If you did not know, the Stellar Gospel Music is the first and only Gospel Music Awards show in the country, honoring Gospel Music artists, writers, and industry professionals for their contributions to the Gospel Music Industry. The Stellar Awards ranks high in status as the only Gospel Music television awards program syndicated in over 140 markets nationwide.
This year, the 38th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards took place at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 15 with tickets ranging from $59 – $229. It was co-hosted by Jonathan McReynolds and Tasha Cobbs, and the show premiered yesterday, Sunday, July 30th on the newly-launched Stellar Network, and will air on BET on Sunday, August 6 at 8 p.m. ET, and Bounce TV on Sunday, September 3 at 1 p.m. ET. In addition, the show will air in nationwide syndication from Aug. 7 to Sept. 10.
The 38th Stellar Gospel Music Awards show is executive produced by Don Jackson, with Jennifer J. Jackson serving as executive in charge of production and producer. Michael A. Johnson serves as producer and director.
Highlights
- Pastor Mike, Jr. won big with eight awards for his album Winning.
- DOE, who entered the industry with her family as a member of the group Forever Jones, received three awards for her album Clarity.
- Zacardi Cortez won three statues for his album Imprint.
- Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin’s collaborative album Kingdom Book One won in two categories.
- Tye Tribbett brought home two awards for his project All Things New.
- Tasha Cobbs Leonard also won praise and worship album of the year for Hymns.
Performances
- The show was opened by Pastor Mike, Jr. followed by Kierra Sheard Kelly who performed “Miracles” and “Impossible.”
-Kirk Franklin, and Israel Houghton also performed
- The two co-hosts Jonathan McReynolds and Tasha Cobbs Leonard performed on the show.
- Two legends of the genre performed at the show: CeCe Winans (Aretha Franklin Icon Award honoree) who performed “Goodness of God” from her album Believe for It and Dottie Peoples (Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award honoree).
Complete List Of Winners
Here’s a complete list of winners from the 2023 Stellar Gospel Music Awards:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Doe; Clarity; Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration
Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin; Kingdom Book One; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
WINNER - Pastor Mike Jr.; Winning; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Tasha Cobbs Leonard; Hymns; TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel
Tye Tribbett; All Things New; Motown Gospel
SONG OF THE YEAR
WINNER - Impossible ft. James Fortune; Pastor Mike Jr., James Fortune & JeVon Hill; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Kingdom (feat. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore); Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore, Jonathan
Jay & Jacob Poole; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
New; Tye Tribbett; Motown Gospel
Positive; Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell & Juan Winans; My Block Inc.
When I Pray; Dominique Jones & Dewitt Jones; Label ~ Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Brian Courtney Wilson; Transitions; Motown Gospel
JJ Hairston; Believe Again; Jamestown Music/ Tribl Records, LLC
WINNER - Pastor Mike Jr.; Winning; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Tye Tribbett; All Things New; Motown Gospel
Zacardi Cortez; Imprint; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
ALBERTINA WALKER FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
CeCe Winans; Believe For it - Deluxe Edition; Pure Springs, Fair Trade, Red Alliance Media
WINNER - DOE; Clarity; Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration
Maranda Curtis; Die To Live; Butterfly Works /Red Alliance Media
Tamela Mann; Overcomer Deluxe; Tillymann Music Group
Tasha Cobbs Leonard; Hymns; TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel
DUO/CHORUS GROUP OF THE YEAR
WINNER - Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin; Kingdom Book One; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
The Group Fire; Heal the Land; Jet Records North/East
Tim Bowman Jr. & Faith City Music; Welcome to Faith City; Faith City Music/Tribl Records, LLC
Travis Greene & Forward City; Tent Revival; Tribl Records, LLC
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Courtney Franklin; Heal Us; Pebble Street Records
WINNER - Lena Byrd Miles; Brand New; My Block Inc.
Pastor Nell; It's My Time; Righteous Records Inc.
The Hawkins Boys; Vanquish; Melvin Williams Entertainment
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
All Things New; Tye Tribbett; Motown Gospel
Imprint; Zacardi Cortez; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Kingdom Book One; Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
Overcomer Deluxe; Tamela Mann; Tillymann Music Group
WINNER - Winning; Pastor Mike Jr.; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
CHOIR OF THE YEAR
Bishop S.Y. Younger feat. Sounds of the Ramp; Rampology Vol. 1; Ramp Records / MNRK
WINNER - Brent Jones; Nothing Else Matters (INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING, PRAISE HIM); JDI Entertainment
Demetrius West & Jesus Promoters; Old Fellowship Hour; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Vincent Bohanan & SOV; A Choir Christmas; HezHouse Entertainment
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
James Fortune & David Outing; My Life; FIYA World / MNRK
Rodney Andre Turner, Jr. & Michael McClure Jr.; Winning; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Tony Brown, Jonathan Jay, Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore & Norman Gyamfi; Kingdom Book One; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
Travis Greene, Matthew Edwards, Brunes Charles & Reggie Rhett; Tent Revival; Tribl Records, LLC
WINNER - Tye Tribbett; All Things New; Motown Gospel
CONTEMPORARY DUO/CHORUS GROUP OF THE YEAR
WINNER - Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin; Kingdom Book One; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
Tennessee State University Marching Band, Kierra Sheard Kelly, Sir The Baptist & Dubba-AA; The Urban Hymnal; Tennessee State University
The Group Fire; Heal the Land; Jet Records North/East
Travis Greene & Forward City; Tent Revival; Tribl Records, LLC
CONTEMPORARY MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Brian Courtney Wilson; Transitions; Motown Gospel
WINNER - Pastor Mike Jr.; Winning; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
James Fortune; My Life; FIYA World / MNRK
Tye Tribbett; All Things New; Motown Gospel
TRADITIONAL MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bishop S.Y. Younger; Rampology Vol. 1; Ramp Records / MNRK
Brent Jones; Nothing Else Matters (INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING, PRAISE HIM); JDI Entertainment
JJ Hairston; Believe Again; Jamestown Music/ Tribl Records, LLC
WINNER - Zacardi Cortez; Imprint; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
CONTEMPORARY FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
CeCe Winans; Believe For it - Deluxe Edition; Pure Springs, Fair Trade, Red Alliance Media
WINNER - DOE; Clarity; Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration
Maranda Curtis; Die to Live; Butterfly Works /Red Alliance Media
Tamela Mann; Overcomer Deluxe; Tillymann Music Group
Tasha Cobbs Leonard; Hymns; TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel
CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
All Things New; Tye Tribbett; Motown Gospel
Kingdom Book One; Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
Overcomer Deluxe; Tamela Mann; Tillymann Music Group
WINNER - Winning; Pastor Mike Jr.; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Believe Again; JJ Hairston; Jamestown Music/ Tribl Records, LLC
WINNER - Imprint; Zacardi Cortez; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Nothing Else Matters (INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING, PRAISE HIM); Brent Jones; JDI Entertainment
Rampology Vol. 1 (Live); Bishop S.Y. Younger feat. Sounds of the Ramp; Ramp Records / MNRK
URBAN/INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Bless Me; Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
Get Up; Tye Tribbett; Motown Gospel
Impossible ft. James Fortune; Pastor Mike Jr.; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
The Better Benediction ft. Zacardi Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers, and Darrel 'MusiqCity' Walls; PJ Morton; Morton Records / Empire
WINNER - When I Pray; DOE; Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Goodness of God; C'mon Creative; Pure Springs/FairTrade Services/Red Alliance Media
Jesus (feat. Le'Andria Johnson); Joshua Freeman and Tim Bowman Jr.; Faith City Music/Tribl Records, LLC
WINNER - Mr. McClure; Michael McClure, Andre Rudolph & Antonio Minifield; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Positive; James Earl; My Block Inc.
SPECIAL EVENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Christmas at Our House; Teddy & Tina Campbell; Gee Tree Creative/Red Alliance Media
Kingdom Business: Season 1 Soundtrack; Kingdom Business Cast; RCA Inspiration / Sony Music Entertainment
WINNER - T.D. Jakes Presents "Finally Loosed"; Various Artists; Dexterity Sounds
The Urban Hymnal; Tennessee State University Marching Band, Kierra Sheard Kelly, Sir
The Baptist & Dubba-AA; Tennessee State University
RAP HIP HOP GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
As I Am; 1K Phew; Reach Records
WINNER - Church Clothes 4; Lecrae; Reach Records
He’s Been Good; Miz Tiffany; Mixed Bag Entertainment
Us Against the World; God Over Money; God Over Money Records
YOUTH PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Alana Inez; Minor in a Major World; Law Ent.
Alphonso (A.J.) Evans Jr.; Not 2 Young; Enon Music Group
AMG Kidz; Sunday School; AMG Kidz / Anderson Music Group
WINNER - Detroit Youth Choir; Rockspell; Confidential Records
Walt Whitman & The Soul Children of Chicago; Still Standing; M'Paact Records
QUARTET OF THE YEAR
WINNER - Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson; Restructure, Renew Reunion; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
The Christian Brothers; He ReWrote My Story; Millennium Sound Records
The Hawkins Boys; Vanquish; Melvin Williams Entertainment
The Williams Singers; Quartagious (Deluxe Edition); Deznell Music Group / Anderson Music Group
RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING OF THE YEAR
WINNER - All Things New; Mike McKesey & Trent Nicholson; Motown Gospel
Clarity; Tyler Simien; Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration
Overcomer Deluxe; Keston McKinnon; Tillymann Music Group
Worship & Justice; Tim Parker; RCA Inspiration
PRAISE AND WORSHIP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Die To Live; Maranda Curtis; Butterfly Works /Red Alliance Media
WINNER - Hymns; Tasha Cobbs Leonard; TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel
Morning Songs; Dulaneyland Music; MNRK
The Invitation; Isabel Davis; Global Ministry Records
PRAISE AND WORSHIP SONG OF THE YEAR
I Still Have You; Smokie Norful; Tre'Myles Music / MNRK
I Will Rejoice; Isabel Davis; Global Ministry Records
The Moment; Tasha Cobbs Leonard; TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel
WINNER - You've Been Good To Me; Zacardi Cortez; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
RAP/HIP HOP SONG OF THE YEAR
Any Attack; Lecrae + 1K Phew; Reach Records
WINNER - Blak Sheep; Pastor Mike Jr.; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
He’s Been Good; Miz Tiffany; Mixed Bag Entertainment
Jireh (My Provider) ft. Lecrae + HappiMusic; Limoblaze; Limoblaze Music
New; Tye Tribbett; Motown Gospel
GOSPEL RADIO OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
MAJOR MARKET OF THE YEAR
WINNER - WPZE Praise 102.5, Atlanta
WPZS 100.9, Charlotte
WGRB 1390AM, Chicago
WMBM AM 1490, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
LARGE MARKET OF THE YEAR
WJYD JOY 107.1, Columbus
WBBP AM 1480, Memphis
WINNER - WHAL-FM 95.7, Memphis
WREJ 101.3 FM 990 AM, Richmond
MEDIUM MARKET OF THE YEAR
WNZN 89.1, Cleveland
WCGL AM1360/FM94.7, Jacksonville
WHLH FM 95.5, Jackson
WINNER - WXHL 89.1 FM Reach Gospel Radio, Wilmington
SMALL MARKET OF THE YEAR
KOKA 980 AM 93.3 FM, Shreveport
WEHA 88.7FM & 100.3FM, Atlantic City
WHLW -FM 104.3, Montgomery
WINNER - WWLD-HD2 98.3FM, Tallahassee
INTERNET STATION OF THE YEAR
Black Gospel Radio, https://blackgospelradio.net/listen
Power of Worship Radio, www.powerofworship.net
WNZNSouth/waycrosspraise.org, https://s5.radio.co/s69376b9dc/listen
WINNER - WVTC Gospel Radio Network, http://www.wvtcradio.com
GOSPEL ANNOUNCER OF THE YEAR
Charles Johnson, KOKA 980 AM, Pastor CeJay In The Afternoons
Darlene McCoy Jackson, WPZE Praise 102.5 - The Nightly Spirit With Darlene
Erica Campbell, Nationally Syndicated, Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell
WINNER - Melanie Pratt, WPZS Praise - Melanie In The Midday
Honorees
James Cleveland lifetime achievement award
Rev. Milton Biggham
Aretha Franklin icon award
CeCe Winans
Thomas A. Dorsey most notable achievement award
Dr. Bobby Jones
Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones legends award
Dottie Peoples
Five categories were not presented this year: traditional duo/chorus group of the year, traditional female artist of the year, traditional choir of the year, contemporary choir of the year, and instrumental album of the year.
The Stellar Awards Blue Carpet Special, hosted by Jekalyn Carr, Angel Taylor and Akintunde, will be televised on the Stellar Network on July 30 at 5 p.m. ET.
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!