JEREMY CAMP
Best Artist, Best Songwriter
Best Artist Runners-up:
2. tobyMac3. Skillet
Best Songwriter Runners-up:
2. Chris Tomlin 3. Matt Thiessen (Relient K)
Profile By Andrew Greer
Wipe that silly look of disbelief off your face. This isn’t Jeremy Camp’s first acceptance speech. Having been awarded a mantle of Dove Awards, a dozen-plus No. 1 singles and a trio of gold records, it’s no shocker the Christian music poster boy is adding not one, but two more CCM Readers’ Choice Awards to his long list of accolades. And after topping radio and sales charts in a massive way and playing show after show to capacity crowds across the country last year, the honor is well deserved.
Answering questions from his home in Franklin, Tenn., Camp interpolates honest candor with warm humor, making it easy to understand why fans love him so much. Giving readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life and times of a rock minister, Camp issues the 411 on Speaking Louder Ministries—a community-based initiative he spearheads—why he takes his calling as a musician so seriously (he’s even an ordained minister!) and some top-secret advice on the best miniature golf from sea to shining sea.
ELECTION DAY
The votes are in. No hanging chads. Camp is this year’s definitive winner for “Best Songwriter.” But what if he was casting his own vote? Camp says Leeland [Mooring] tops his list of favorite songsmiths. “I’m a huge fan of Leeland. You can tell when someone has an intimate relationship with Christ. You can hear it. They really dig into their relationship with the Lord through songwriting. He’s one of the guys who I really believe has that, and it really stands out to me.”
STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
As a few chords gave way to entire songs, Camp says his discovery of the guitar and songwriting as a wayward teenager ultimately led to his discovery of God. “It was a miserable time in my life,” he remembers. “I didn’t know I could write. I just picked up the guitar and started writing this song, ‘Set Me Free.’ How ironic, that a year later God got a hold of my heart and said, ‘
Ok, I’m hearing your cry.’ This is how I knew writing songs came from the depth of my heart.”
AT THE CENTER
Speaking of heart cries, Camp saw his burgeoning young career catapult into a full-fledged celebrity spotlight. But understanding the tricky divide between rock star and worship leader, Camp says he is not about to ride the fence. “When I’m onstage it’s
Hey, I’m going to worship the Lord right now. Do you want to join me? All I can do is to continue to seek the Lord and draw closer to Him, so when I’m onstage I truly am out of the way and letting God be the center.”
