By the People or For the People?

The GMA Music Awards (a.k.a. the Dove Awards) are doing something new this year. Fans now have the opportunity to vote for Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. This is the first time that will happen in the 40 years of the Dove Awards' existence.

Let's see. Is this a good change? Or a bad change?

On the one hand, it gives the show a new twist. It involves the people who buy the music and buy tickets to concerts. The success of "American Idol" where America gets to "vote" for its favorite contestants now applies to the Doves. One key difference is that fans can vote now through show time on April 23. Another difference is that fans vote is weighted to count for one-third of the votes cast. GMA membership votes will count for two-thirds of the final tally.

But does fan voting water-down the industry's awards? Members of the Recording Academy are the only voters for the Grammys, arguably the music industry's preeminent honor. The people creating, producing and working with music day-in, day-out are the ones voting. (Does that make the Grammy award program purer? Are they even getting it right?) Already, artists and labels are sending out e-mails and Twitter updates, directing followers to the voting site for the two Dove categories.

Will such grassroots efforts play a role in the voting outcome? For years, the Gospel Music Association (GMA) has fought the idea of "block voting" by labels and groups in the Dove Awards. Does this fan voting with self-promotion by artists and labels create a new form of "block voting"?

The purpose of any awards show would be or should be about what or who was the best in that category for the previous year. Arguably, the two biggest categories in the Dove Awards, Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year, are now open to fan voting. Will the awards actually reflect who had the best year, the most impact?

One final question: how many will watch and vote?