write an amazing song, and connect with our audience every single time. I have no doubt she'll be around for years to come, and I'm grateful to share her unique sound and perspective with our audience at WAY-FM Colorado." - Jeff Connell, WAY-FM Denver
"Bold. Fresh. Sincere. Compelling. Us." - Chris Lemke, WCSG-FM/Grand Rapids
"Francesca delivers a fresh, new sound to Christian music....it's a car windows down, hair blowing in the wind on a bright, warm sunny day style of music that definitely strikes a chord with listeners out there. " - Mike Prendergast, 94.9 KLTY Dallas
ABOUT FRANCESCA
Songs from Francesca Battistelli's My Paper Heart have appeared on two episodes of MTV's "The Hills." She has also appeared on the homepage of YouTube.com with a video featuring her breakout voting song, "It's Your Life," which encouraged listeners to use their voice by voting in the recent Presidential election.
HEARITFIRST.COM
EXCLUSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT
NASHVILLE, TN—November 11, 2008—Christian music’s biggest annual musical tour
just got bigger. In an exclusive announcement, HearItFirst.com has confirmed
that Francesca Battistelli, the breakout new artist of 2008 will perform at all
dates of the Winter Jam 2009 Tour Spectacular. Also confirmed to headline the
Precious Girls Club Pre-Jam Party on all dates is pop sensation, pureNRG. Punk
Rockers Family Force 5 and power trio BarlowGirl have also been confirmed for
several select dates.
The 10-week tour launches January 8, 2009 in Roanoke, VA, and will conclude at
the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN on March 15th. Grammy-nominated and Dove
Award-winning, NewSong will host the high-energy event for the 14th consecutive
year, which will feature special guest speaker Tony Nolan. Previously confirmed
Winter Jam 2009 artists include tobyMac, the “GMA Artist Of The Year” for 2008,
Hawk Nelson, “GMA New Artist Of The Year” 2008 Brandon Heath, “GMA New Artist
Of The Year” 2006 The Afters, and new Gotee Recording artist, Stephanie Smith.
For more information visit HearItFirst.com or JamTour.com.
Reprise Records’ new singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli is currently featured on the homepage of www.youtube.com. The video features Francesca’s breakout voting song, “It’s Your Life,” and encourages listeners to use their voice by voting in the upcoming election.
For more information, visit www.youtube.com or www.francescamusic.com.
Fervent/Reprise Records’ new singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli is set to be featured on tonight’s episode of MTV’s hit reality show “The Hills.” The breakout “Election Theme Song,” “It’s Your Life,” from her debut album, My Paper Heart, will appear in this Monday’s all-new episode of “The Hills,” airing tonight at 10:00 pm EST.
“It’s Your Life” is also currently being featured by www.newvotersproject.org, a non-partisan organization that urges young people to register to vote. The feature on the organizations home page includes a link that directly allows potential voters to listen to her song “It’s Your Life” along with additional songs and videos from Francesca. Francesca’s work with New Voter’s Project is another example of her efforts to mobilize young people to register to vote.
Highlighting Francesca’s expressive vocals and her overarching desire to encourage her peers to make a difference in the world however they can, the standout track “It’s Your Life” is a song about taking action. In addition to the New Voters Project and “The Hills,” Francesca’s music has been featured on MTV/Think, AOL.com and elsewhere.
For more information on the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project, visit www.newvotersproject.org. For more information from Francesca Battistelli, visit www.francescamusic.com.
(Nashville, TN) June 30, 2008 — Fervent Records’ new singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli is slated to make her debut performance in New York, NY at For Your Imagination on July 8 as part of “Live at FYI”’s concert series, in conjunction with the launch of her new community-based website, www.francescamusic.com.
Battistelli will perform songs from her upcoming Fervent Records / Warner Bros. Records release My Paper Heart including the most-added song at AC radio from a new artist this year, “I’m Letting Go,” and the breakout song that challenges others to take action on issues that matter to them, “It’s Your Life.” “We’re excited to be working with our friends at Fervent Records and Warner Music Group to help break this incredible new artist, Francesca Battistelli,” said John Henkel, For Your Imagination’s VP of Artist and Industry Relations and the producer of LIVE@FYI. “We look forward to being a part of Francesca’s development into the star we all believe she is.” To catch a live video webcast of the performance, visit www.francescamusic.com at 5:00 p.m. EST on July 8, 2008.
Also streaming on the website from July 8 to street date is Battistelli’s full-length album My Paper Heart, set to release July 22 to critical acclaim. The “I’m Letting Go” EP recently went No. 1 on iTunes’ Christian & Gospel page and is currently a Top 10 hit at AC radio. For more information, visit www.francescamusic.com.
