Israel, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters honored at BMI Trailblazer Awards

buzzz worthy. . .

BMI celebrated the careers of gospel giants Israel Houghton, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters at its 16th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards yesterday in Atlanta.  Photos by Arnold Turner.

‘The Gift’ by Donald Lawrence Wins Most-Performed Gospel Song of the Year Honor

ATLANTA, January 18, 2015 – Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®), the global leader in music rights management, brought legends and contemporary stars together to celebrate the careers of gospel giants Israel Houghton, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters at its 16th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards yesterday in Atlanta.

The event, held at the Rialto Center for the Arts, also recognized BMI’s Most-Performed Gospel Song of the Year: “The Gift,” written and performed by Donald Lawrence. The song, featured on Lawrence’s album Best For Last, topped the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart and achieved  wide-spread success. BMI also recognized five additional opuses as Top-Performed Gospel Songs of the Year (2014): “1 On 1,” written by Lucius B. Hoskins and performed by Zacardi Cortez; “Clean This House,” co-written by Philip Cornish and Isaac Carree, who is the performer; “God Will Make a Way,” written by Ay’Ron Lewis and performed by Shirley Caesar; “Here in Our Praise,” co-written by Michael Bethany and Fred Hammond, who is the performer; and “It’s Working,” co-written by Aaron Lindsey and William Murphy, who is the performer.


Rance Allen delivers an inspiring performance in tribute to LaShun Pace at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.  Photo by Arnold Turner

 

Tasha Cobbs delivers a rousing performance in tribute
to Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards,
held January 17 in Atlanta. Photo by Arnold Turner

Musical tributes began with an awe-inspiring nod to The Anointed Pace Sisters, featuring Zie’l (“Safety Zone”), The Walls Group (“Contentment”), The Company (“U-Know”), Dorinda Clark Cole (“Be a Fence”) and Lisa Page Brooks and Tasha Page-Lockhart (“When God is in the Building”). The charismatic songs of LaShun Pace were then celebrated with dynamic performances by B. Slade (“I Know I’ve Been Changed”), Kathy Taylor (“Just Because God Said It”) and Rance Allen (“He Keeps Doing Great Things For Me”). Serving as the event’s triumphant finale, the exalted songs of Israel Houghton were then celebrated with dynamic performances by Tommy Sims (“Nothing Else Matters”), Fred Hammond (“Friend of God/Again I Say Rejoice”), Kim Burrell (“It’s Not Over (When God Is In It”), Micah Stampley (“New Season”), Tasha Cobbs (“Alpha & Omega”), and Jonathan McReynolds (“Moving Forward”).

 

Gospel music authorities Kim Burrell and VaShawn Mitchell hosted the ceremony, along with Mike O’Neill, BMI President and CEO and Catherine Brewton, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta.