Rugged Records, Disciple, and a Dove Award Moment I Never Forgot

Random thought today. Out of all the things I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of in my career, there was something uniquely surreal about Disciple’s "By God" Dove Awards nominations back in 2002.

We were a small label at Rugged Records, scrappy in the best sense of the word, building things with conviction, long hours, and a lot of creative fire. I had the privilege of designing the CD artwork and layout for the album, and at the time, none of us operated with the mindset of chasing trophies. We just wanted to create something honest, loud, and meaningful.

By the time the Dove Awards rolled around, I had already joined Provident Music Group, which later led to connections with many other Dove and Grammy-nominated projects over the years, including Third Day's "Come Together" from that same year, which won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album. Still, By God carried a different feeling. I think it's because it came from such humble beginnings.

I remember my Provident Music Group Creative Director telling me saw my design flash across the giant screen during the presentation. Hearing that painted the scene in my mind like some early-2000s music documentary moment. I wish I could have been there to see it firsthand.

For those who may not know, By God earned two Dove Award nominations: Hard Music Album of the Year and Hard Music Recorded Song of the Year for the title track “By God.” The album also won the Inspirational Life Award and produced two No. 1 Christian rock hits with “By God” and “God of Elijah.”

Twenty-five years later, I still think that’s pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95UYpXaiQMk