|PIC1|Gospel music fans from across the country will descend on Birmingham this weekend for the annual Gospel Entertainment Music Awards 2005, or GEM Awards as they are alternatively known.

The most prestigious event in the UK’s Gospel music scene will be co-hosted by David and Carrie Grant, best known for their part in training wannabe superstars in the hit BBC show Fame Academy.

Nominees up for this year’s Gem Awards include Niki Carless, up for Best Single, Best Female and Best Album for “Words of Life”, and Freddie Kofi, nominated for Best Male and Best Single for “Kiss”.

Performing artists include The Band With No Name, Blessed Voices, Freddie Kofi, Julie Hall and the Kingdom Choir.

Now in its 3rd year, the GEM Awards began out of a need to recognise the many unsung talents in Britain’s Gospel music scene and has continued to grow in popularity, along with Gospel music in general in the UK, despite lack of support from the music industry and mainstream media networks.

Winners at last year’s awards, co-presented by Songs of Praise’s Diane Louise Jordan, included Rev. Basil Meade, founder of the famous London Community Gospel Choir, who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.|TOP|

The event is sponsored by the UK’s big Christian names like Premier Christian Radio, Str8up, a Christian organisation committed to propagating the Gospel through urban music and music events, and also talkGospel.com, the online gospel radio website.

The GEM Awards have also attracted sponsorships from the UK’s major secular names companies, including the BBC and Barclays.

The GEM Awards will take place on Saturday 29th October at the Bethel Convention Centre, Birmingham.