Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene and Tamela Mann Among Top Winners at 2024 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards

Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene and Tamela Mann tied for BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year at the 2024 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, which were held at Flourish in Atlanta on Thursday March 28. Each songwriter wrote two of the most performed gospel songs of the year. Franklin was honored for “Bless Me” and “Kingdom,” Greene for “Finished” and “Tent Revival,” and Mann for “Finished” and “He Did It for Me.”

Franklin won a second award for “Kingdom,” which was named the BMI Gospel Song of the Year. Franklin cowrote the song with Jonathan Jay, Chandler Moore and Jacob Poole. The song, which was recorded by Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin, won a Grammy for best gospel performance/song at the 65th annual Grammy Awards in February 2023.

BMI’s Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Essential Music Publishing for the second year in a row.

Throughout the luncheon event, BMI saluted the Top 25 most-performed gospel songs of the previous year. The private ceremony was hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI’s president & CEO, and Catherine Brewton, vice president, creative, Atlanta.

As previously announced, gospel legend and evangelist Dorinda Clark-Cole, of the acclaimed Clark Sisters, was honored as a Trailblazer of Gospel Music. Upon receiving the honor, Clark-Cole offered this advice for songwriters: “When you are at your lowest, that’s when God can get your greatest… keep writing, keep getting inspired by God because somebody is being blessed.”

Crystal Aikin, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Yolanda Adams, Lisa Knowles-Smith and Clark-Cole’s niece Kierra Sheard performed songs to fete Clark-Cole.

Jonathan McReynolds received the BMI Champion Award, the first time this accolade was presented at this ceremony. DOE, Tyree Miller, Darrel Walls and Jason Nelson sang tributes to McReynolds.

Tim Bowman, Jr., Kim Burrell and Faith City Music and Zacardi Cortez also performed at the event.