THE 27TH ANNUAL STELLAR AWARDS. And the Nominees are...

History will again be made on Saturday, January 14, 2012 as The 27th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards returns to Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN, USA.
The prestigious Awards Ceremony will feature performances by Gospel superstars Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Earnest Pugh and James Fortune & FIYA among others.

Presenters include Cece Winans, Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, Kim Fields, Karen Clark Sheard, Kurt Carr, Dr. Bobby Jones, VaShawn Mitchell, and Dottie Peoples. Hosting this year’s edition of the 'Stellars' is multiple award winner Marvin Sapp and Dorinda Clark Cole.

VaShawn Mitchell leads this year’s nominees with an impressive ten nods for his work on his 2011 release Triumphant, including “Artiste of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the Year”. Also with six nods for their respective projects Something Big and Hello Fear are Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin, followed closely by Deitrick Haddon with five nominations for his latest album “Church on the Moon.

Here is the full nomination list for this year’s Stellar Awards

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 - Love God, Love People
Kirk Franklin - Hello Fear
VaShawn Mitchell, Daniel Weatherspoon & Rick Robinson - Triumphant
Warryn Campbell/Mary Mary - 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 - Dominionaire (Canton Jones)
Denise Trotman & Greg Gilligan - Hello Fear (Kirk Franklin)
Martha Munizzi - Make It Loud (Martha Munizzi)
Tanner Gary - 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

The following are the recipients of this year’s special awards:

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

*[list courtesy of GospelPundit.com]

*The 27^th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards tapes before a live audience January 14, 2012.

According to Stella Awards crew, it promises to be a spirit filled, hand-clapping, foot-stomping revival. Halleluyah!!!