Ashley Cleveland wins surprise Grammy award

A SURPRISE Grammy Award won in February by Ashley Cleveland whose live album 'You Are There' won the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. The album was released on Cleveland's own 204 Records and triumphed over highly fancied projects by dc Talk, Michael W Smith and Point Of Grace.

Other Grammy Award winners were Deniece Williams whose 1997 'This Is My Song' album marked a return to Christian music after nearly a decade hiatus; Kirk Franklin who led Christian/gospel artists with four nominations and whose "Lean On Me" with guests Bono, Mary J Blige, Crystal Lewis and Gerald Lovert was performed on the live telecast; and mainstream hip hop artist Lauryn Hell who accepted her New Artists Of The Year award by reading Psalm 40 from the Bible.