By Laura Acuff, Staff Writer
New contemporary Christian recording artist Timothy Palmer, originally from Abilene, won the Next to Sign contest hosted in Cullen Auditorium Thursday night.
The award includes $25,000 and the support of Abilene’s Harvest Studios to launch his career.
“My prayer and my hope is that I would be passionately infused with the Spirit of God, and that people could hear that there’s hope and that they’re not alone,” Palmer said. “I think the kingdom of God is about building up and not breaking down, unless it’s the walls of the vision that we build ourselves, so I hope that the songs I present to the world build people up and create hope, love and grace in this world.”
Judging, done by a panel that included representatives from contest sponsors and Christian recording artist Phil Wickham, was based on ministry, marketability and musicality, said Gary Hill, one of the judges and general Manager and program director of local radio station KGNC. Hill was one of the first to recognize and play on the air MercyMe’s hit song, “I Can Only Imagine.”
Surprising the audience and contestants, contest officials also named a runnerup for the evening, awarding the hip hop and rap influenced band, EKG, the opportunity to record an EP with Harvest Studios.
ACU alumni Jarryd Guerrero, Jesiree Guerrero and Nathan Driskell also competed as a band called Mayhae.
“It’s a homecoming for all three of us. It’s kind of nice to play in Cullen,” Jarryd Guerrero said.
Despite not winning the contest, Guerrero said the group would continue to pursue a career in the music industry.
“It’s what we love to do – to write music. It’s what we want to do.”
Members of Thursday’s audience included friends and families of competing bands and ACU students. Hannah Orozco, senior speech pathologist major from College Station, heard about the contest by word-of-mouth and attended primarily to hear Phil Wickham.
Orozco said she enjoyed the music and supported the idea of ACU hosting similar functions in the future.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Orozco said. “I think that it was a really creative idea, especially because I feel like we’re a liberal arts university, and more people would be interested if it was more publicized. I would definitely go to more things like that if there were more functions like that.”
