PROVO — Jenny Jordan Frogley and Utah County native Cherie Call were the big winners of the annual Pearl Awards on Friday.
Surprisingly, renowned singer Gladys Knight and her Saints Unified Voices walked away empty-handed.
"It was a lark," said spokesman Earl Madsen. "The competition was the best it's ever been."
Frogley, who performed one of her songs, "Peacegiver," at the Faith Centered Music Association awards presentation, said she draws her inspiration from life. She described her songs as positive and happy — "fun songs." She won the award for Contemporary Inspirational Song.
Frogley also won for Female Recording Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year and Contemporary Album.
The awards followed an annual dinner at the Wilkinson Center on the BYU campus.
Jessie Clark Funk presented a group of awards in rapid-fire succession. Other presenters were Clive Romney, Madsen, Jeanine Laskey, Corbin Allred and Julie de Azevedo. Performers in addition to Frogley were Jason Deere, One Clear Voice, Marshall McDonald and Steven Sharp Nelson, Call, and Joshua Creek.
Call won the Holiday Recorded Song award for "I Just Knew," Songwriter of the Year and Holiday Album of the Year "Gifts," She also wrote the winning song, "Believe in Him," and won in the Motivational Recorded Songs category with "Family Tree."
Knight and her group were nominated for Performing Artist of the Year and Group Recording Artist of the Year. She lost to Alex Boye for the performing artist award and to The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Nashville Tribute Band for the group recording artist award.
Other Pearl Award winners included the group One Clear Voice, comprised of locals Johanne Franchette Perry, Tanya Barkdull and LaRene Tinney. The fourth member is Tammy Robinson. The group won for Inspirational Album and the song, "Savior," in the Sacred Recording category. Roger and Melanie Hoffman, also of Utah County, wrote that song which Greg Hansen produced.
Local singer April Meservy won the Studio Vocalist Award while Staci Peters produced the winning Concert Album CD, "A More Excellent Way," created for the 2005 Excellence in Youth program. Steven Kapp Perry won for Radio Show and Host for his "Soft Sunday Sounds" on FM 100.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com