Category: Music Industry Buzz

Dallas, TX – Bursting on the scene in the early ’90s was a unique ensemble of singers who gave birth to what we now know as Urban Contemporary Gospel Music.  Their unmistakable vocal style and flair became the sound of the ’90s and early 2000s. That ensemble was Kirk Franklin and The Family.  This iconic group lit up the charts and toured the world, collecting multiple GRAMMY®, Stellar, NAACP Image, and Dove Awards, and selling over 7.5 million records and singles that reached Gold and Platinum status. Their vocals were the backdrop of hits “Why We Sing,” “Conquerors,” “Silver and Gold,” “Now Behold the Lamb,” “Melodies from Heaven,” and “Whatcha Lookin’ 4.”  The group is now known as THE FAMILY, and they are back!

After an almost 30-year hiatus, the twelve dynamic voices of The Family have returned to Gospel music with a renewed mission, shared healing, and a testimony of what happens when purpose outlasts pain. The Family members are: Kisha Grandy–Lee, Dalon Collins, Carrie “Mousie” Collins, Darrell Blair, Teresa Rucker, Jeannette Johnson, Yolanda McDonald, Ramona Barlow White, “Mother” Shelia Brice, Demetrice Clinkscale, Nelda Washington, and Stephanie Glynn.

The iconic sound, vibrant energy, and undeniable anointing that this aggregation of singers possesses remain evident today.  Their current single, “Jesus,” is heard on the chart-topping soundtrack from the movie Love Mountain.  With this single, The Family has been preparing for their reunion project TOGETHER FOREVER, set to release on October 3, 2025.  Their long-awaited EP is available now for eager fans to pre-order or pre-save on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer.

This 30-year reset of The Family is being facilitated through a joint venture between veteran producer and songwriter Ernest J. Lee (David’s Dance Music) and music mogul Kerry Douglas (Blacksmoke Music Worldwide). This dynamic partnership is poised to bring The Family’s nostalgic sound back to their fans from the ’90s and to the new generation of Gospel music lovers.

The Family gave a showstopping performance and a glimpse of their return at the 40th Annual Stellar Awards Pre-Show in August.  They are set to attend the 10th Annual Avidity Awards being held on November 1, in Dallas, TX.  They will be honored with a special musical tribute and the Avidity Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Family’s album release celebratory concert is October 12.  Hosted by Carmina Barnett and Aldren McCullar, A Night With The Family will take place at New Breed Christian Center, 4500 S. Riverside Dr, Fort Worth, TX. 

American Idol Season 23 Winner Jamal Roberts and
Billboard Music Award Nominated Singer Kierra Sheard to Co-Host!

Chicago, IL – The 2026 Soar Awards will tape its 9th annual ceremony on Monday, March 2, 2026, at Greenwood Oasis in Chicago, IL. Widely recognized in the gospel music community as the celebration, “where music, media, and ministry take flight,” the Soar Awards continues to honor the most influential voices across the inspirational music industry. The evening will be hosted by American Idol Season 23 Winner Jamal Roberts and Billboard Music Award nominated gospel star, Kierra Sheard.

“I couldn’t be more excited for the 2026 Soar Awards as we continue to celebrate the very best in music, media, and ministry,” says Soar Awards founder Justin Francis. “This year will be our biggest yet, filled with unforgettable moments that honor the legacy and future of gospel and inspirational arts.”

This year’s program will feature poignant musical tributes to gospel music legends Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond, and Erica Campbell. They will honor Pastor Chris Harris Sr. of the Bright Star Community Outreach in Chicago for his vast community philanthropy. There will be a special tribute to Bishop Leonard Scott, who specializes in recording hymns and who is also the founder of the oldest existing black gospel label in the USA, Tyscot Records. Scott’s tribute will celebrate Tyscot Records’ 50^th Anniversary—a milestone moment in gospel music history. 

Several leading artists have already been confirmed to perform. Gold-selling artists such as John P. Kee, Dante Bowe, Le’Andria Johnson, and Anthony Brown & group therAPy will be joined by gospel crooner Jason Nelson and quartet queen Lisa Knowles-Smith & the Brown Singers for a night of dramatic performances.

For the first time, the Soar Awards will expand its categories beyond music to celebrate outstanding achievements in Media and Ministry. The new fan-voted categories include:

·      Media: Podcast of the Year, Personality of the Year, Influencer of the Year

·      Ministry: Breakout Preacher of the Year, Preacher of the Year, Author of the Year

In addition, the Soar Awards will present its inaugural Ministry Honoree and the first-ever Ministry ICON Award in the inspirational media sector.

Musical categories will also broaden to spotlight the best in gospel and inspirational music, including Music Artist of the Year, Church Anthem of the Year, Most Played Song of the Year, Breakout Artist of the Year, and more. Final nominees will be announced in October 2025.

Launching alongside the awards show, the Soar Awards Experience will debut in 2026, featuring special events and activations leading up to the main ceremony.

The Soar Awards continues to raise the standard for celebrating music, media, and ministry—creating powerful, inspiring moments for audiences worldwide. The event takes place Monday, March 2, 2026, at Greenwood Oasis, 7621 South Greenwood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60619. The pre-show starts at 5:30 PM and the main show starts at 7 PM.

SPONSORED – Righteous Records presents the album release party for gospel artist, Pastor Nell Smith Ward. The event, hosted by Bishop Timothy Ward, is set for Saturday, April 30, 2022, at 3 PM, and will feature live songs along with guest artist Elder Jarell Smalls.

The venue is located at 1200 S. State Street in Raleigh, NC. Tickets for the event are $40 and can be purchased via Cash App (at $PastorNell) or Paypal (at pastornellministries.com).

Pastor Nell’s current single is “Holy Ghost,” a remake of the classic from Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers.

(Washington, DC) – April 4, 2022 – Many artists enter the music industry to learn how to create and promote their music. Music industry professional Andrea René Williams started out with a goal to learn as much as she could for her own music ministry, but she soon found out that she enjoyed helping other artists pursue their musical dreams more. Now, she realizes that God has given her a song, and it must be heard. Known as a former GRAMMY Awards manager and a publicist, who has represented artists such as Gladys Knight, Pastor Charles Jenkins, and the late Andraé Crouch, Andrea is ready to step to center stage. The industry is now finding out that the Berklee College of Music summa cum laude graduate and award-nominated publicist and marketer is a musician herself. A singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer, she launched her recording career in 2019 with the instrumental single, “Won’t Work.” Williams returns with a vocal, inspirational jam called “Who Do I Run To,” and industry insiders have been raving about the track. The bouncy single is currently available on digital music outlets such as Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify.

“Who Do I Run To,” a musical reminder that no matter what happens in life God is the one we should go to, was produced and engineered by Andrea. Mark Reiter of the GRAMMY Award-winning Bias Studios in Springfield, VA, mixed and mastered the track. “This song is a real change for me musically,” says Williams. “It has a throwback vibe and a fun, danceable groove but I don’t want people to miss the important message of the song. When trouble comes, it’s so easy for us to pick up the phone and call a spouse, significant other, or friend. I want to believers to remember that even though loved ones may be able to give us advice, God is the one with all the answers we seek. He needs to be the first one we run to when challenges come.”

Starting her music industry career in 1998 at the Washington, DC Chapter of the Recording Academy, known for distributing the coveted GRAMMY Award, Andrea, along with the executive director, started the D.C. Branch and – from the ground up – made it the fastest-growing GRAMMY chapter in the history of the GRAMMY Awards. During her time with the popular industry association, she organized events with such mainstream artists as U2, Natalie Cole, John Mayer, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Usher, Billy Taylor, Chris Brown, Raheem Devaughn, Chuck Brown, Nile Rodgers, Gloria Estefan, George Clinton, Bruce Hornsby, Jimmy Jam, and dozens of others.

Organizing dozens of events for the chapter, including hosting eight GRAMMY Awards telecast parties and coordinating GRAMMYs on the Hill events, she assisted with GRAMMY Salute To Gospel Music events for several years and held her own GRAMMY gospel music event in DC resulting in a record-setting number of people joining the Academy. Also, during her tenure at the GRAMMY Awards, she brought legends of gospel music into the Academy’s membership ranks. Artists like Kim Burrell, Tonex, Tramaine Hawkins, and Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers became members at Williams’ prompting. In addition, through her efforts, Donald Lawrence and Richard Smallwood not only became members of the Recording Academy but ultimately served on the national board, giving gospel music a louder voice with one of music’s most influential organizations.

Since her GRAMMY days, she has penned hundreds of articles for gospel music blogs and Christian publications. Long before becoming an interviewer of artists such as Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Yolanda Adams, Tramaine Hawkins, and CeCe Winans, she honed her vocal skills in choirs for decades with renowned directors and gospel greats such as Richard Smallwood, Byron Cage, Earnest Pugh, and Ricky Dillard. She’s sung at many churches and in arenas, even rendering the National Anthem (and Black National Anthem) for the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the WNBA Washington Mystics, the Georgetown Hoyas, and most recently, for the National Cherry Blossom Festival held on the grounds of the Washington Monument in her hometown of Washington, DC. 

A multi-faceted serial entrepreneur, she’s been her own boss since 2006 with the full-time launch of Tehillah Enterprises, a two-time Rhythm of Gospel Award-nominated public relations firm, known for representing the finest in the music industry. She is now the owner of Andrea René Williams Music Ministries, Soar Music Publicity, The Fiery Pen, and Soul Oasis Music Productions. In her almost 25 years as a music professional, she’s represented countless artists helping them to propel their music to countless audiences. Moving from the background to the limelight, she’s now taking her music to those same audiences, hoping to inspire and encourage them as well.

In addition to her single, “Who Do I Run To,” Andrea dropped an instrumental EP in August 2020, Soul Oasis. The four-song EP contains original material, all with the goal of relaxing the mind and soothing the spirit. All of Andrea’s music is released through her record label, Angels Wings Records. A 2020 second-place winner of the Make Music Montgomery Contest (held in Montgomery County, MD) and a 2020 & 2021 WAMMIE Award nominee for Best Gospel/Inspirational Artist, Andrea will be releasing her first vocal album, I Believe, in late fall 2022.