The nominees for the 10th annual BET Awards were announced yesterday. The awards program recognizes the gospel genre in its Best Gospel Artist category. This year, nods in that category go to:
Marvin Sapp
The Anointed Pace Sisters
Kirk Franklin Presents Artists United For Haiti
Tamela Mann
Vickie Winans
Happy about Marvin Sapp, thrilled for the Pace Sisters (project was slept on– read my review for more info), satisfied about Tamela Mann and Vickie Winans. I dunno that the Haiti relief project should’ve been nominated. Don’t get me wrong– I love everything that it is, was and ever stood for… I just dunno that it should be put in the Best Gospel Artist category. Are we saying that, merely for being there, the participants are “the best” this year?
For me, this list is missing BeBe & CeCe Winans. After a 15-year hiatus, gospel’s most famous duo returns with the highest album debut of 2009, sales that kept them at #1 on the gospel chart for MONTHS, plus media exposure that included a performance on Oprah… and they’re not even nominated? What must one DO?! I don’t get the nominations criteria.
I wouldn’t be the only one, of course, as nominations are doled out by a select and secret committee comprised of… well, we’re not really told who. By the way, what’s with awards shows not telling us who’s doing all the awardin’?!
In any case, I’m predicting Marvin Sapp on this one. And after a record-breaking debut across all genres of music a couple of months ago, I think he deserves it.
This year’s BET Awards will be hosted by Queen Latifah and will be broadcast live from L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium on Sunday, June 27th at 8pm ET/7pm CST on BET.
What do you think of the nominees???