Toledo band gets Grammy bid

12/6/2008

Sanctus Real can add two new words to its resume: Grammy-nominated.

The Christian rock band from Toledo is up for a Grammy Award in the Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album category for We Need Each Other, the group s fourth album on Sparrow Records.

The nomination came as a complete surprise to the band members, guitarist Chris Rohman said. He is one of three original members of the group, founded in 1996, along with singer-songwriter Matt Hammitt and drummer Mark Graalman. The lineup now includes guitarist Pete Prevost and bassist Dan Gartley.

I knew the nominations were going to be televised on CBS [Wednesday] night but leading up to it, I never thought twice about being nominated, Mr. Rohman said. I watched the whole show and it never entered my mind.

A half-hour after the show, Sanctus Real s manager called Mr. Rohman and asked how he was doing.

I said, Good, just hanging out with the family, and he said, No, I mean, how are you doing?

Mr. Rohman said he realized something was up but didn t know what until the manager said, Dude, you guys are nominated for a Grammy.

I flipped out. I started yelling. My wife was upstairs wondering what was going on. It was a complete surprise, he said.

The category in which the band was nominated was one of many that were announced off-air.

We Need Each Other was released in February and the title track hit No. 1 on the Christian Hit Radio charts. A second single, Whatever You re Doing, recently re-entered the adult-contemporary charts for a second time.

Sanctus Real, which won a Dove Award in 2005, played at a benefit concert for the Toledo edition of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in September and headlined a 25-city U.S. tour in the fall.

The other Grammy nominees in the category are Toby Mac for Alive and Transported ; Superchick for Rock What You Got ; Flame for Our World Redeemed, and After Edmund for Hello.