| Stellar Awards | |
|---|---|
| Current:40th Annual Stellar Awards | |
 | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding achievements in thegospel music industry |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy (SAGMA) / Stellar Universe Productions |
| First award | 1984; 41 years ago (1984) |
| Website | thestellarawards |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | |
AStellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in thegospel music industry.[1] The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent gospel artists, and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest.[2] The Stellars are the first of the Big Two major gospel music awards held annually.
The first Stellar Awards ceremony was held on 1984, to honor and respect the musical accomplishments by gospel performers for the year 1983. Following the 2018 ceremony, SAGMA overhauled a few Stellar Award categories for 2019.
In 2020, the awards show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was aired virtually on August 23, 2020.[3] Jekalyn Carr later hosted the "Stellar Tribute to the Holidays", which aired on local channels and on UPtv, Aspire TV, and Bounce TV..[4]
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The first award ceremony was held atArie Crown Theater inChicago in 1984.[5] Over the years, The Stellars have been held in various locations including Atlanta,[6] Houston,[7] Los Angeles, Las Vegas,[8] Nashville,[9] and New York. Starting from the 30th Annual Stellar Awards in 2015, the show has been held at theOrleans Arena inLas Vegas,[10] and airing on Americandigital cable andsatellitetelevision networkTV One.[11] Starting with the 34th annual ceremony in 2019, the Stellar Awards moved its annual broadcast toBET.[12] The number of awards given have also changed over the years with categories added and removed.The Stellars were produced in 1970 by Don Jackson's Chicago-based Central City Productions.[2] The production company is also a distributor of original programming to television and cable networks.[2] In the spring of 2000, Central City Productions changed the voting process by creating the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy (SAGMA).[1] SAGMA is currently the official voting body for the Stellar Awards.[1] The Academy is open to record company executives, artists, radio announcers, gospel industry professionals and supporters.[1]
Media companies registered with the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy and individual members of SAGMA (artists and other professionals working in the industry who meet certain criteria) may enter recordings for consideration, along with an entry form.[13] Record Companies and artists enter recordings and music videos online released during the eligibility period that charted in the top 25 on at least twoNielsen Charts for at least four weeks.[13] Entries are made online and two physical copies of the work is sent to SAGMA. Once a work is entered, submission go through a screening process.[13] A confidential Nominating committee made up of music industry experts in various fields meet to insure that all entries meet the eligibility criteria, all entries are in the appropriate categories, that the entries are charting in the top 25 on the Nielsen Charts during the eligibility period, and are appropriate for the Stellar Awards.[13] Each category is limited based on the dictate and discretion of the Stellar Awards Nomination Committee therefore all entries cannot be included on the ballot.[13] Technical quality, lyrics, voice quality, charting duration, project content and charting performance will be reviewed for inclusion on the ballot. All Stellar Awards Nomination Committee selections are then finalized.[13]
The voting process for narrowing down the final nominees consist of two separate ballots. The first round ballot includes eligible entries as determined by the Nominating Committee of SAGMA. Top entries for each category from the first ballot will move forward to the final ballot. During the final voting process, the general public (including fans) are the voting body for the second and final ballot to determine the Stellar Award winners. The nominees are announced during a press/radio tour.[13]
Radio & Internet Station Awards
Defunct award categories
Winner MilestonesKirk Franklin was the night's big winner with six statues. Donald Lawrence presents the Tri-CitySingers received four Stellar Awards. John P. Kee's I Made It Out delivered three StellarAwards. Tasha Cobbs Leonard garnered two trophies, while Le'Andria Johnson earned two forher work on Donald Lawrence's project, Goshen. The Walls Group received two statues for theiralbum Friend in Me, along with newcomer Pastor Mike Jr. who took home a pair of StellarAwards for his work on Live Free. Kurt Carr received two Stellar awards. Rounding out thenight with one Stellar Award each were JJ Hairston, Ben Tankard, Gospel Kids, KeithWonderboy Johnson and Greenleaf; Season 3.[13]
| # | Date | Host(s) | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1985 | Tramaine Hawkins | Arie Crown Theater, Chicago | [5][14] |
| 2 | 1986 | Al Green Tramaine Hawkins | Auditorium Theatre, Chicago | [5][15] |
| 3 | 1987 | The Winans | [5] | |
| 4 | 1988 | Tramaine Hawkins Wintley Phipps Marvin Winans | Christ Universal Complex, Chicago | [5][16] |
| 5 | 1989 | Clifton Davis Marla Gibbs | Aquarius Theater,Los Angeles | [5][17] |
| 6 | ||||
| 7 | 1991 | Clifton Davis Marilyn McCoo | Royce Hall, Los Angeles | [5][18] |
| 8 | November 5, 1992 | [19][20] | ||
| 9 | November 1993 | Clifton Davis | Auditorium Theatre, Chicago | [5][21] |
| 10 | 1994 | Clifton Davis | [5] | |
| 11 | ||||
| 12 | December 12, 1996 | Grand Ole Opry House,Nashville | [22] | |
| 13 | 1998 | Kirk Franklin | Atlanta Civic Center,Atlanta | |
| 14 | January 9, 1999 | Lynn Whitfield Steve Harvey CeCe Winans | [23][24] | |
| 15 | January 8, 2000 | Dr. Bobby Jones Donnie McClurkin Vickie Winans | [25] | |
| 16 | January 13, 2001 | Dr. Bobby Jones Vickie Winans Bishop T.D. Jakes Ananda Lewis | [26] | |
| 17 | January 12, 2002 | Yolanda Adams Donnie McClurkin | [27] | |
| 18 | January 11, 2003 | Mary Mary Donnie McClurkin Michelle Williams | [28] | |
| 19 | January 10, 2004 | Yolanda Adams Kirk Franklin Donnie McClurkin | George R. Brown Convention Center,Houston | [29] |
| 20 | January 15, 2005 | Yolanda Adams Donnie McClurkin Tonéx | [30] | |
| 21 | January 21, 2006 | Israel Houghton Donnie McClurkin Vickie Winans | Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville | [31] |
| 22 | January 13, 2007 | Kirk Franklin Mary Mary Tye Tribbett | [32] | |
| 23 | January 12, 2008 | Byron Cage Kirk Franklin CeCe Winans | [33] | |
| 24 | January 17, 2009 | Dorinda Clark-Cole Donnie McClurkin Sinbad | [34] | |
| 25 | January 16, 2010 | Kirk Franklin Donnie McClurkin Vickie Winans | [35] | |
| 26 | January 15, 2011 | Donnie McClurkin | [36] | |
| 27 | January 14, 2012 | Dorinda Clark-Cole Marvin Sapp | [37] | |
| 28 | January 19, 2013 | Kirk Franklin Mary Mary | [38][39] | |
| 29 | January 18, 2014 | Sherri Shepherd Rickey Smiley | Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville | [40] |
| 30 | March 28, 2015 | David Mann Tamela Mann Rickey Smiley | Orleans Arena, Las Vegas | [41][42] |
| 31 | February 20, 2016 | Sherri Shepherd Rickey Smiley | [43] | |
| 32 | March 25, 2017 | Anthony Brown Erica Campbell | [44] | |
| 33 | March 24, 2018 | Kirk Franklin | [45] | |
| 34 | March 29, 2019 | [46] | ||
| 35 | August 23, 2020 | Kirk Franklin, Jonathan McReynolds and Koryn Hawthorne | Virtual ceremony | [3] |
WGN Stellar Awards: "The Second Annual Gospel Music Awards" Tramaine Hawkins and Al Green introduce performers The Winans and Shirley Caesar as awards are given in 14 categories of gospel music. From The Auditorium Theater in Chicago.
Stellar Awards From Chicago's Christ Universal Complex, the fourth-annual tribute to gospel music artists features perforryiances by Shirley Caesar, James Cleveland, Commissioned, Nicholas, Take 6, the Williams Brothers and the Winans. Hosts: Tramaine Hawkins, Wintley Phipps, Marvin Winans. (2 hrs.) (Taped)
Also today: the (taped) fifth annual Stellar Awards (10:30 a.m. on 11, 4 on 5), honoring gospel music recordings, hosted by Clifton Davis and Marla Gibbs from the Aquarius Theater in Los Angeles.