Stellar Awards 2023: Where and how to watch awards ceremony, performers, nominees and more details

The annual Stellar Awards is an award ceremony presented by SAGMA for honoring and appreciating talent in the gospel music industry. The 2023 edition of the ceremony is all set to take place and here are all the details you need to know. From performances to nominees, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this year’s Stellar Awards.

When and where to watch Stellar Awards 2023?

The 2023 Stellar Awards will be held on Sunday, August 6, 2023, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The annual award show is in its 38th edition this year and will be aired live on BET at 8/7c. “We couldn’t be more proud to bring this to viewers while honoring the work of Gospel music artists and industry professionals who use their gifts to lift the spirits of many during troubling times,” said Don Jackson, founder of the annual Stellar Awards.

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Stellar Awards 2023 host and performers

The 2023 edition of the Stellar Awards is co-hosted by Tasha Cobbs-Leonard and Jonathan McReynolds. The two are returning to host the awards ceremony for the second year. CeCe Winans will be honored with the Aretha Franklin Icon Award. Dr. Bobby Jones and Rev. Dr. Milton Biggham will receive the Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award and the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award respectively.

Some of the many performers at this year’s ceremony include Kierra Sheard-Kelly, Naomi Raine, Charles Jenkins, Maranda Curtis, Tim Bowman Jr. & Faith City Music, Doe, Dorothy Norwood, Zacardi Cortez, Natalie Grant, Dottie Peoples, HLE, David Maan, Issac Caree, Israel Houghton, Lena Byrd Miles, Tamela Mann, Tye Tribett, and Kirk Franklin.

Stellar Awards 2023 nominees

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 ft. James Fortune; 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

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

• PJames Fortune & David Outing; My Life; FIYA World / MNRK
• Rodney Andre Turner, Jr. & Michael McClure Jr.; Winning; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
• Tony Brown, Jonathan Jay, Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore & Norman Gyamfi; Kingdom Book One; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
• Travis Greene, Matthew Edwards, Brunes Charles & Reggie Rhett; Tent Revival; Tribl Records, LLC
• Tye Tribbett; All Things New; Motown Gospel

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; 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; Brent Jones; JDI Entertainment
• Rampology Vol. 1 (Live); Bishop S.Y. Younger feat. Sounds of the Ramp; Ramp Records / MNRK

URBAN / INSPIRATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

• Bless Me; Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin; Tribl Records / Fo Yo Soul Recordings / RCA Inspiration
• Get Up; Tye Tribbett; Motown Gospel
• Impossible ft. James Fortune; Pastor Mike Jr.; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
• The Better Benediction ft. Zacardi Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers, and Darrel ‘MusiqCity’ Walls; PJ Morton; Morton Records / Empire
• When I Pray; DOE; Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Goodness of God; C’mon Creative; Pure Springs/FairTrade Services/Red Alliance Media
• Jesus (feat. Le’Andria Johnson); Joshua Freeman and Tim Bowman Jr.; Faith City Music/Tribl Records, LLC
• Mr. McClure; Michael McClure, Andre Rudolph & Antonio Minifield; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
• Positive; James Earl; My Block Inc.

SPECIAL EVENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Christmas at Our House; Teddy & Tina Campbell; Gee Tree Creative/Red Alliance Media
• Kingdom Business: Season 1 Soundtrack; Kingdom Business Cast; RCA Inspiration / Sony Music Entertainment
• T.D. Jakes Presents “Finally Loosed”; Various Artists; Dexterity Sounds
• The Urban Hymnal; Tennessee State University Marching Band, Kierra Sheard Kelly, Sir The Baptist & Dubba-AA; Tennessee State University

RAP HIP HOP GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• As I Am; 1K Phew; Reach Records
• Church Clothes 4; Lecrae; Reach Records
• He’s Been Good; Miz Tiffany; Mixed Bag Entertainment
• Us Against the World; God Over Money; God Over Money Records

YOUTH PROJECT OF THE YEAR

• Alana Inez; Minor in a Major World; Law Ent.
• Alphonso (A.J.) Evans Jr.; Not 2 Young; Enon Music Group
• AMG Kidz; Sunday School; AMG Kidz / Anderson Music Group
• Detroit Youth Choir; Rockspell; Confidential Records
• Walt Whitman & The Soul Children of Chicago; Still Standing; M’Paact Records

QUARTET OF THE YEAR

• Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson; Restructure, Renew Reunion; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
• The Christian Brothers; He ReWrote My Story; Millennium Sound Records
• The Hawkins Boys; Vanquish; Melvin Williams Entertainment
• The Williams Singers; Quartagious (Deluxe Edition); Deznell Music Group / Anderson Music Group

RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING OF THE YEAR

• All Things New; Mike McKesey & Trent Nicholson; Motown Gospel
• Clarity; Tyler Simien; Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration
• Overcomer Deluxe; Keston McKinnon; Tillymann Music Group
• Worship & Justice; Tim Parker; RCA Inspiration

PRAISE AND WORSHIP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Die To Live; Maranda Curtis; Butterfly Works /Red Alliance Media
• Hymns; Tasha Cobbs Leonard; TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel
• Morning Songs; Dulaneyland Music; MNRK
• The Invitation; Isabel Davis; Global Ministry Records

PRAISE AND WORSHIP SONG OF THE YEAR

• I Still Have You; Smokie Norful; Tre’Myles Music / MNRK
• I Will Rejoice; Isabel Davis; Global Ministry Records
• The Moment; Tasha Cobbs Leonard; TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel
• You’ve Been Good To Me; Zacardi Cortez; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide

RAP / HIP HOP SONG OF THE YEAR

• Any Attack; Lecrae + 1K Phew; Reach Records
• Blak Sheep; Pastor Mike Jr.; Blacksmoke Music Worldwide
• He’s Been Good; Miz Tiffany; Mixed Bag Entertainment
• Jireh (My Provider) ft. Lecrae + HappiMusic; Limoblaze; Limoblaze Music
• New; Tye Tribbett; Motown Gospel

GOSPEL ANNOUNCER OF THE YEAR

• Charles Johnson, KOKA 980 AM, Pastor CeJay In The Afternoons
• Darlene McCoy Jackson, WPZE Praise 102.5 – The Nightly Spirit With Darlene
• Erica Campbell, Nationally Syndicated, Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell
• Melanie Pratt, WPZS Praise – Melanie In The Midday

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