Paradigm Shift: eOne Music dominates Stellar Awards winning half of the honors
buzzz worthy. . .
Entertainment
One Music (eOne Music) dominated this year’s 30th Annual Stellar
Gospel Music Awards taped on March 28th in Las Vegas, winning half of
the 28 categories with a total of 14 awards including most of the major
categories: Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Albertina Walker Female
Vocalist of the Year, Choir of the Year and CD of the Year. Celebrating wins for the #1 hits from Erica
Campbell, Ricky Dillard, William McDowell and Michelle Williams, career honors
were also bestowed with Bishop Paul S. Morton receiving the James Cleveland
Lifetime Achievement Award, and Pastor Shirley Caesar and Ricky Dillard
inducted into the 2015 inaugural class of Stellar Honors honorees with special
medallions.
Top
nominees Erica Campbell and Ricky Dillard won multiple Stellar
Awards, with Erica Campbell’s solo debut Help garnering 8 total wins: Artist
of the Year, Albertina Walker Female Vocalist of the Year, CD of the Year, Contemporary
Female Vocalist of the Year, Contemporary CD of the Year, Urban/Inspirational
Single or Performance of the Year (for the single “Help” ft. Lecrae), Producer
of the Year (by Warryn Campbell) and Recorded Music Packaging of the Year (by Derek
Blanks). Choir master Ricky Dillard’s 25th
anniversary live album Amazing with New G, took 4 awards:
Song of the Year (for the record-breaking single “Amazing” by songwriter
Tiffany Joy McGhee), Choir of the Year, Traditional CD of the Year and
Traditional Choir of the Year. William
McDowell’s live CD/DVD album Withholding Nothing won Praise and
Worship CD of the Year, and Michelle Williams’s “Say Yes” ft. Beyoncé and Kelly
Rowland from Journey to Freedom won for Music Video of the Year (by director
Matthew Cherry).
eOne Music also
delivered powerful performance moments on stage, as Michelle Williams kicked
off a soaring opener with a never-before-seen live performance of her single “Say
Yes” joined by Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, Dorinda Clark-Cole joined Deitrick
Haddon on his new hit “My City,” Jonathan McReynolds delivered an acoustic
performance of new single “Pressure,” Erica Campbell performed a “More
Love”/”Help” medley, and Ricky Dillard closed the show for the second year with
a blowout choir finale, performing a medley of “The Holy Place”/”Take Me
Back”/”The Light”/”Grace” this year.
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| Photo Credit: Erik Umphery Michelle Williams of eOne is flanked by fellow Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland and Beyonce in a surprise reunion performance of "Say Yes" at the 30th Stellar Awards on March 28, 2015 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV. |
“Wow! It’s truly a blessing to receive these
honors capping an incredible past year for our artists, and celebrate the creative
gifts and work that continues to inspire so many fans across the globe. There
is more new music coming on the horizon, and congratulations to all the nominees
and honorees this year,” Phil Thornton, eOne Music Vice President and General
Manager of Urban Inspirational says of the 14 Stellar Award wins and 3 honors
this year.
The 30th
Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards will air on TV One on Easter Sunday, April
5, 2015.
