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Now in its eighth year, the much-anticipated Sterling Gospel Music Awards is set to take place on Saturday, October 5. Following the recent announcement of the nominees, public voting for the People’s Choice categories are open. With 18 categories in total – some decided by the Sterling Committee – all eyes and ears are eagerly awaiting the winners to be revealed at the event, which will be held at Emmanuel Apostolic Church on Slipe Road, Kingston. This year, a few familiar names are once again in the running for top honours.
Fresh off his win last year for ‘Male Artiste of the Year’, Johnmark Wiggan is once again nominated and is among the few contenders with multiple nominations in various categories. Joining him in the Male Artiste of the Year line-up are Kevin Downswell, Jai Kingston, and Prince Saj. 2023 Female Artiste of the Year, Petra Kaye, returns to the stage as a 2024 nominee alongside Rhoda Isabella, Marvia Providence, and Chevelle Franklyn. The final nominees for ‘Group of the Year’ include H.U.M.B.L.E.; Perpetual Sounds of Praise; C.A.G. Family; and last year’s winner, Levy’s Heritage.
Explaining this year’s winner selection process, founder of the Sterling Gospel Music Awards, Basillia Barnaby-Cuff, told The Gleaner: “This year, our committee did something a little different, where we allowed people to submit their work for consideration, within a specified time period. After that, all entries were vetted to ensure that they met the criteria. For categories like Male, Female, and Group of the Year, our Sterling Committee submitted eligible individuals for consideration. After that, all eligible submissions were placed in a pool, and the top entries in each were selected to move on to the next round. Subsequently, the top entries in each round were then selected to move on to the final voting stage.”
A contrast to last year’s black-and-white dress code, this year’s event is embracing a vintage glam twist, whisking attendees back to the Regency era, inspired by the ever-popular Bridgerton series. Dubbed ‘Sterling 8’, in recognition of their eighth staging and guided by the theme “Recognising Talent ... Rewarding Excellence”, the event promises to offer attendees even more excitement, kicking off with the iconic red-carpet moment – an ideal chance for the anticipated photo ops.
“Our red-carpet session will be extended from one to two hours, allowing more individuals to take part in this aspect of the show. Over the years, we found that one hour was not sufficient to cater to all those who wanted to be a part of the red-carpet experience. Also, the first 100 persons to arrive at the event will get a Sterling swag bag filled with goodies, “ said an excited Barnaby-Cuff.
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When asked which category she is most excited to hear the results of, Barnaby-Cuff shared: “I am always excited about the ‘Breakout Sensation of the Year’ category because it highlights young and upcoming artistes who have been putting in the work. I sort of view it as the category that gives us a preview of the future of the gospel music industry.”
The categories for the People’s Choice categories include Gospel DJ of the Year, Gospel Personality of the Year, Most Rated Event of the Year, Most Rated Radio Programme of the Year, Online Radio Programme of the Year, Virtual Gospel Series of the Year, and Video of the Year. Voting can be done online at sterlinggospelawards.com, closing on September 28 at midnight.
The nominees for the People’s Choice categories are:
Gospel DJ of the Year
– DJ Chinny
– DJ Marc
– DJ Noi
– DJ Rebirth
Gospel Personality of the Year
– Anya-Jean Phillips-Wilson
– Ava-Gay Blair-Black
– Jucal Dyer
– Sara-Ann Edwards-Miller
– Shannon-Dale Reid
Most Rated Event of the Year
– 4 Healing
– Audience of One
– You Deserve It Vol. 9
– Genesis
– Validation Album Launch
– Walk by Faith
– Judah Generation - Praise Fest
– Acts of Kindness School Tour
– Sing Out
– Overflow Worship Experience
Most Rated Radio Programme of The Year
– The Gospel Light – Ava-Gay Blair-Black - Gospel Ja
– Love in the Morning – Jucal Dyer – LOVE 101 F.M.
– The Drive – Mical Forsythe – NCU F.M.
– The Gospel Beat – Neison Williams – Gospel Ja
– Alive – Sara-Ann Edwards-Miller – LOVE 101 F.M.
Online Radio Programme of the Year
– Jamerican Gospel Show – Danville Howell
– The Praise Ministry – DC Praise
– The Journey with Corrie B
Virtual Gospel Series of the Year
– Sheena Power Talk - Sheena Lyn Hanson
– Michelle Marie Show –Michelle McIntyre
– The Dayelight Show – Crystal Daye
– Daily Sustaining Word - Oneil Pusey
– Dominion Series – Pastor David Lewis
Video of The Year
– Rock Medley – Oshane Mais ft. Petra Kaye
– Step Out – LeoNell Teape
– No Hanky Panky – Jai Kingston ft. RADIC
– Conquest – Prince Saj
– Talk About Mi God – Trevelle Clarke-Whyne
– The Prayer Medley – Petra Kaye
– Validation – Johnmark Wiggan
– Beautiful Day Remix – Prinz, Jermaine Edwards & Rushawn
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