On the heels of a fifth GRAMMY Award, multiple Dove Awards and three Premios ARPA Awards, Israel and New Breed add to their long list of accolades with four new Stellar Award nominations in honor of their critically acclaimed live audio and video project Jesus At The Center.  At a recent press conference announcing nominees for the 29^th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Israel and New Breed and Jesus At The Center received nominations in the categories of Praise and Worship CD of the Year, Music Video of the Year, Group/Duo of the Year and Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year. 

Recorded live with over 29,000 worshipers at Houston's Lakewood Church, Jesus At The Center was released globally to critical acclaim by Integrity Music and RGM-New Breed as a two-disc CD and companion DVD. Since its release, the project has been honored with a GRAMMY award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song for its first radio single, "Your Presence Is Heaven" as well as four Dove Award nominations in the categories of  Long Form Video of the Year, Traditional Gospel Song and Gospel Performance of the Year for the radio hit "It's Not Over (If God Is In It)" and Spanish Album of the Year for its Spanish language counterpart Jesus En El Centro.  Most recently, the Spanish version of the CD/DVD also received Premios ARPA awards (honoring the best of Latin Christian music) in the categories of Album of the Year and Song of the Year (for the title track). The project also earned Israel and New Breed's founder and frontman Israel Houghton an ARPA for Male Vocalist of the Year.

In addition to an overwhelming response by fans as well as churches that are using the new songs found on Jesus At The Center, media continue their support:

"Israel & New Breed...led by singer Israel Houghton, provide many superb praise and worship songs on their new album, Jesus at the Center.  Houghton co-wrote the majority of songs on the double-disc album, offering solid, upbeat gospel tunes that are fused with jazz and rock melodies. The 21 tracks...flow easily as the group delivers a series of powerful messages about faith and empowerment."  - Associated Press

"Performance meets passion and artistry in Christ-centered worship expression (and experience) on Israel and New Breed's Jesus At The Center. Part old fashioned tent revival, part emotionally-packed cinematic soundtrack, part Sunday morning service, a helping of Top 40 radio and 100 percent engaging, this two CD set/21 track download...fuse an array of styles, giving us a multicultural, polyrhythmic, choral feast of pop-shaded, rock-informed worship that combines and fuses a universe of musical possibility." - Worship Leader

"Like efforts past, [Jesus At The Center] consists of two main movements. The first one is a praise-fest featuring a string of high-octane numbers, running the gamut from corporate choral praise ("Jesus the Same," "More Than Enough") and contemporary gospel ("No Turning Back") to Latin electro-pop (the Pitbull-esque "Te Amo"), and even a gospel-ska hybrid ("Rez Power")... the second movement, a stretch of worshipful, impassioned slow-burners that segue right into one another." - AllMusic.com

"A vision that has been stirring for 12 years and is finally coming to fruition in a worldwide release featuring soulful gospel, crossed with contemporary worship, Latino zest and shaken up with a rockin' funk." - CCM

Jesus At The Center, along with its Spanish counterpart Jesus En El Centro, is available everywhere Christian music is sold. The Jesus At The Center DVD is also available for purchase or rental through iTunes' "Movies/Concert Films" section.

The premier annual event that honors the best of Gospel music, the Stellar Awards will be held at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., on January 18.