West is in good company with fellow artists Third Day, TobyMac, Israel Houghton, and Mary Mary, also nominated in the field. He comments, “This is the icing on the cake to what has been an incredible year thanks to the song ‘The Motions.’ It’s been overwhelming how people have responded to the song and its message, and I am grateful for having been able to connect with listeners on that level. This is my first GRAMMY nomination, and for an artist/songwriter, there is no greater recognition.”

“The Motions,” from West’s 2008 studio release Something to Say, held the No. 1 position on both the Christian AC radio chart for 14 consecutive weeks and the Soundscan Christian Digital Chart for 15 weeks. Something to Say debuted on Nielsen SoundScan’s Christian Retail Chart at #10, while West was the best-selling Christian artist on iTunes the week of its release. The album’s debut single “You Are Everything” additionally peaked at No. 1 on Christian AC radio and was the most played Christian song of 2008.

West’s current single “Give This Christmas Away,” written and recorded for the new VeggieTales DVD Saint Nicholas – A Story Of Joyful Giving, released Nov. 27 and is the “Most Added” song this week at Christian radio. West will perform “Give This Christmas Away” live with Amy Grant on the Fox News Channel’s “Huckabee” Saturday, Dec. 5, re-airing Sunday, Dec. 6. West and Grant will give an encore performance of the song Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25 on the network’s “Fox and Friends” Christmas special.

In keeping with the “Give This Christmas Away” theme, West released a gift book this holiday through Tyndale Publishers, aptly titled 101 Ways to Give This Christmas Away. The book, along with the Something to Say Christmas Edition featuring “Give This Christmas Away” and three new acoustic recordings, are now available in stores. For more information on Matthew West, visit www.matthewwest.com.

The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Jan. 21, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. A complete list of nominees is available at www.grammy.com.

About EMI CMG Label Group:
Brentwood, Tennessee-based EMI CMG Label Group is comprised of Sparrow Records, Forefront Records, and Credential Recordings, in addition to providing A&R and marketing support for sixstepsrecords via a joint venture and licensing partnership. Balancing freedom, discipline, creativity, profitability and ministry, EMI CMG Label Group strives for excellence in artist development. The Label Group is a division of EMI Christian Music Group. For further information, please visit www.emicmg.com.

For more info on Matthew West, visit the JFH Artists Database.