Central City Productions today announced the nominees in 25 categories for the 38th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards that will be held on Saturday 15th July 2023. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard and Jonathan McReynolds return to share co-hosting duties for the 2nd year.

Eleven-time Stellar Award winner Pastor Mike, Jr. leads the field of nominees this year with ten nominations. The trailblazing Gospel artist earned recognition this year for his work on the album “Winning” (Blacksmoke Music Worldwide), in the key categories of Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Contemporary Male Artist of the Year, Urban Inspirational Single or Performance of the Year, Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year, Music Video of the Year and Contemporary Album of the Year.

With nine nominations, groundbreaking Gospel artist Tye Tribbett is being recognized by the voting body for excellence in the categories of Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, Contemporary Male Artist of the Year, Contemporary Album of the Year, Rap/Hip Hop Song of the Year, Urban/Inspirational Single or Performance of the Year for his work on “All Things New” (Motown Gospel). In addition, the project received a nomination for Recorded Music Packaging of the Year.

Always appreciating a great musical collaboration, Stellar Awards voters recognized Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin with six nominations for keeping the praise party elevated on their project “Kingdom Book One” (Tribl Records/Fo Yo Soul Recordings/RCA Inspiration), nominated in the categories of Artist of the Year, Contemporary Duo/Chorus Group of the Year, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, Urban/Inspirational Single or Performance of the Year and Contemporary Album of the Year.

Stellar Awards 2023 co-host and fifteen-time winner Tasha Cobbs-Leonard continues to bless audiences with her gift and is rewarded this year with five nominations for her work on “Hymns” (TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel), including Artist of the Year, Albertina Walker Female Artist of the Year, Contemporary Female Artist of the Year, Praise and Worship Song of the Year, and Praise and Worship Album of the Year. Also earning five nominations each are Zacardi Cortez for his work on “Imprint” (Blacksmoke Music Worldwide), and DOE, nominated for the first time as a solo artist for her work on the album “Clarity” (Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration). DOE is going head-to-head with Cobbs-Leonard, Maranda Curtis, and legends CeCe Winans and Tamela Mann in the prestigious Albertina Walker Female Artist of the Year category. Mann, a sixteen-time Stellar Award winner, is nominated this year in four total categories for her project “Overcomer Deluxe” (Tillymann Music Group), including Album of the Year, Contemporary Album of the Year and Contemporary Female Artist of the Year.

Other artists earning multiple Stellar nominations include: Travis Greene & Forward City, JJ Hairston, Maranda Curtis, Bishop S.Y. Younger feat. Sounds of the Ramp, and Brent Jones.

This year’s James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Reverend Milton Biggham, Pastor of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Newark, NJ 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.

SUMMARY OF 2023 STELLAR AWARDS TOP NOMINEES

Pastor Mike, Jr. – 10 Nominations

Tye Tribbett – 9 Nominations

Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin – 6 Nominations

Tasha Cobbs Leonard – 5 Nominations

Zacardi Cortez – 5 Nominations

DOE* – 5 Nominations

Tamela Mann – 4 Nominations

Maranda Curtis – 3 Nominations

Travis Greene & Forward City – 3 Nominations

JJ Hairston – 3 Nominations

Brent Jones* – 3 Nominations

Bishop S.Y. Younger feat. Sounds of the Ramp – 3 Nominations