Hezekiah Walker, Mary Mary Garner Multiple Honors at 25th Stellar Awards

by Bob Marovich, The Black Gospel Blog

At last year’s Stellar Awards ceremony, Marvin Sapp needed a U-Haul to cart his multiple awards back to Michigan.

This year, Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Choir and Mary Mary could use some assistance lugging their hardware home.

Walker and his choir claimed five Stellar Awards, including Artist of the Year. Contemporary gospel duo Mary Mary took home four statues, including Song of the Year for their smash hit “God In Me.”

The Stellar Awards 25th Anniversary taping took place Saturday night, January 16, 2010 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. A packed house was treated to hosts Vickie Winans, Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin, and live performances that blended the old and the new.

The show featured what may arguably be some of the finest musical moments in Stellar Awards’ history.

Inspired combinations included the powerhouse trio of Tramaine Hawkins, Dottie Peoples and Shirley Caesar. Smokie Norful and Richard Smallwood sang and played grand pianos on their respective “I Need You Now” and “Total Praise.” Their classical-meets-gospel blend was the ceremony’s highlight until Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp and Byron Cage sang a medley of their own individual hits and collectively brought the Grand Ole Opry down, timber by timber. Fans and artists shouted and wept. The wiry Kirk Franklin sprinted to the front of the stage to preach about how in the midst of trials, God still loves you because you are his child. The extended segment will probably not make the final edited program, but those present will agree that the show went from awards ceremony to prayer service during this portion of the program.

BET’s “Sunday Best” winner Crystal Aiken and first runner-up Shari Addison also picked up Stellars. Aiken was named New Artist of the Year and Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year, and Addison won for Traditional CD of the Year.

Special honors were bestowed on gospel music’s legends. The Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award went to the Mississippi Mass Choir, the James Cleveland Lifetime Achivement Award to Lee Williams and the Spiritual QCs, and the Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award to Edwin Hawkins. The Spiritual QCs were also named Quartet of the Year.

Visit www.thestellarawards.com for more information on 2010 nominees and awardees, and for information on when the 2010 Stellar Awards will be televised in your area.