Idol Chatter & Voice Views

For the fourth time in five years, Season 5 American Idol contestant Mandisa has been nominated for the Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year.

Nominees for the 43rd annual Dove Awards, honoring the best in Christian and gospel music, were announced earlier this week. Mandisa is nominated for two awards; Season 2 Idol champ Ruben Studdard for one.

The awards, produced by the Gospel Music Association, will be presented on April 19 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

Mandisa was also nominated as female artist of the year in 2008, 2009 and 2010, but has yet to capture the honor. This might mark her best chance, based on the success of her latest album, “What If We Were Real,” which has spawned a pair of top 10 songs on the Billboard Christian charts.

Her competition for female vocalist of the year includes Francesca Battistelli, Kari Jobe, Laura Story and Natalie Grant.

“What If We Were Real” is also nominated as pop/contemporary album of the year alongside “A Beautiful Life” by MIKESCHAIR, “Blessings” by Laura Story, “One Hundred More Years” by Francesca Battistelli and “One Song at a Time” by Jamie Grace.

Mandisa, by the way, embarked on a Girls Night Live Tour over the weekend. Unfortunately, at this point, there are no upcoming Maryland or Pennsylvania dates. You can learn more about the tour here.

Ruben’s Dove nomination is in the category of special event album of the year for “Medicine: Live At The Black Academy.”  You can see a full list of Dove nominations here.

Ruben’s new album, “Letters from Birmingham,” is due for a March 13 release.  You can pre-order the album now on iTunes.

Here’s Ruben singing “Medicine (For Someone Else)” from that Dove nominated album.