Pastor Mike, Jr. and Tye Tribbett are the leading nominees for the 2023 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, with 10 and nine nods, respectively. Pastor Mike, Jr. is an 11-time Stellar Award winner.
Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin received six nominations for their collaborative album Kingdom Book One. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard, Zacardi Cortez and DOE each received five nominations. Tamela Mann is nominated in four categories for her album Overcomer Deluxe.
Cobbs-Leonard, a 15-time Stellar winner, is set to co-host the Stellar Awards with Jonathan McReynolds for the second year in a row.
This year’s James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Reverend Milton Biggham, pastor of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Newark, N.J. and founder of several mass choirs – The Miami Mass Choir, The Mississippi Mass Choir, the Dallas Fort Worth Mass Choir, and the Georgia Mass Choir.
The Stellar Awards also announced nominees for the gospel radio of the year awards in six categories, including gospel announcer of the year. Those nominees include multiple Stellar Award winner Erica Campbell, host of the nationally-syndicated morning show, Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell; Darlene McCoy Jackson, host of The Nightly Spirit With Darlene on WPZE Praise 102.5FM in Atlanta, GA; Charles Johnson, from KOKA 980 AM in Shreveport, LA; and Melanie Pratt, host of Melanie In The Midday on WPZS Praise in Charlotte, N.C.
The Stellar Awards show taping will return to The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 15. Tickets range from $59 – $229, and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. The Stellar Awards will premiere on the newly-launched Stellar TV network between July 24 and August 6, 2023, which can be found on Charter Spectrum, Verizon Fios and Xumo Play. The show will also air in national broadcast syndication from Aug. 7 through 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 will produce and direct this year’s show.
Here’s the complete list of nominees for 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
– 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
– “Impossible”; 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
– 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
– 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
– 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
– 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
– 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
– 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
– Tye Tribbett; All Things New; Motown Gospel
Contemporary duo/chorus group of the year
– 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
– 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
– 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
– 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
– Winning; Pastor Mike Jr.; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
Traditional album of the year
– Believe Again; JJ Hairston; Jamestown Music/ Tribl Records, LLC
– 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”; 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
– “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
– “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
– 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
– 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
– Detroit Youth Choir; Rockspell; Confidential Records
– Walt Whitman & The Soul Children of Chicago; Still Standing; M’Paact Records
Quartet of the year
– 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
– 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
– 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
– “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
– “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
