Gospel Duo, Mary Mary, Earn Top Honors in Billboard Magazine's 2009 Year-End Round Up

Gospel Duo, Mary Mary, Earn Top Honors in Billboard Magazine's 2009 Year-End Round Up

Mary Mary named top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist, Duo/Group, Top Gospel Artist and The Sound named Top Gospel Album by Billboard Magazine

NEW YORK, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- It has been a big year for gospel royalty, Mary Mary, whose critically acclaimed album, The Sound, has just been named Top Gospel Album by Billboard magazine. The gospel-duo was also named Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist, Duo/Group and Top Gospel Artist by the industry guide. Earlier this month, Mary Mary, received a 2009 Grammy® Award nomination for the record-breaking single, "God In Me," in the Best Gospel Song category. The duo took home a 2009 Grammy® Award earlier this year (its second overall) for the hit single, "Get Up," in the Best Gospel Performance category and a 2009 American Music Award last month for Favorite Artist, Contemporary Inspirational.

This has truly been banner year for the duo who in 2009 has already won a Dove Award, an NAACP Image Award and a BET Award for its album, The Sound. According to Billboard magazine, Mary Mary's "God In Me" has earned the highest rank for a song that has spent 52 weeks on a chart in the Nielson SoundScan era (since 1992). The former record holder, R. Kelly's "Step In The Name Of Love," was # 11 after a year on the list. Mary Mary is now the only gospel act to have at least two top tens this decade on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, "Shackles (Praise You)" peaked at # 9 in 2000.

The Sound occupied the #1 slot on the Billboard Gospel Album chart for more than six months since its release in October 2008 and was #1 for nineteen consecutive weeks. The Sound has also spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.

Heralded as "Praiseworthy" by People magazine, The Sound peaked at #1 on a variety of Billboard Christian and Gospel albums charts shortly after its release in October 2008. The Sound entered the Billboard Top 200 at #7, giving Mary Mary their highest chart position -- and second Top 10 -- album on that chart (2005's Mary Mary peaked at #8 on the Top 200). Mary Mary and The Sound achieved one of the highest chart debuts on the Top 200 of any gospel album released in 2008. A bona-fide crossover smash, The Sound made a "Hot Shot" debut on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #2.

www.mary-mary.com

www.columbiarecords.com

Source: Columbia Records

CONTACT: Andre Morris, +1-212-833-5072, or +1-212-833-8536 (fax),
andre.morris@sonymusic.com, or Yvette Noel-Schure, +1-212-833-4483,
yvette.noel-schure@sonymusic.com, both of Columbia Records; or Shannon Walker,
Integrity Music, +1-251-776-5083, shannonw@integinc.com

Web Site: http://www.mary-mary.com/
http://www.columbiarecords.com/

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