John P. Kee Headlines 41st Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Charlotte
The 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards took place August 15, 2026, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. John P. Kee and Kim Person led all nominees with seven nods each. Kirk Franklin hosted the ceremony, themed 'Feels Like Home.'
The 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards were held August 15, 2026, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Kirk Franklin serving as host.
Franklin, a 45-time Stellar Award winner and 20-time Grammy winner, guided the ceremony themed "Feels Like Home." The event was part of the "Stellar Plus Experience," a three-day series running August 12 through 15 that included masterclasses, songwriting symposiums, and performances.
John P. Kee and Kim Person led all nominees with seven nods each. Tasha Cobbs Leonard and JJ Hairston and Youthful Praise each received six nominations. Jekalyn Carr, Lisa Knowles Smith and The Brown Singers, and Vincent Bohanan and SOV each earned five nominations.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard received the Aretha Franklin Icon Award during the ceremony. Pastor Mike Jr. was presented with the Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award.
Performers included John P. Kee, Tye Tribbett featuring ABLAZE, Kierra Sheard, Jekalyn Carr, PJ Morton, and Le'Andria Johnson, among others.
The Artist of the Year category featured Darrel Walls, Jekalyn Carr, Kim Person, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Tye Tribbett. The HBCU Choir of the Year category recognized the Howard Gospel Choir of Howard University, the Morgan State University Choir, and the North Carolina A&T Fellowship Gospel Choir.
The awards show premiered on The Stellar Network on August 29, 2026, followed by a national cable premiere on BET on August 30, 2026.
The non-televised Gospel Radio Awards were held the previous evening, August 14, at the Carolina Theatre. Black Gospel Radio received its third nomination for Internet Radio Station of the Year.
