39TH ANNUAL CEREMONY SET TO BE CO-HOSTED BY 2X EMMY AWARD WINNER LONI LOVE & RADIO PERSONALITY/COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY
Central City Productions recently announced the nomineesin 36 categories for the 39th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards taping on Saturday, July 20th, returning to Las Vegas at the Orleans Arena. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning TV personality and comedian Loni Love, alongside Marconi Award-winning radio/TV personality and comedian Rickey Smiley, the evening will bring together gospel music’s brightest stars for a celebration billed as “The Greatest Night in Gospel Music.” The 39th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards will premiere on the Stellar Network on Saturday, August 3rd at 8PM and 10PM EST and in broadcast syndication from August 10, 2024 – September 8, 2024.
Last year, The SMG Report rode a historic heatwave to arrive front and center with your favorite gospel artists. Check out our 2023 Stellar Awards recap!
39TH STELLAR AWARDS SET TO AIR ON THE STELLAR TV NETWORK SATURDAY, AUGUST 3RD AT 8PM EST AND 10PM EST AND IN NATIONAL TV BROADCAST SYNDICATION FROM AUGUST 10, 2024 – SEPTEMBER 8, 2024;
Don Jackson, Founder of the Stellar Awards and Chairman of Central City Productions, Inc. commented, “The Stellar Awards has always been a beacon of hope and inspiration, celebrating the very best in gospel music. We are thrilled to have Loni Love and Rickey Smiley as our hosts this year, and we know they will bring a special touch of joy and excitement to the evening.”
Celebrated artist Kim Burrell is set to receive the Aretha Franklin Icon Award; and GRAMMY Award and multiple Stellar Award winner Tye Tribbett is set to receive the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tye Tribbett Tops Nominations List With 8; Pastor Mike Jr. and Ricky Dillard Earn 6 Nominations; Jonathan McReynolds and Erica Campbell Earn 5 Nominations View All Nominations, HERE
Adding to the excitement, this year’s Stellar Awards is part of the STELLAR PLUS week, a fun-filled extravaganza centered around the flagship show. From fashion and Afrobeats day events to masterclasses and more, the Stellar Plus week offers a diverse array of activities for attendees. Whether you’re a music enthusiast, fashion lover, or someone seeking inspiration, there’s something for everyone. For those planning to attend, a full list of events and ticket information is available at stellarplusexperience.com. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to be a part of gospel music history and celebrate the artists who inspire us all. Stellar Plus events are sponsored by: Amazon Music, Compassion, The Recording Academy and more. Stellar Plus Event tickets are available now at stellarplusexperience.com.
Stellar Awards taping Tickets are available now at www.stellarawards.com or Ticketmaster.com. Additional announcements regarding ancillary events will follow. Some of the biggest names in Gospel will be appearing as participants in this year’s show – stay tuned for future announcements and follow @thestellars on Instagram and Twitter, or Stellar Gospel Music Awards on Facebook for the latest news and updates about the Greatest Night in Gospel Music.
This year’s Stellar Awards is Sponsored by Procter & Gamble with Presenting Sponsorship provided by AT&T, State Farm, McDonalds, Disney, Walmart, AFLAC and General Motors.
The 39th Stellar Gospel Music Awards show is Executive Produced by Don Jackson with Jennifer J. Jackson serving as Producer and Executive in Charge of Production; Michael A. Johnson as Producer and Director, Erin Johnson as Talent Producer and Daniel Moore as Music Director.
A full list of the 39th annual nominees can be found on the official Stellar Awards website. For more information, please visit stellarawards.com and join the conversation using the hashtag #TheStellars.
After performing a string of his wildly popular hits at the State Fair of Texas, gospel artist and pastor Tye Tribbett broke away from his hour long set at the State Fair of Texas to minister to the people of Dallas. The short missive he shared was in response to the murder of Botham Shem Jean, the ensuing trial and conviction of Amber Guyger, the act of forgiveness by Brandt Jean and the murder of state witness Joshua Brown. By seeing the abomination of injustice through the lens of the kingdom, Tribbett admonished the crowd to respond to these highly emotional moments using the protocol of the Kingdom instead of conventional practice which has torn at the seams of unity amongst believers as of late.
Tribbett, Sunday Best winner Melvin Crispell III, and many other gospel artists took to the Chevrolet Main Stage for the State Fair of TexasDay of Gospel and Inspiration, celebrating its fifth year. The threat of severe weather shortened the second half of the evening which made Tribbett the lone performer of the latter half, later joined by the Unity Choir toward the close of the set.
Tribbett acknowledged that his stance would be unpopular with many, even some of the believers in attendance. He began by addressing the thousands assembled at the Chevrolet Main Stage for the Day of Gospel and Inspiration as a black man. He interrupted the applause and continued by saying that though he is a black man, that’s not his posture…echoing the message and sentiment of Priscilla Shirer that rankled black believers this time last year.
The multi-faceted message from Pastor Tribbett affirmed that injustice is in fact an abomination to God (Proverbs 29:27), but the response is not posting…it’s prayer, as defined in 2 Chronicles 7:14. To that end, he says that believers should stop posting, humble themselves and pray. The wound is fresh and you could argue that the timing for the message is either perfect or insensitively inappropriate. But seeing how Tribbett’s schedule keeps him busy leading Live Church Orlando and hosting regularly on TBN, the timing was more than appropos for many still struggling with the sentencing phase and actions of Brandt Jean and even Judge Tammy Kemp who broke courtroom protocol to embrace the Jean family and Amber Guyger.
Following the more than eight minute impromptu homily, Tribbett brought the Day of Gospel and Inspiration to a thunderous close, followed only by light rain. For a city, region and even a country entrapped in the throes of civil, social and political tumult, one can only pray for rain that will wash away the stain of racism and hate that continues to keep our eyes away from the cross.
It may take a while, but everybody needs to “get on this train” and see Jermaine Dolly as the uber-talented musician and singer that he is. His musical gift is often overshadowed by his comedy in the witty videos seen across social media but “The Dolly Express” rides the wave of musical genius emanating from the city’s rich musical history! The album is solid but the most surprising track is “I Don’t Wanna Be Moses”, a sentiment undoubtedly shared by most believers with knowledge of Moses’ late years.
“From the success of “You” people wanted to know how I got to where I am, today. I tell ‘em Jesus Christ did that. I come to find out that a lot of people are intrigued by the thought of Jesus Christ. So I’m like now you’ve gotta find a church home to learn more about Jesus Christ. So I’m just inviting people to church and putting a positive light on the church and Jesus Christ”
Encapsulated in the 12-track album is Dolly’s genius to date! Fun tracks like radio singles “You” and “Come and Knock On Our Door” (inspired by the “Three’s Company” theme song) are bookended by his multi-voiced, hilarious skits. Following the last skit, the album takes a more focused turn, one away from the “fun” songs that have characterized Jermaine Dolly since making the leap to become a solo artist. The caboose pulling the tail end of “The Dolly Express” is a four song tour de force featuring some of Dolly’s best singing and exposes his heart!
The Philly heart of the album is exposed in each of the four ballads that end the album. “Waiting” is an incredible ode to patience in the face of today’s challenging times. The bouncing vamp is reprised on the next track and the album closes out with Dolly recounting his journey that began with the words of his grandmother. Dolly’s roots shine through as a lover of both gospel and soul music. This ride is a nod to all the great music from the city of brotherly love. From the musical arrangements to the vocal harmonies, it’s a Philly project through and through! The most lovable feature of the album is getting to know the full depth and range of an artist like Dolly. He’s cracking you up on social media, but he’s a beast of a singer, writer and musician and the Dolly Express perfectly sums it all up!
Central City Productions announces a dazzling line-up of performers for the 2018 Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, including the reunion of contemporary gospel music’s favorite sister act, Mary Mary (Erica Campbell and Tina Campbell), and the Stellar Awards debut of rapper, actor, and television personality Snoop Dogg, performing songs from his new gospel album “Bible of Love” at this year’s show. Celebrated as a “transcendent night of gospel music,” the 33rd Annual Stellar Awards promises to surpass its ‘stellar’ reputation, featuring performances by the genre’s hottest acts. Performers scheduled to appear include: Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Travis Greene, Tye Tribbett, Anthony Brown & group therAPy, Kierra Sheard, KeKe Wyatt, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Todd Dulaney, Koryn Hawthorne and Ricky Dillard & New G, among others. Returning to Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena on Saturday, March 24, 2018 the Stellar Awards welcomes the return of the undisputed crown prince of contemporary gospel music, Kirk Franklin, as host.
Elevation Worship announces new Elevation Collective album feat. Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Israel Houghton, Travis Greene, and more.
What happens when you bring Elevation Worship, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Israel Houghton, Travis Greene, Tye Tribbett, Kierra Sheard, and The Walls Group together on an album? Elevation Collective, a new project from Elevation Worship, releases on Feb. 9 in partnership with these award-winning artists in Christian music to bring a fresh take on Elevation Worship songs.
The project is comprised of 8 tracks and features members of Elevation Worship as well as the aforementioned artists. The album is available for pre-order today (Jan. 12) on iTunes, and comes with an instant download of one of the songs from the album – “Do It Again” (feat. Travis Greene & Kierra Sheard).
“We’ve seen the impact our songs have made beyond the walls of our church,” says Chris Brown of Elevation Worship. “We’ve seen them reach people in different churches, led in different styles and arrangements, and it’s inspired us to partner with some amazing artists to discover new expressions of some of our favorite Elevation Worship songs.”
Elevation Collective releases worldwide on February 9, 2018. You can pre-order today on iTunes.
About Elevation Worship – Elevation Worship is the worship ministry of Elevation Church, a multisite church based in Charlotte, NC, led by Pastor Steven Furtick. Their most recent album, “There Is A Cloud”, was released in March 2017, featuring the song “Do It Again”. Their previous album, “Here As in Heaven”, featuring the song “O Come To The Altar”, was named one of the top Christian music albums of 2017 by iTunes and Worship Leader Magazine. At 38 million audio streams in its lifetime, “O Come To The Altar”, remains the #1 most streamed Christian song for 9 weeks and counting. They have previously toured with prominent bands including Hillsong Worship, Kari Jobe, Jesus Culture, and Lauren Daigle. For more information, visit www.elevationworship.com.
