The 27th Annual Stellar Awards were held on Saturday, January 14, 2012 in Nashville, TN at the Grand Ole Opry House.

And here are this year’s winners (winners in bold and blue)!

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

Male Vocalist of the Year
Earnest Pugh
Israel Houghton
Smokie Norful
VaShawn Mitchell

Female Vocalist of the Year
Beverly Crawford
Kim Burrell
Martha Munizzi
Yolanda Adams

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

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

Choir of the Year
Chicago Mass Choir
Mississippi Mass Choir
Ricky Dillard
Shekinah Glory Ministry

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

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

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

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…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 show was hosted by Marvin Sapp and Dorinda Clark Cole, and will begin airing in local markets on January 21, 2012 (visit the Stellar Awards website for Local Airdates). The program will also be broadcast on gmc on February 11, 2012 at 8pm ET.

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.

Registration is now open for the annual Singers & Musicians Conference, hosted by Dorinda Clark Cole!

The conference will be held from September 28 to October 1 in Detroit, MI at Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC.  It features daily workshops, nightly artist spotlights, evening worship services, an urban music cafe and a new artist showcase. Registration isn’t necessary to attend the evening worship services or Dr. Cole’s appreciation service, but all other events require registration.

This year’s featured guests include Karen Clark Sheard, VaShawn Mitchell, Wess Morgan, Troy Sneed and Ben Tankard.

You can visit the Conference’s official website for more info and to register.

Anyone planning to attend?

The Gospel Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit founded by Dr. Teresa Hairston (of Gospel Today magazine) fifteen years ago, is adding regional conferences to its ever-popular annual Praise & Worship Conference, the first of which begins TODAY in Cleveland, OH.

Each regional conference will consist of Friday evening ‘Worship and Word’ services, followed by an artist showcase featuring local talent. From that talent pool, local artists may receive an invitation to perform at an upcoming annual conference or live recording.

Regional conferences end  on Saturday mornings with a three-hour seminar featuring Dr. Teresa Hairston, along with national speakers and recording artists, including Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Wess Morgan, Joe Pace, JJ Hairston and Dr. John Guns.

A quick look at the cities/churches sponsoring a regional conference:

Aug. 19 – Aug. 20 | Cleveland, OH | New Spirit Revival Center
Sep. 23 – Sep. 24 | Bloomfield, CT | First Cathedral
Sep. 30 – Oct. 01 | Washington, DC | Mt. Calvary Holy Church
Nov. 11 – Nov. 12 | Sacramento, CA | This Is Pentecost Fellowship Ministry

Next year’s annual conference will again take place in Jacksonville, FL, from February 16-18, 2012.

For more info about the regional conferences and the annual conference, visit Gospel Heritage’s website at http://www.gospelheritage.org.

Be there!

Wess Morgan is set to make an appearance on BET’s Mo’Nique show tonight, at 11pm ET.

Make sure you tune in to catch his performance!

A list of performers and presenters for the 26th Annual Stellar Awards has been released!

Among the performers are Marvin Sapp, Beverly Crawford, Deitrick Haddon, the Nevels Sisters, VaShawn Mitchell, the Soul Seekers, the Williams Brothers, the Rance Allen Group, forever Jones, JJ Hairston and Joshua’s Troop.  Also performing will be an all-star choir in tribute to Kirk Franklin, and the winners of the 2010 How Sweet the Sound competition in tribute to Donald Lawrence.

Award presenters and other participants will include J Moss, Dorinda Clark Cole, Hezekiah Walker, Andrae Crouch, Vickie Winans, Lisa Page Brooks, DeWayne Woods, Wess Morgan, Myron Butler, Yvette Nicole Brown, Dr. Bobby Jones and more.

The show will be taped this Saturday in Nashville, TN, at the Grand Ole Opry House, and will air on gmc on March 5 at 8pm ET.  The program will also air in various national markets from January 22nd through March 13th.  Check your local listings!

Yesterday, I learned that Nashville’s got a gospel radio station.  Actually, I knew that there was one, but until yesterday, I definitely was not getting it where I live.  Maybe they got a stronger signal… *shrugs*

But there it was, VaShawn Mitchell’s “Nobody Greater,” Wess Morgan’s “I Choose To Worship,” and Hezekiah Walker’s “Grateful”… all on my dial over the course of 15 minutes.  I even heard an older, dope track from Kevin Davidson called “Bounce Back,” which I thoroughly enjoyed.

And it occurred to me, if not for the fact that I run a gospel music blog, and I get press releases and new releases sent to me, I would have to work VERY hard to know what’s happening, especially if there were no gospel radio station in my area. Gospel and Christian music is my full-time job, so “knowing” is just about all I’ve got time for.

But many of you have gigs at schools, corporations and whatever else… you don’t get paid to “know,” but you still want to.  So, I’m curious–

1. Do you have a gospel radio station where you live?

2. If so, how heavily do you depend on that station to give you info?

3. If not, how do you learn about new stuff in gospel?  From the web?  In church?

Just wondering… talk to me!

Word has it that Youthful Praise leader and songwriter JJ Hairston can add “television host” to his list of accomplishments– he’s the host of TBN’s new show, 15th Street Live.

In fact, if you’re in the NYC area, you can attend his next taping THIS MONDAY, November 15th.  It’s at the TBN studio, 111 E 15th Street (off of Union Square).  Doors open at 6pm and taping begins promptly at 7pm.  Seats are first come, first served.

The show will feature Jonathan Nelson, Wess Morgan, Deon Kipping, Jonathan Dubose and Durward Davis!

Kinda wish I still lived in NYC… :-\

Congrats to JJ on the new show! Now, who’s going???

Mia Paylor weighs in on whether you should Purchase or Pass on the new album from Wess Morgan…

Armed with a powerful testimony (he’s a former addict), the gift to preach, an awesome backing choir (The Celebration of Life Choir), fresh material, and a soulful (cough…black…cough) delivery…even a penchant for bow ties, Wess Morgan is ready to usher you out of your flesh and into the spirit realm!

Released on October 19th, Wess Morgan’s Under an Open Heaven is a must-have for Praise & Worship music lovers who enjoy singing songs full of soul and substance.

“Oh, Great One” opens the project. The music has a big, full sound fitting for an opening number. You hear horns, strings, hits…all of that. The joyful lyrics make it very clear who the “Great One” is (Oh, Great One/Messiah/We bless You). Wess leads the song with skill and vigor, switching seamlessly from singing to speaking. And, the drive at the end makes you want to leap!

“I Will Sing of Your Great Love” is another big song that could’ve also served as the CD opener. The song includes surprising twists with the melody that I really love. I was a little disappointed in the ending. The words, “I don’t know what you’ve come to do/But I’ve come to praise the Lord”, detracted from the songs originality. In fact, let’s all agree to retire that statement right now!

“I Choose to Worship” is the worship ballad posted here at GospelPundit.com. Many agreed that this song was full of power and passion. It’s a testimony, a declaration, and a directive all in one moving song. The build of the song evokes emotion. This is definitely one of my favorites from this collection.

Wess teaches folks how to shine up an old standard with the inclusion of “Welcome Into This Place.” This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE VERSION OF THIS SONG! Who knew this song had verses?! It’s so perfect that I don’t know how to describe it other than to say…it’s perfect!

Simple and elegant, “More of You”, with its pleading string arrangement, effectively brings the lyrics, “Lord, I want more/More of You/Less of me/Increase”, to life. Wess leads this song with an artist who sounds like Lakewood’s Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff. Both provide all the adlibs and exhortations one can stand. I do wish the song didn’t end so rapidly.

The title track, “Under an Open Heaven”, is a fresh spin on self-encouraging songs. It explains that we have to do a bit more than believe in order to receive. “The favor of God is reigning on me” after “I’ve prayed” and “I’ve fasted.” Now, “I’m in my season of blessing!” Hallelujah! Somebody gets it! Thanks, Wess, lol.

Wess also includes a few surprising styles on this release: Latin Jazz (“Sing Unto the Lord”), Jazz (“I Cannot Fail the Lord”), and R&B (“You Gave Me Hope”).  And, if anyone questions whether or not Wess can really squall, take one listen to the “Something About that Name Medley” or the “Praise Medley (We Enter In)” to get your answer. *snickering*

Woo… I love this project! Purchase!

Big congrats to Tye Tribbett, whose “Fresh” new album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week!  I am, in fact, listening to that album as I type this post.  Music for livin’.

Kudos also to Wess Morgan, who debuted at #10 with Under An Open Heaven. Also, kudos to Joe Pace who debuted at #11 with his newest project, Praise for the Sanctuary.

The top 10 looks like this:

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

I’m a bit dismayed that Israel Houghton’s Love God. Love People appears to have fallen from the #2 slot, totally out of the top 10 in just a week.  It’s so bizarre that I’m almost wondering if someone made an administrative error…

In any case, what do you think of the charts this week???