And the nominees for the 27th Annual Stellar Awards are…

Artist of the Year
Earnest Pugh
Kirk Franklin
Mary Mary
VaShawn Mitchell

Song of the Year
“Nobody Greater” | Darius Paulk
“Well Done” | Deitrick Haddon
“I Smile” | Kirk Franklin
“I Choose To Worship” | Wess Morgan
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Male Vocalist of the Year
Earnest Pugh
Israel Houghton
Smokie Norful
VaShawn Mitchell
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Female Vocalist of the Year
Beverly Crawford
Kim Burrell
Martha Munizzi
Yolanda Adams
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Group/Duo of the Year
James Fortune & FIYA
Mary Mary
Rance Allen Group
Trin-i-tee 5:7

[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

New Artist of the Year
Greater Mt. Calvary Church Choir
Preashea Hilliard
Todd Dulaney
Y’Anna

CD of the Year
James Fortune & FIYA – I Believe
Kirk Franklin – I Smile
Mary Mary – Something Big
VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant

[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Choir of the Year
Chicago Mass Choir
Mississippi Mass Choir
Ricky Dillard
Shekinah Glory Ministry
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Producer of the Year
Aaron Lindsey, Tommy Sims & Israel Houghton for Love God. Love People.
Kirk Franklin for Hello Fear
VaShawn Mitchell, Daniel Weatherspoon & Rick Robinson for Triumphant
Warryn Campbell/Mary Mary for Something Big

Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year
James Fortune & FIYA
Mary Mary
Trin-i-tee 5:7
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Traditional Group/Duo of the Year
Keith Wonderboy Johnson & Spiritual Voices
Rance Allen Group
The Soul Seekers

Contemporary Male of the Year
Deitrick Haddon
Earnest Pugh
Israel Houghton
VaShawn Mitchell

Traditional Male of the Year
Keith Wonderboy Johnson
John P Kee
Rance Allen
Smokie Norful

Contemporary Female of the Year
Kim Burrell
Preashea Hilliard
Y’Anna
Yolanda Adams
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Traditional Female of the Year
Beverly Crawford
Evelyn Turrentine-Agee
LaShun Pace
Twinkie Clark

Contemporary CD of the Year
Deitrick Haddon | Church on the Moon
Kirk Franklin | Hello Fear
Mary Mary | Something Big
VaShawn Mitchell | Triumphant

[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Traditional CD of the Year
John P Kee | The Legacy Project
Mississippi Mass Choir | Then Sings My Soul
Ricky Dillard | Keep Living
Smokie Norful | How I Got Over…
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Urban Inspirational Performance of the Year
Deitrick Haddon | “Well Done”
Kirk Franklin | “I Smile”
Mary Mary | “Walking”
VaShawn Mitchell | “Nobody Greater”

Music Video of the Year – Short Form
Martha Munizzi | “Excellent” (Martha Munizzi)
Christian Heuer | “Walking” (Mary Mary)
Canton Jones | “God” (Canton Jones)
VaShawn Mitchell | “Nobody Greater” (VaShawn Mitchell)

Music Video of the Year – Long Form
Deitrick Haddon | Church on the Moon
Jerry Parries | Bishop Morton Celebrates…
Mississippi Mass Choir | Then Sings My Soul
Ricky Dillard | Keep Living

Traditional Choir of the Year
Chicago Mass Choir
Greater Mt. Calvary Church Choir
Mississippi Mass Choir
Ricky Dillard

Contemporary Choir of the Year
Lonnie Hunter & Structure
Shekinah Glory Ministry

[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Instrumental Gospel CD of the Year
Harold Rayford | I Am the Instrument
Moses Tyson Jr | Music Remastered & Sacred Organ
Todd Ledbetter | Meditations: Hymsn in the Key of Jazz
Winston Stewart | Season
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Special Event CD of the Year
Bishop Paul Morton | Still
John P Kee | The Legacy Project
Shekinah Glory Ministry | Refreshed By Fire
VaShawn Mitchell | My Songbook

Rap, Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year
Flame | Captured
Lecrae | Rehab
Lecrae | Rehab: The Overdose
Viktory | Birth of a Legacy
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Children’s Project of the Year
Teen Pure N Heart | Pure N Heart Live
Santiago & Claude Deuce | My Destiny Place – My Imagination
The Velasquez Singers | Ten
T-Rep The Young Prayzr | Let’s Go

Quartet of the Year
Keith Wonderboy Johnson & Spiritual Voices
Rance Allen Group
The Soul Seekers
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Recorded Music Packaging of the Year
Christina Jones for Dominionaire (Canton Jones)
Denise Trotman & Greg Gilligan for Hello Fear (Kirk Franklin)
Martha Munizzi for Make It Loud (Martha Munizzi)
Tanner Gary for Triumphant (VaShawn Mitchell)

Praise and Worship CD of the Year
Earnest Pugh | Earnestly Yours
Israel Houghton | Love God. Love People.
Shekinah Glory Ministry | Refreshed By Fire
VaShawn Mitchell | Triumphant
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Spoken Word CD of the Year
Marco the Poet | Marco the Poet EP
Michael Diallo McLendon | The Diallo Experience
Selah | Look At You Loving Me
Trupoetry | Trupoetry

The following are the recipients of this year’s special awards:
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

John P. Kee will receive the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award
Vy Higgensen will receive the Thomas Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award
Dorothy Norwood will receive the Dr. Bobby Jones Legend Award

Radio Station of the Year Finalists:

Major Market (3M+)
WPZE 102.5 FM (Atlanta, GA)
WPRS 104.1 FM (Washington, DC)
KJLH 102.3 FM (Los Angeles, CA)
WGRB 1390 AM (Chicago, IL)
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

Large Market (1-3M)
WHAL 95.7 FM/1460 AM (Memphis, TN)
WFMI 100.9 FM (VA-Norfolk-Newport, VA)
KCAO 600 AM (Baltimore, MD)
WMBM 1490 AM (Miami, FL)

Medium Market (500,000-1M)
WLOU 1350 AM (Louisville, KY)
WPRF 94.9 FM (New Orleans, LA)
WENO 760 AM (Nashville, TN)
[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]
WPZK 102.5 (Little Rock, AR)

Small Market (under 500,000)
WDJL 1000 AM (Huntsville, AL)
WJNI 106.3 FM (Charleston, SC)
KOKA 980 AM (Shreveport, LA)
WIMG 1300 AM (Trenton, NJ)

The awards show takes place on Saturday, January 14, 2012 in Nashville, TN. It will be hosted by Marvin Sapp and Dorinda Clark Cole.

Bishop TD Jakes is set to release the second installment of Sacred Love Songs on May 31, 2011.  The project, titled Sacred Love Songs 2, is a 12-track compilation of music inspired by the new movie Jumping the Broom on Sony Pictures.

With guest artists ranging from Fred Hammond to Karen Clark Sheard, El DeBarge to Joe, Bishop Paul Morton to Ledisi, this project promises to have a little something for everyone.

The first single from Sacred Love Songs 2 is a modern remake of Kirk Franklin’s hit “Love,” recorded by Anaysha Figueroa.

Here’s a full track listing…

1. The Vow featuring Bishop T.D. Jakes
2. Let’s Stay Together featuring Ledisi
3. Back At One featuring Micah Stampley
4. Just Take My Heart featuring Crystal Aikin
5. Closer featuring Joe
6. The Homily featuring Bishop T.D. Jakes
7. Inseparable featuring Karen Clark Sheard & Kirk Whalum
8. My Lady And Myself Featuring Fred Hammond
9. Love featuring Anaysha Figueroa & Bishop T.D. Jakes
10. Finally featuring Bishop Paul Morton
11. How Can You Love Me featuring El Debarge
12. Don’t Go To Bed Mad featuring Terry Thomas

Looks pretty good!

The 42nd Annual Dove Awards were held this week in Atlanta, GA and will be broadcast on this Sunday, April 24th, at 7pm ET, exclusively on gmc.

For a full list of winners, click here.

I attended the live taping and there were a few performances you will NOT want to miss– Mary Mary… the Singing Pastors (featuring Deitrick Haddon, Darrell Hines, Paul Morton, Smokie Norful and Marvin Sapp)… Kirk Franklin… Lecrae (with Natalie Grant)… Chris Tomlin… and more.

Tune in!

Sherri Shepherd– comedian, actress and co-host of the wildly popular talk show The View– has been announced as the host of the 42nd Annual Dove Awards, to be held on Wednesday, April 20th in Atlanta, GA at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

The announcement of Shepherd as host is the most recent in what seems to be several cross-cultural initiatives of the Gospel Music Association.  The organization’s awards ceremony was moved from its Nashville home to Atlanta last year, and it has announced the upcoming involvement of several gospel artists– including Bishop Paul Morton and Lecrae– in the upcoming Dove Awards press conference, to be held on February 16, 2011.

The awards program will air on gmc on Sunday, April 24th.

Some good new projects hit stores TODAY and I wanna make sure you guys are aware, so you can grab ‘em if you wanna–

1.  Soul Seekers II, from Soul Seekers
This highly-anticipated sophomore album from today’s modern-day quartet group features some of the greatest musicians in the music biz. That, alone, could make you wanna buy it. The fact that their lead single, “It’s All God,” features Pastor Marvin L. Winans is icing on the cake.

2. Bishop Morton Celebrates 25 Years of Music: A Live Celebration, from Various Artists (Light Records)
This CD/DVD project features musical tributes to Bishop Paul Morton from some of the greatest vocalists in the gospel community, including CeCe Winans, Shirley Caesar, Mary Mary, Sheri Jones-Moffett, PJ Morton, The Williams Brothers and more. It’s a must-have for your gospel music collection.

3. The Master Plan (Special Edition), from David & Tamela Mann
This jumbo pack of Mann family goodness includes Tamela’s latest CD, The Master Plan, David’s Mr. Brown’s Good Ol’ Time Church CD, footage from a “Cooking with The Manns” television special, as well as interviews and music videos.  The couple is so gifted– great power couple, plenty of products.  Grab it!

4.  Release Me, from Micah Stampley
This 7-song EP is Micah’s first release on the recently reformed Music World Gospel label headed by Matthew Knowles.  It features a dope song, “Heaven on Earth” (originally by David & Nicole Binion) that you simply have to hear.

What are y’all gettin’???

LeCrae’s Rehab project shows no signs of slowing– it’s back at #1 this week on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart, having taken a backseat to Tye Tribbett’s Fresh debut last week.

Also, remember how I said that Israel’s sudden disappearance from the Billboard chart last week must have been an administrative error? It was. Apparently, Soundscan numbers reported that he was actually in the #3 position in gospel music last week, but Billboard omitted his name from the line-up.  I blame a Billboard intern.

Anyway, all’s fixed now and the top 10 looks like this in gospel:

#1 | LeCrae – Rehab
#2 | Tye Tribbett – Fresh
#3 | Israel Houghton – Love God. Love People.
#4 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#5 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#6 | VaShawn Mitchell – Triumphant
#7 | Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
#8 | William McDowell – As We Worship: Live
#9 | WOW Gospel 2010
#10 | Shekinah Glory Ministry – Refreshed By Fire

Based on the numbers, I believe that the Bishop Morton compilation I told you about this week could chart pretty high in the coming week.  And Aaron Neville’s released a new gospel project this week that, like Mavis Staples’ project, will likely get significant mainstream attention.  We’ll see.

What do you guys think???

Hey folks, just a quick heads-up to let you know that a cool compilation from Light Records is in stores TODAY– it’s Bishop Morton Celebrates 25 Years of Music: A Live Celebration.

The collection of music honors and celebrates the musical legacy of Bishop Paul Morton.  There’s both a CD and DVD component, featuring tribute performances from CeCe Winans, Mary Mary, Shirley Caesar, PJ Morton, Sheri Jones-Moffett and more.

Click here to listen to snippets and to make a purchase.

Anybody grabbin’ this one???

Several years back, I watched VH1 Divas Live as Bishop Paul Morton joined Aretha Franklin on stage to kill “Precious Memories” before the masses.

I love this performance today as much as I did back then.  Check it out–

What’dya think???

Remember on Tuesday, when I told you big news was coming about the Dove Awards?  Well, it came…

Word has it that the GMA’s Dove Awards will take place in Atlanta, GA in 2011, leaving its home of Nashville for the first time in the award program’s history.  The event will take place at the Fox Theater on April 20, 2011.

In its press release, the GMA mentioned that Atlanta is home to many of the industry’s biggest names– and it included SEVERAL gospel artists, like Byron Cage, Canton Jones… even Dottie Peoples.  And Bishop Paul Morton was quoted in the press release.

I hear inclusion and diversity comin’ on the horizon.

Now, the question is– will the gospel community RECIPROCATE it?  The GMA has, historically, had extremely low membership among the “black gospel” community.  They’re clearly putting a good foot forward, I think… what will our response be?  Will we see their effort and raise ‘em a few, or will we say “y’all never include us”?  I dunno…

What do you guys think about the move???

Marvin Sapp continues to reign atop Billboard’s Gospel Album charts, with sales surpassing 113,000 units in just two weeks!

Everyone in the top 10 spots stays in the same position as last week–

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#4 | James Fortune & FIYA – Encore
#5 | Tamela Mann - The Master Plan
#6 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#7 | Mary Mary – The Sound
#8 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#9 | Earnest Pugh – Live: Rain On Us
#10 | Bishop Paul Morton – Memorable Moments

Which of the albums above do you NOT have?

Which of the top 10 albums is your favorite so far?

Talk to me!