tobyMac and Mark Hall win at BMI awards

Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) celebrated the songwriters and music publishers behind the past year's most-performed songs in Christian music during its annual Christian Music Awards in Nashville on Tuesday.

tobyMac earned his third consecutive Christian Songwriter of the Year crystal and shared the 2012 honour with Casting Crowns frontman Mark Hall, singer/songwriter Matt Maher, Southern gospel staple Kyla Rowland and hit songwriter/producer Chris Stevens.

The unusual five-way tie occurred because the hit-makers each wrote or co-wrote two of the songs on the year's most-performed list.

Cross-format superstar Kirk Franklin earned Christian Song of the Year honours for his smash "I Smile", published by Aunt Gertrude Music Publishing LLC and Bridge Building Music.

With the highest percentage of copyright ownership among the year's most-performed songs, powerhouse EMI CMG Publishing clinched the Christian Publisher of the Year win.

During the ceremony, the Isaacs, 2012 Dove Awards Artist of the Year Jason Crabb and contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin each delivered inspirational performances.

Jody Williams, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, and Associate Director Leslie Roberts served as the evening's hosts alongside Phil Graham, BMI Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations.

In a few weeks, Kirk Franklin will take the stage in Cincinnati on 4 July at US Bank Arena during the opening ceremony of the 2012 World Choir Games.

The World Choir Games, the largest international choral competition in the world, will be in North America for the first time from.

Close to 15,000 participants, including 368 choirs, from 60 countries are registered for the event. This year marks the 7th World Choir Games, which has previously been held in Austria, China, Germany and South Korea.