Alumnus tobyMac earns more music honors

Liberty alumnus Kevin Michael “Toby” McKeehan — known as “tobyMac” in the Christian music world — was honored at the 40th Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards on Thursday, winning Long Form Music Video of the Year for “Alive & Transported,” along with Eric Welch and Tameron Hedge.

The award follows another honor at the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) annual Christian Music Awards on April 16 in Nashville, Tenn., where Toby made BMI’s 2009 Christian Music Awards Song List with his hit single “I’m For You.” The awards salute the writers and publishers of the past year’s most performed songs on Christian radio and television.

When it comes to radio success, sales power and critical acclaim, TobyMac ranks among the most successful artists in Christian music history. In his career he has been awarded with two Gold albums, six number one singles and two Grammy nominations.

As a student at Liberty University in the 1980s, Toby met Michael Tait and Kevin Max, who formed the chart-topping Christian rock/rap band dc Talk. Before the band went on hiatus in 1999, it sold 7 million albums, including the double platinum album, “Jesus Freak,” and won multiple Grammy and GMA Dove Awards. Toby made his solo bow in 2001 with the Grammy-nominated “Momentum.” He has gone on to win several Dove Awards, including Producer of the Year, and two BMI honors as Christian Songwriter of the Year.

Toby will have a chance to take the stage once again as dc Talk is inducted into The Christian Music Hall of Fame in November.