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VaShawn Mitchell Wins 6 Stellar Awards

Kirk Franklin performing during the Stellar Awards

TBR — Nashville, TN — Gospel singer/composer VaShawn Mitchell swept six categories, more than any other artist, to become Saturday night’s big winner at the 27th annual Stellar Awards, which was held at the Grand Ole Opry House and will air on television in syndication Saturday through Feb. 26 on the GMC cable network.

Mitchell collected wins for Artist of the year, Male vocalist of the year, Contemporary male vocalist of the year, and Praise and Worship CD of the year for his album Triumphant, and Urban/inspirational single or performance of the year and Music video of the year for “Nobody Greater” from Triumphant.

Marvin Sapp and Dorinda Clark Cole hosted the show, which celebrates Gospel music and is characterized on the website as a “spirit-filled, hand-clapping, foot-stomping revival.” True to the description, the program was full of soaring performances from Kirk Franklin, Earnest Pugh, Fred Hammond, Ricky Dillard & New G, Richard Smallwood & Vision and other groups as well as choir performances that frequently had people up dancing or moved them to tears.

“It’s always a blessing to be on the Stellar Awards,” Smallwood said. “I’m grateful for the Stellar Awards. It’s gospel music’s own Grammys. It’s always good to be here and see my peers and feel the love from the audience.”

The evening’s other multiple winners included Kirk Franklin, who walked away with four trophies including Song for the year for “I Smile,” and CD of the year, producer of the year and contemporary CD of the year for Hello Fear.  

Once again, showing why he is so loved and respected, Kirk Franklin gave his song of the year trophy to the writer of the song “Nobody Greater” because he said, that song was his anthem.

Kim Burrell and Gospel duo Mary Mary collected two awards each. Burrell won female vocalist of the year and contemporary female of the year for The Love Album, and Mary Mary won group/duo of the year for Something Big and contemporary group/duo of the year for the same album.

 “I’m so happy about tonight’s awards because honestly I’ve been here before, but it means so much tonight because my sister wrote most of all the songs on the album,” Burrell said before introducing her sister Kathy Burrell. “She wrote our next single, ‘Open Up the Door,’ so when it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Legends honored

The Stellar Awards annually honor three of gospel music’s most celebrated veterans with specialty awards. This year a tearful John P. Kee was presented with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award. Vy Higginsen accepted the Thomas Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award. Dorothy Norwood, often called the world’s greatest gospel storyteller, was given the Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award.

“I’m grateful for this feeling, this memory, and this moment to sit in the room where gospel is being celebrated and acknowledged and appreciated with some of the greatest voices of our time,” Higginsen said. “There’s something about the power of the human voice when it’s sung with feeling and spirit. I’m bedazzled by this whole experience. I’m excited.”

The Stellar Awards, which originated in Chicago but moved to Nashville in 2005, consist of 29 categories. This year recordings were eligible for award show consideration if they were released between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, and earned at least a Top 50 spot on the Billboard charts. Nominees are determined and voted on in the first round by members of the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy, which is made up of record company executives, artists, radio announcers, gospel music industry professionals and supporters. The general public is allowed to vote in the second and final rounds to determine the four nominees in each category. Gospel music fans also vote to determine the evening’s winners.

Here’s a Complete list of the winners for the 2012 Stellar Awards in all 29 categories

Artist of the Year: Vashawn Mitchell- Triumphant

Song of the Year: Kirk Frankllin,  Smile – Hello Fear

Male Vocalist of Year: Vashawn Mitchell – Triumphant

Albertina Walker Female Vocalist of the Year: Kim Burrell – The Love Album

Group/Duo of the Year: Mary Mary – Something Big

New Artist of the Year: Y’Anna Crawley, The Promise

CD of the year: Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear

Choir of the Year: Ricky Dillard & New G – Keep Living

Producers of the Year: Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear

Instrumental CD – Moses Tyson – Music Remastered Scared Organ

Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year: Mary Mary – Something Big

Traditional Group/Duo of the Year: The Rance Allen Group – The Live Experience

Contemporary Male of the Year: Vashawn Mitchell – Triumphant

Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year: Smokie Norful – How I got Over Songs that Carried Us

Contemporary Female Vocalists of the Year: Kim Burrell – The Love Album

Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year: Beverly Crawford – Live from Los Angeles

Contemporary CD of the Year: Kirk Franklin – Hello Fear

Traditional CD of the Year: Smokie Norful – How I got Over Songs that Carried Us

Urban/Inspirational single or performance of the Year: Vashawn Mitchell – Nobody Greater

Music Video of the Year, Short Format: Vashawn Mitchell – Nobody Greater

Music Video of the Year, Long Format: Deitrick Haddon – Church on the Moon: Part one

Traditional Choir of the Year: Mississippi Mass Choir

Contemporary Choir of the Year: Shekinah Glory Ministry

Thomas A Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award Honoree: Vy Higginsen

Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legend Awards Honoree: Dorothy Norwood

James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree: John P. Kee

The Stellar Awards annually honors three of Gospel music’s most celebrated veterans with specialty awards.

This year a tearful John P. Kee was presented with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award. Vy Higginsen accepted the Thomas Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award. Dorothy Norwood, often called the world’s greatest gospel storyteller, was given the Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award.

The Stellar Award will air on television in syndication Saturday through Feb. 26 on the GMC cable network.

courtesy of www.thebellereport.net