The 2023 Stellar Gospel Music Awards will shine in Las Vegas on July 15, 2023.
The longest-running African American awards program on TV will be hosted by Jonathan McReynolds and Tasha Cobbs Leonard and will be at the Orleans Arena.
Pastor Mike, Jr. and Tye Tribbett are the leading nominees, 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.
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.
Major category nominees for the 2023 Stellar Gospel Music Awards include:
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
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
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