FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
Kierra “KiKi” Sheard Earns Five Nominations, Mary, Mary and Crystal Aikin Pick Up Four Each
October 30, 2009 – Nashville , Tenn. –The nominees for the 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards were announced yesterday at the annual press conference held at the Sommet Center , Visitors Center in downtown Nashville , Tenn. This year marks the Stellar Awards’ 25th Anniversary and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean took time out of his busy schedule to personally welcome the prestigious Awards Show back to Nashville to celebrate its 25th year. The Show will return to Nashville for its 5th consecutive year and will be co-hosted this year by gospel veterans Vickie Winans, Donnie McClurkin and Kirk Franklin.
Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones, Don Jackson, Chairman and CEO of Central City Productions, and Tamela and David Mann, from the television show “Meet the Browns,” were on hand at the Stellar Awards press conference to announce the 2010 Stellar Award nominees. Press conference attendees were also treated to a special soul-stirring performance from the award-winning Fisk Jubilee Singers.
This year’s list of nominees includes stars from every genre of gospel music including traditional, contemporary, urban and rap/hip-hop. Tied at the top of the list with a phenomenal nine nominations each, are chart-topping gospel singers, Donald Lawrence and Vickie Winans. They are both nominated in the “Artist of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “CD of the Year” categories, to name a few. Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship nab six noms and will compete with Vickie Winans and Donald Lawrence for Artist, Song and CD of the Year. Tied with Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship are Phillip Carter & SOV with their 3rd CD, Songs from the Storm.
The ladies also have a strong presence this year with Kierra Sheard near the top of the list with five nominations, including one for, Silky Soul Music… A Tribute to Maze, her collaboration with The Clark Sisters and J. Moss. “Sunday Best” winner Crystal Aikin and red hot contemporary duo Mary, Mary, both pick up four nominations, while newcomer’s Niyoki and Shari Addison earn three, along with competitors Smokie Norful, Lisa Knowles & The Brown Singers, and Israel Houghton.
Gospel hip hop is always been controversial and this year’s line up is no exception. The “Rap Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year” nominees for this year are: Da Truth, Dooney Da Priest, Lecrae, and Papa San..
Special Awards to be handed out at the 25th Anniversary Awards celebration will include the presentation of “The James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award” to Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC’s. “The Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award” will be bestowed upon the Mississippi Mass Choir for a decade of excellence, and Edwin Hawkins will be presented with this year’s “Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legend Award,” celebrating his 40-plus year contribution to contemporary gospel.
The 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards Show will be held, once again, at the historic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Saturday, January 16, 2010. The show returns to Nashville for the 5th consecutive year and will be co-hosted by gospel veterans Vickie Winans, Donnie McClurkin and Kirk Franklin. Performers and presenters will be announced at a later date.
The following is a complete list of nominees and categories for the 25th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards:
(Detroit Artists are listed in RED)
Artist of the Year
* Donald Lawrence; The Law of
Confession Part 1; Quiet Water/Verity
* Hezekiah Walker and Love
Fellowship; Souled Out; Verity Records
* Kierra Sheard, Bold Right Life,
EMI Gospel
* Vickie Winans, How I Got Over,
Destiny Joy Records
Song of the Year (Songwriter; Song – Album;
Label)
* Donald Lawrence, “Back II
Eden” – The Law of Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
* Hezekiah Walker and Love
Fellowship, “I Am Souled Out”- Souled Out, Verity Records
* Mary, Mary, “God in Me”
– The Sound, Columbia
*
Vickie Winans, “How I Got Over” – How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
Male
Vocalist of the Year
*
Israel Houghton, The Power of One,
Integrity Music
* Philip Carter, Songs from the
Storm, Sounds of Victory Ministries LLC
* Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful
Live, EMI Gospel
* Stephen Hurd, Times of
Refreshing, Integrity Gospel
Female Vocalist of the
Year
* Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin,
Verity Records
* Kierra Sheard, Bold Right Life,
EMI Gospel
* Niyoki, Rest, D2G Records
*
Vickie Winans, How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
Group
Duo of the Year
* Donald Lawrence, The Law of
Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
* Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr
Singers, Just The Beginning, Verity Records
* Lisa Knowles & The Brown
Singers, Experience The Evolution, Independent
* Mary, Mary, The Sound,
Columbia
New Artist of the Year
* CoCo McMillan, I’ve Been
Delivered, T Records
* Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin,
Verity Records
* Kim Ruff, Ready To Live, MacKim
Records
*
Shari Addison, Shari Addison, Verity Records
CD of
the Year
* Donald Lawrence; The Law of
Confession Part 1; Quiet Water/Verity
* Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship;
Souled Out; Verity Records
* Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful
Live, EMI Gospel
* Vickie Winans, How I Got Over,
Destiny Joy Records
Choir of the Year
*
Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
* Joe Leavell &
St. Stephen Temple Choir, God Is Able, Emtro Gospel
* Malcolm Williams & Great
Faith, In Your Glory, Malcolm James Music
*
Philip Carter & SOV, Songs from the Storm, Sounds of Victory Ministries LLC
Producer
of the Year
* Donald Lawrence & Daniel
Weatherspoon, The Law of Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
* Philip Carter and Michael Smith,
Songs from the Storm, Sounds of Victory Ministries LLC
* Troy Sneed, Derrieux Edgecombe
and Titus Robertson, In Due Season, Emtro Gospel
* Vickie Winans, How I Got Over,
Destiny Joy Records
Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year
* 5AM Praise, The Beginning, Born
Again Records
* Christopher Page and The Dream
Keeper’s Ensemble, A Page From My Heart, Restoration Records
* Donald Lawrence, The Law of
Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
*
Mary, Mary, The Sound, Columbia
Traditional
Group/Duo of the Year
* Endurance, The Best of Endurance
and More, SCCME Records
* Greg O’Quin & iPraize, After
The Storm, Pendulum Records
* Lee Williams & The Spiritual
QC’s, Fall On Me, MCG Records
* Lisa Knowles & The Brown Singers,
Experience The Evolution, Independent
Contemporary Male of the Year
* Darwin
Hobbs , Free,
Tyscot Records
* Earl Bynum, Open My Heart, Earl
Bynum Ministries
* Smokie Norful, Smokie Norful
Live, EMI Gospel
*
Troy Sneed, In Due Season, Emtro Gospel
Traditional Male of the Year
* Bishop Paul S. Morton, Cry Your
Last Tear, Light Records
* Donnie McClurkin, We All Are One
(Live in Detroit ),
Verity Records
* Malcolm Williams, In Your Glory,
Malcolm James Music
* Philip Carter, Songs from the
Storm, Sounds of Victory Ministries LLC
Contemporary Female of the Year
* Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin,
Verity Records
* Kim Burrell, No Ways Tired,
Shanachie Ent. Corp.
* Kierra Sheard, Bold Right Life,
EMI Gospel
*
Kim Ruff, Ready To Live, MacKim Records
Traditional
Female of the Year
* Dorothy Norwood, 50 Years: It’s
Been Worth It All, Malaco
* Dottie Peoples, Do It!, DP Muzik
Group
* Shari Addison, Shari
Addison, Verity Records
* Vickie Winans, How I Got Over,
Destiny Joy Records
Contemporary CD of the Year
* Crystal Aikin, Crystal Aikin,
Verity Records
* Donald Lawrence, The Law of
Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
* Hezekiah Walker and Love
Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
*
Kierra Sheard, Bold Right Life, EMI Gospel
Traditional CD of the Year
* Bishop Paul S. Morton & The
FGBCF Mass Choir, Cry Your Last Tear, Light Records
* Malcolm Williams & Great
Faith, In Your Glory, Malcolm James Music
* Philip Carter & SOV, Songs
from the Storm, Sounds of Victory Ministries LLC
* Shari Addison, Shari
Addison, Verity Records
Urban/ Inspirational Single / Performance of
the Year (Artist; Song – Album; Label)
* Donald Lawrence & Company,
“Let the Word Do the Work” – The Law of Confession Part 1, Quiet
Water/Verity
* Mary, Mary, “God in Me”
– The Sound, Columbia
* Niyoki, “Joy” – Rest,
D2G Records
*
Vickie Winans, “How I Got Over” – How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
Music
Video of the Year (artist, song or CD title, label)
* Dr. Bobby Jones presents Renee
Spearman and Prez, Dr. Bobby Jones presents Renee Spearman and Prez, JDI
Records
* Gerald Hinton, I’m On My Way,
Davin Records
* Niyoki, Joy/Rest, D2G Records
* Vickie Winans, How I Got Over,
Destiny Joy Records
Contemporary Choir of the
Year
* Earl Bynum Ministries, Open My
Heart, Earl Bynum Ministries
* Hezekiah Walker and Love
Fellowship, Souled Out, Verity Records
* Mike McCoy & Voices United,
Continue to Continue, Independent
*
New Direction, Destiny, New Haven
Records
Traditional
Choir of the Year
* Bishop Paul S. Morton & The
FGBCF Mass Choir, Cry Your Last Tear, Light Records
* Joe Leavell &
St. Stephen Temple Choir, God Is Able, Emtro Gospel
* Malcolm Williams & Great
Faith, In Your Glory, Malcolm James Music
* Philip Carter & SOV, Songs
from the Storm, Sounds of Victory Ministries LLC
Special Event CD of the Year
* Dorothy Norwood, 50 Years: It’s
Been Worth It All, Malaco
* Endurance, The Best of Endurance
and More, SCCME Records
* Reverend Timothy Wright, The
Godfather of Gospel, Savoy
/ Malaco
*
The Clark Sisters, J. Moss and Kierra Sheard,
Silky Soul Music – A Tribute to Maze, Barantera Music Group
Instrumental
CD of the Year
* Ben Tankard, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,
Verity
* Daniel Weatherspoon, Official,
Longlife Entertainment Inc.
* Derrick Scott – The Seed of
Kenaniah, The Total Experience, SHONDO Records
* Mel Holder, Music Book Vol. 1,
Psalmist Music Group
Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year
* Da’ T.R.U.T.H., The Big Picture,
Cross Movement Records
* Dooney Da Priest, Pull Your Pants
Up!, Malaco
* Lecrae, Rebel, Central South
Dist.
*
Papa San, Higher Heights, Habakkuk Music
Children’s
Performance of the Year
* Eva Sabiniano featuring Alex
Duncan, Born to Praise CD-2, Independent
* Pure N Heart (Children’s Choir),
Pure-N-Heart Live, Music2ChangeU Records
* Rev. Dr. Emory Andrews and
Oxon Hill
High School Choir, Amazing, Yrome
Records
*
The Velazquez Family Singers, Family & Friends, Z.A.V.E. Records
Quartet
of the Year
* Endurance, The Best of Endurance
and More, SCCME Records
* Lee Williams & The Spiritual
QC’s, Fall On Me, MCG Records
* Lisa Knowles & The Brown
Singers, Experience The Evolution, Independent
* The Soul Stirrers, A Soul
Stirring Reunion , Malaco
Praise and Worship CD of the Year
*
Israel Houghton, The Power of One,
Integrity Music
* Kathy Taylor, Live: The Worship
Experience, Tyscot Records and Katco Music Group
* Micah Stampley, Ransomed,
Interface
*
Stephen Hurd, Times of Refreshing, Integrity Gospel
Recorded
Music Package of the Year [art credit / artist – album / label]
* Chris Fieldman, Deitrick Haddon –
Revealed, Verity Records
* Denise Trotman, Donald Lawrence –
The Confession Part 1, Quiet Water/Verity
* Lucretia Knight, Vickie Winans –
How I Got Over, Destiny Joy Records
* Sam Noerr, BOERHAUS,
Israel
Houghton – The Power of One, Integrity Music
