TOBYMAC

Best Male Artist

Best Male Artist Runners-up:

2. Jeremy Camp

3. Chris Tomlin

Profile By Andy Argyrakis

Between his time in dcTalk and transitioning into a solo superstar, winning awards is practically a daily occurrence for tobyMac. But scoring “Best Male Artist” in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards is especially meaningful for the singer/songwriter/rapper, who is unceasingly appreciative of his fans’ support. Over the years, faithful followers have surely researched every possible fact on the explosive entertainer, though in a recent chat with CCM, the veteran artist let the cat out of the bag on everything from his warm up and cool down show procedures to his dream duet and even what he thinks of longtime group mate Michael Tait joining newsboys. And he also promises a follow-up to 2008’s Dove Award winning CD/DVD set Alive and Transported (ForeFront) by the end of this year or top of next.

UNWAVERING FANFARE

I always appreciate getting the recognition from the fans ‘cause that’s really where it’s at! The Doves and the GRAMMY’s are industry awards, and though it’s always great to be recognized by your peers, it always means so much coming from the fans!

PRE-SHOW SET UP

You may have heard the sounds of the coffee maker going in the background [on Alive & Transported], and that’s really how I get started before a show. That’s also a time for me to be with my band—who have been with now for seven or eight years—and we continue to have a great time together. Coming together for a Bible study beforehand gets us in the right frame of mind before we get ready to go out there and tear it up.

POST-SHOW CHILL OUT

I used to just run out and sign autographs right away, but these days, I’m really taking my time and taking in the mood of the show. The group and I usually just sit around for a while and relax, talk about how it went and catch our breath—it’s about taking it all in. Then 30 or 40 minutes later, I head outside and meet with fans. Then I’ll hit the shower—we normally play in basketball arenas, so there’s one right there—and then I’ll down three bowls of Captain Crunch and roll into bed.

MOVING MOMENT

I received an email just a few weeks ago from someone who was planning on ending their life, but the song “Made To Love” came on an [Internet playlist], and she heard her life has purpose… I actually printed that email out and made sure to show it to my record label since we can get so caught up in making records that we can forget the reason why. And as I’m in the studio right now, I have that going through my mind.

MOST INSPIRING SONG

Man, I’d have to say even after all this time that “Jesus Freak” is still going strong. I was looking at the iTunes charts and saw that song is still getting like 800 downloads a week, which means people are still getting into it and connecting with it! From the dcTalk days, there’s also “What If I Stumble,” and more recently, “Made To Love.”