Despite little sleep and not much down time, a local drummer isflying high after winning a major gospel music award Wednesdayevening.

“It’s been a tough week,” said Boone Daughdrill, a formerBrookhaven resident and member of the Dove Award-winning bandDecembeRadio. “We’re physically worn out.”

Daughdrill may be tired, but he and the band are floating oncloud nine after being recognized with a Dove Award for rock albumof the year by the Gospel Music Association.

“It was all overwhelming,” Daughdrill said. “It was totally aGod thing.”

Members of the band were in attendance at the Grand Ole OpryHouse in Nashville Wednesday night in what the music industry hasdubbed the “biggest gospel music night of the year.”

In accepting of the award, group member Eric Miker said, “It’samazing how God has blessed us this year. We are grateful toeveryone in the industry – radio, retail, promoters, media – and toour fans for their support and for honoring us with thisaward.”

The Christian rock band is based in Blacksburg, Va., which isalso home to Virginia Tech. The band remembered last week’s tragedyin which a gunman killed 32 people in a shooting rampage on thecampus.

“We want to dedicate this to our friends and family inBlacksburg, Va., and to the families and others who areexperiencing losses back at home at Virginia Tech,” Miker said.

About winning the award, Daughdrill said everyone around themwere really excited and proud. Sitting around the group wereestablished Christian artists like Avalon, Steven Curtis Chapmanand Third Day.

“For them to even know who we are was a humbling experience,” heexplained.

The band was nominated for three other awards besides rock albumof the year. The categories included new artist of the year, songof the year for “Drifter,” and rock recorded song for”Dangerous.”

Daughdrill is proud to have been nominated for song of year withtheir single “Drifter.”

“It’s a lot of different genres,” he explained of the 10 songsnominated in the category. “It was a big honor to be accepted inthat.”

The group performed the single for the awards program, whichwill be included on the televised show Saturday, May 5.

The Dove Awards will be telecast on May 5 at 12:30 p.m. andagain Saturday, May 26 at 12:30 p.m. on the Jackson ABC affiliate,WAPT.

Daughdrill explained that because of the limited amount of roomfor performers on the Opry stage, some of the groups had to performat a different venue with their performances televised to theawards ceremony. DecembeRadio and other songs of year nomineesperformed at Michael W. Smith’s club, Rocketown in Nashville, aChristian-based club and coffee house.

Dove Awards are voted on by members of the Gospel MusicAssociation.

Because of DecembeRadio’s hectic touring schedule, the banddoesn’t always get to fraternize with others in the gospelindustry.

“We’re very honored and very humbled,” Daughdrill said. “Youdon’t know what to say … ’cause we’re always on the road.”

For the past few weeks the band has been on the road on awhirlwind tour.

“It’s been pretty grueling,” he said. “…. three and four hoursa night sleep.”

Daughdrill and the band are currently on their way to Floridawhere they will kick off a five-week tour called Generation Risingthat includes 27 performances during the tour. Generation Rising ismade up of new and rising gospel artists.

The tour will be in Zachary, La., on Tuesday, May 1. That is theclosest the band will be to Brookhaven until its benefit concert inMonticello on June 15.

Daughdrill said the benefit will be held at the MonticelloBaptist Life Center for his high school friend’s daughter, MollySpence.