Allen Smith of SGN Scoops Digital, home of the Diamond Awards, is proud to announce that Lou Hildreth will be on hand to present the Lou Hildreth Award at the 2009 Diamond Awards program.

Allen Smith said, “We are so happy that Lou will be making an appearance at this year’s Diamond Awards. With a move to a new concert event – we knew that getting some of the same artists and presenters would be tough. We are so excited that Lou believes in these awards as much as she does. She is going to be such a blessing to this year’s awards program!”

Lou has served for twenty years on the Gospel Music Association Board and is one of the founding members of the Southern Gospel Music Guild. Lou received an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music degree from Louisiana Baptist University, and the Crabb Family recognized her dedication to the youth of gospel music by honoring her with the first "Golden Crabb Award." Lou was the first woman to own a gospel music booking agency and was Mark Lowry's first agent. The "Lou Hildreth Award" – recognizing excellence within the gospel music industry is presented during the Diamond Awards every year.

The online ballots are now available for the 2009 awards program through the Diamond Awards home on the web.

The online ballot is designed for fans to nominate their favorite artists for each award. Fans and industry supporters are encouraged to visit the Diamond Awards website to place their votes. The Diamond Awards home on the web is located at http://diamondawardsonline.com.

The 2009 SGN Scoops’ Diamond Awards have moved to a new location and date for this year. The awards presentation will take place at the inaugural Branson Gospel Music Convention. The show will take place on Thursday, July 16, 2009 in Branson, Missouri at the Branson Convention Center. The awards program will precede the Thursday evening concerts and will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Additional information concerning the 2009 SGN Scoops Diamond Awards, including hosts, sponsors, and performers, will be available shortly.

For more information on The SGN Scoops Diamond Awards – visit http://www.diamondawardsonline.com .

About the Diamond Awards
The Diamond Awards were transferred over to the SGN Scoops Digital several years ago after the original home for the awards, the Gospel Voice Magazine, folded. The Diamond Awards are a fan-based award that allows the fans to choose the nominees as well as the winners in each year. The awards show is based during the Branson Gospel Music Convention every July.