CeCe Winans to Receive Aretha Franklin Icon Award at 2023 Stellar Gospel Music Awards

CeCe Winans is set to receive the Aretha Franklin Icon Award at the 2023 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, which will be presented at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 15.

Winans has won 15 Grammy Awards, just three shy of the number received by Franklin, who died in 2018. Though Franklin will forever be known as the Queen of Soul, she also made a lasting impression with her gospel recordings, including the 1972 classic Amazing Grace and the 1987 album One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. Both of those live, double-disk recordings won Grammys for best soul gospel album.

Dr. Bobby Jones will receive the Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award. As previously announced, Rev. Dr. Milton Biggham will receive the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award. Biggham is pastor of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., 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 show will be hosted by Jonathan McReynolds and Tasha Cobbs-Leonard for the second year in a row.

Performers set to appear on the show include Kierra Sheard-Kelly, Naomi Raine, Pastor Mike, Jr., Maranda Curtis, Tim Bowman, Jr. & Faith City Music, DOE, Dorothy Norwood and Zacardi Cortez. The emerging voices stage will showcase HLE and Lena Byrd Miles. Additional performers and presenters will be announced.

The Stellar Awards red carpet special pre-show will be televised on the newly launched Stellar TV Network on Sunday, July 30, at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the 38th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards telecast at 6 p.m. ET. The Stellar Network can be found on Charter Spectrum and Verizon Fios. Both shows will be available on-demand via Xumo Play at a later date. The ceremony will also air in national broadcast syndication from Aug. 7 through Sept. 10. 

Tickets for the Stellar pre-show and main awards ceremony are now available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets range from $59 to $229.

In addition to the main awards ceremony, the Stellar Gospel Music Awards is introducing the Stellar+ Experience (Stellar+EXP), which will provide participants with a personalized experience, featuring concerts, discussions, master classes, and more. The Stellar+ Experience events will take place at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas from Wednesday, July 12, to Friday, July 14. Limited-edition passes are now available for purchase, ranging from $60 to $250, at www.eventbrite.com. For the full event schedule and more information, visit stellarplusexperience.com.

As previously reported, Pastor Mike, Jr. and Tye Tribbett are the leading nominees for the 2023 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, with 10 and nine nods, respectively.

Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin received six nominations for their collaborative album Kingdom Book One. Cobbs-Leonard, Zacardi Cortez and DOE each received five nominations. Tamela Mann is nominated in four categories for her album Overcomer Deluxe.

The 38th Stellar Gospel Music Awards show is executive produced by Don Jackson, with Jennifer J. Jackson serving as executive in charge of production and producer. Michael A. Johnson will produce and direct this year’s show.

For more information, visit www.stellarawards.com.