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Lee University’s ensemble Voices of Lee has been honored by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) with a Dove Award nomination for a tribute collection on which they are featured.

“We are honored to be a part of this tribute project that has received a Dove Award nomination,” said Voices of Lee Director Danny Murray. “Many thanks to Bradley Knight and Geron Davis for including the Voices of Lee.”

According to Murray, this is the first Dove-nominated project the university a cappella group has contributed to. The project, a tribute collection celebrating Geron Davis and his greatest hits from 40 years of creating Gospel music, was arranged and orchestrated by Lee University and Voices of Lee alumnus Bradley Knight and was nominated by GMA for Musical/Choral Collection of the Year. Another of Knight’s projects was also nominated in the same category.

“While I’m thankful for the nominations, I’m most thankful that God has blessed me with such a long career in this industry, a career which received a huge launching right here at Lee University,” said Knight. “This path has afforded me the opportunity to use my talents to contribute a number of musical arrangements that have been utilized worldwide to not only bring glory to the Lord, but also to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That’s why I do what I do.” 

“My hope for this project is that it won’t be a tribute to me but a tribute to the goodness, faithfulness, and peace of God,” said Davis. “I want this music to change lives and reach a whole new generation. As a writer of one generation presenting music to a new generation, this is one of the most humbling and rewarding things I have done in my career.” 

Knight received a second nomination for the collection, “A Night of Worship with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir,” on which he is an orchestrator. His nominations are two of many he has received throughout his career since 1998. In 2020, he won a Choral Collection of the Year Dove Award for “Top Anthem Collection,” a project he and Davis worked on as arrangers. 

Phil Nitz, another Lee alumnus and former member of Voices of Lee, has also been nominated for a Dove Award in the Musical/Choral Collection category. 

Nitz arranged the nominated collection, “Blessed Assurance,” a project created for Son Power, a youth event held in Nashville, Tennessee, this past summer. 

“I’m humbled to be nominated and do this because I love it, recognizing that I’m blessed to make a career of it,” said Nitz. “I want this music to be useful for the music directors and worship leaders who purchase it for their music programs, but the nomination is a reminder that my hard work is being recognized on a level beyond its utility.” 

To date, Nitz has received three Dove Awards for Musical/Choral Collection of the Year. His winning collections include “For the Sake of Love,” “Messiah Overcame: An Easter Musical,” and “Give Me Jesus.” 

Lillenas Music published both “Songs of Geron Davis” and “Blessed Assurance.” 

“For two of the nominations in this category to be with our company and arranged by Lee alumni is a big deal for us,” said Dave Clark, president of Lillenas Music. “We love what Lee is doing and are honored to get to partner with some of the people who are coming out of Lee.” 

The Dove Awards will be held live at Nashville’s Allen Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 17, where winners will be announced. 

Since its debut performance in Lee’s Dixon Center in September 1994, Voices of Lee has captivated audiences worldwide with its unique variety of lush vocal harmonies, along with high energy contemporary a cappella arrangements from several genres. Under the direction of Murray, the ensemble has performed at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Christmas at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Shanghai International Music Festival, and in hundreds of appearances across the country. 

Knight is a 1999 Lee graduate and has been president at Minister of Funk Music LLC since 2011. He currently serves as the director of BK Bridge, a global worship music collaboration. Knight has also served as the staff arranger at Brooklyn Tabernacle Church and is an in-demand arranger for church music publishing companies across the country. He has contributed to the sound of many artists, including Bill Gaither’s “Homecoming Series,” Lee Greenwood, LeAnn Rimes, and many more. Knight wrote orchestrations for the Sherwood Pictures film, “Courageous,” and penned many arrangements for Voices over the years, including all the pieces for their appearance on NBC’s The Sing Off in 2009. 

Nitz graduated from Lee in 2011 with his bachelor’s degree and later returned to Lee to earn his master’s degree. He has been staff arranger and worship leader at Christ Church Nashville since 2013, where his roles range from creating original arrangements for corporate worship songs and choir specials, assisting with planning services, directing the choir, and leading worship for various services. Nitz has also contributed arrangements for Voices’ “A Cappella Christmas,” published in 2017. 

Founded in 1964, the GMA serves a diverse community of creatives and professionals within the Christian and Gospel music industry. Through the GMA Foundation and the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame, it aims to preserve the legacies of the genre’s trailblazers while celebrating the work of today’s artists through worldwide events like the GMA Dove Awards. 

For more information about the Dove Awards, visit doveawards.com/. 

For more information about Voices of Lee, email [email protected] or call (423) 614-8320.