Provident Music Group, which includes Provident Label Group and Provident Films, received top honors at the first ever K-LOVE Fan Awards, held Saturday evening at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium. Multi-Platinum-selling group Casting Crowns and Sherwood Pictures film "Courageous" took home awards in the categories of Group/Duo of the Year and Movie Impact, respectively.

Recognized with 13 nominations across seven categories, as well as nine live performances at the awards show, PMG was well represented this year and in good company alongside the top contenders in Christian entertainment today.

"It is a privilege for Provident to be in partnership with such talented artists and to have songs and messages produced that translate and encourage peoples' lives on a daily basis," says Provident Label Group's Vice President of Marketing, Bryan Ward. "For K-LOVE to provide this first-ever experience for fans to express their voice in the selection process, and to be nominated and receive wins for these awards, it is truly an honor for all of us at Provident Music Group."

This latest acclaim rounds out a landmark year for Casting Crowns, touting a list of accolades which include its three GRAMMY nominations, RIAA 2x multi-Platinum and RIAA Gold certifications, along with some of the most successful touring of its career and in Christian music overall. The group's 2011-2012 "Come To The Well" tour saw 40 arena sellouts and exceeded 370,000 in total attendance. Most recently, in support of Casting Crowns latest album, Acoustic Sessions: Volume 1, its 2013 spring acoustic tour sold out 12 of the 18 cities. In response to the overwhelming success of the "Acoustic Sessions" live tour, Casting Crowns has added a fall 2013 leg. Casting Crowns also made its feature film debut in the Provident Films release of "Ring The Bell," available now on DVD.

The Movie Impact trophy for "Courageous" adds to the film's continued critical and commercial acclaim. Brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick co-wrote the Sherwood Pictures movie, which opened Sept. 30, 2011, with Alex directing and acting as well. The movie hit No. 4 at the box office taking in $34 million, while its DVD release debuted at No. 1 over such big-budget films as "Moneyball" and "Abduction" in January 2012.

The K-LOVE Fan Awards is the first ever fan-voted award show in Christian music history. Nominees were determined by K-LOVE, with consideration given to airplay, spins, impact and overall performance, in categories celebrating artists, athletes, authors as well as entertainers who with excellence engage and impact popular culture for Jesus Christ. Winners were solely determined by fan vote online.