January 18, 2015
Israel Houghton, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters Honored at 2015 Trailblazers Fete
‘The Gift’ by Donald Lawrence Wins Most-Performed Gospel Song of the Year Honor
Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®), the global leader in music rights management, brought legends and contemporary stars together to celebrate the careers of gospel giants Israel Houghton, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters at its 16th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards yesterday in Atlanta.
The event, held at the Rialto Center for the Arts, also recognized BMI’s Most-Performed Gospel Song of the Year: “The Gift,” written and performed by Donald Lawrence. The song, featured on Lawrence’s album Best For Last, topped the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart and achieved wide-spread success. BMI also recognized five additional opuses as Top-Performed Gospel Songs of the Year (2014): “1 On 1,” written by Lucius B. Hoskins and performed by Zacardi Cortez; “Clean This House,” co-written by Philip Cornish and Isaac Carree, who is the performer; “God Will Make a Way,” written by Ay’Ron Lewis and performed by Shirley Caesar; “Here in Our Praise,” co-written by Michael Bethany and Fred Hammond, who is the performer; and “It’s Working,” co-written by Aaron Lindsey and William Murphy, who is the performer.
Musical tributes began with an awe-inspiring nod to The Anointed Pace Sisters, featuring Zie’l (“Safety Zone”), The Walls Group (“Contentment”), The Company (“U-Know”), Dorinda Clark Cole (“Be a Fence”) and Lisa Page Brooks and Tasha Page-Lockhart (“When God is in the Building”). The charismatic songs of LaShun Pace were then celebrated with dynamic performances by B. Slade (“I Know I’ve Been Changed”), Kathy Taylor (“Just Because God Said It”), and Rance Allen (“He Keeps Doing Great Things For Me”). Serving as the event’s triumphant finale, the exalted songs of Israel Houghton were then celebrated with dynamic performances by Tommy Sims (“Nothing Else Matters”), Fred Hammond (“Friend of God/Again I Say Rejoice”), Kim Burrell (“It’s Not Over (When God Is In It”), Micah Stampley (“New Season”), Tasha Cobbs (“Alpha & Omega”), and Jonathan McReynolds (“Moving Forward”).
Gospel music authorities Kim Burrell and VaShawn Mitchell hosted the ceremony, along with Michael O’Neill, BMI President and CEO and Catherine Brewton, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta.
Photos will be available for download from BMI.com at 8:00 a.m. EST on January 18.
BMI’s impressive roster of gospel songwriters includes Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, Jessica Reedy, Marvin Sapp, Twinkie Clark, BeBe Winans, Wess Morgan, Kim Burrell and many others.
MEDIA CONTACT
Jamil Walker, BMI
212-220-3143;
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
BMI presented the Most-Performed Gospel Song of the Year award to scribe Donald Lawrence for his opus, “The Gift.” Pictured are BMI Vice President, Writer-Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton, songwriter Donald Lawrence, BMI Executive Director, Writer-Publisher Relations Wardell Malloy and BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Le’Andria Johnson at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Tasha Cobbs and Y’Anna Crawley at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Marvin Sapp and Yolanda Adams pause for a photo at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Tommy Sims delivers a rousing performance in tribute to Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Rance Allen delivers an inspiring performance in tribute to LaShun Pace at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
DeWayne Woods, Kirk Franklin and Donald Lawrence at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Kim Burrell and Dorinda Clark Cole at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
BMI celebrated the careers of gospel giants Israel Houghton, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters at its 16th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards yesterday in Atlanta. Pictured with The Anointed Pace Sisters and Israel Houghton (center) are BMI Executive Director, Writer-Publisher Relations Wardell Malloy (far left), BMI Vice President, Writer-Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton, and BMI Director, Writer-Publisher Relations Byron Wright.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Hosts VaShawn Mitchell & Kim Burrell onstage at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
2015 BMI Trailblazers honoree Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Pictured at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards are BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill, 2015 BMI Trailblazers honoree Israel Houghton, BMI Executive Director, Writer-Publisher Relations Wardell Malloy and BMI Vice President, Writer-Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Jonathan McReynolds onstage at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Tasha Cobbs delivers a rousing performance in tribute to Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Micah Stampley delivers a rousing performance in tribute to Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Kim Burrell delivers an inspiring performance in tribute to Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Fred Hammond delivers a rousing performance in tribute to Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin perform an astounding tribute to the late Andraé Crouch at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
2015 BMI Trailblazers honoree LaShun Pace at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
B. Slade delivers a rousing performance in tribute to LaShun Pace at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Kathy Taylor delivers a rousing performance in tribute to LaShun Pace at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Dorinda Clark Cole onstage at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
Zie’l delivers a rousing performance in tribute to The Anointed Pace Sisters at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Arnold Turner
download
2015 BMI Trailblazers honoree Israel Houghton at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
2015 BMI Trailblazers honorees The Anointed Pace Sisters at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
VaShawn Mitchell arrives at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
Tasha Cobbs arrives at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
BMI Executive Director, Writer-Publisher Relations Wardell Malloy (far left), BMI Vice President, Writer-Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton (2nd to left) and BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill (far right), flank 2015 BMI Trailblazers honoree LaShun Pace at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
Jonathan McReynolds arrives at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
The Walls Group at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
Tasha Page-Lockhart at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
Award winner Isaac Carree at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
Zie’l arrives at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
Y’Anna Crawley at the 16th Annual BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held January 17 in Atlanta.
Photo by Ben Rose
download
Download this document in Word format.