Kierra Sheard to Receive BMI Impact Award at 2026 Gospel Music Ceremony
Gospel artist Kierra Sheard will receive the BMI Impact Award at the 2026 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards on July 21 in Nashville. The ceremony, hosted at BMI's Nashville office, will also recognize the top 25 most-performed gospel songs of the past year. Sheard has five number-one albums on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart.
NASHVILLE — Gospel artist Kierra Sheard will receive the BMI Impact Award at the 2026 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, the performing rights organization announced this week.
The private ceremony is set for Tuesday, July 21, at BMI's Nashville office. BMI CEO Mike O'Neill and Catherine Brewton, BMI's Vice President of Creative in Atlanta, will host the event.
Sheard, a multiple award-winning artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, and actress, has built a career blending traditional gospel with contemporary R&B. She has placed five albums at number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart and was named BMI's Gospel Songwriter of the Year in 2022.
The Impact Award recognizes her career contributions and her influence on the next generation of gospel artists. BMI said the honor reflects both her chart success and her role in shaping the sound and direction of the genre.
The ceremony will also announce the BMI Gospel Song, Songwriter, and Publisher of the Year, and will recognize the music publishers, songwriters, and producers behind the 25 most-performed gospel songs in the United States over the past year.
Sheard's recognition comes during a strong year for gospel music. U.S. on-demand audio streams for the genre rose 18.5 percent in the past year, driven largely by younger listeners and a growing appetite for global gospel sounds that blend Afrobeats, Latin rhythms, and traditional choir arrangements.
