(David & Tamela MannD. Lacy)
The 22nd annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards is all set to honor legendary names in the Gospel music industry, including David and Tamela Mann and Dr. Bobby Jones. The event will take place on March 30 at Flourish Atlanta, and BMI president/CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI vice president, Creative Catherine Brewton, will be hosting the prestigious event.
“We’re extremely proud to honor powerhouse couple Tamela and David Mann for their incredible contributions to the Gospel community, the enduring legacy of Dr. Bobby Jones and the songwriters and publishers behind the top Gospel songs of the previous year. Through song and praise, they deliver inspirational messages of hope, faith and goodwill to music lovers around the world," stated Brewton.
Tamela and David Mann are well-known for their impressive careers in the music industry. They toured the world as part of the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family in the 1990s before launching solo careers and creating Tillymann Entertainment in 2005. Their first collaborative album, Us Against the World, was released in 2018, and it garnered them a NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary work. The Manns also launched the Overcomer Family Tour, which featured their son David Jr. and their daughters La’Tia and Tiffany.
Apart from music, the Manns have appeared in several Tyler Perry plays, films, and movies. They have also starred in their own sitcom, Mann & Wife, and the docuseries It’s a Mann’s World. Tamela, as a solo artist, has issued six studio albums and earned a Grammy, BET Award, Billboard Music Award, and multiple NAACP, GMA Dove, and Stellar Gospel Music awards.
Dr. Bobby Jones, a singer, television host, and radio broadcaster, has been in the entertainment industry for over four decades. For over 35 years, he served as the host of Bobby Jones Gospel on BET, where he gave artists like Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, and Mary Mary their first national television exposure. He earned a Grammy in 1984 for best soul gospel performance by a duo or group for “I’m So Glad I’m Standing Here Today” with Barbara Mandrell. Jones has also received recognition from the GMA Dove Awards and the Stellar Awards, and he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame earlier this year.
BMI will also recognize the songwriters, producers, and music publishers of the past year’s 25 most performed gospel songs in the United States. The BMI gospel song, songwriter, and publisher of the year will also be named during the event, making it an unforgettable evening for all attendees.
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