Artist

Kirk Franklin

Wins

Nominations

About Kirk Franklin

"When I was taught truth, that's when I got my freedom."

Born Jan. 26, 1970, in Fort Worth, Texas
Kirk Franklin got his start with Kirk Franklin & The Family, and their 1993 self-titled debut reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart. His 2002 solo album, The Rebirth Of Kirk Franklin, landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
Franklin won his first GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album for 1996 for Whatcha Lookin' 4. He made his GRAMMY stage debut at the 41st GRAMMY Awards in 1999, performing "Lean On Me" with Nu Nation, Mary J. Blige, Gerald Levert, Bono, and Crystal Lewis.
Thanks to his aunt collecting aluminum cans, Franklin was able to take piano lessons at age 4. He showed instant talent, and was offered a recording deal at age 7, but his aunt turned it down.
In 2009 Franklin convened a group of gospel music artists, including BeBe Winans and CeCe Winans, to record "Are You Listening," with proceeds from the song donated to charities involved with Haiti relief efforts.

All Grammy Awards and
Nominations for Kirk Franklin

Year	Award	Artists	Work	All Nominees
2026	Best Gospel Performance/Song	Kirk Franklin	Do It Again	All Nominees
2025	Best Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	Father's Day	All Nominees
2024	Best Gospel Performance/Song	Kirk Franklin	All Things	All Nominees
2023	Best Gospel Performance/Song	Jonathan Jay, Chandler Moore, Jacob Poole	Kingdom	All Nominees
2023	Best Gospel Album	Maverick City Music, Kirk Franklin	Kingdom Book One Deluxe	All Nominees
2023	Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song	Nicole Hannel, Jonathan Jay, Brandon Lake, Hannah Shackelford	Fear Is Not My Future	All Nominees
2022	Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song	Kirk Franklin, Dominique Armani Jones, Cynthia Nunn, Just Blaze	We Win	All Nominees
2021	Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song	Lecrae, Kirk Franklin, Denisia Andrews, Terry Jones, Saint Bodhi, Rafael X. Brown, Brittany Coney, Lasanna Harris, Sham Joseph, Stuart Lowery, Nathanael Saint-Fleur	Sunday Morning	All Nominees
2020	Best Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	Long Live Love	All Nominees
2020	Best Gospel Performance/Song	Kirk Franklin	Love Theory	All Nominees
2019	Best Gospel Album	Tori Kelly	Hiding Place	All Nominees
2019	Best Gospel Performance/Song	Tori Kelly, Kirk Franklin	Never Alone	All Nominees
2017	Best Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	Losing My Religion	All Nominees
2017	Best Gospel Performance/Song	Tamela Mann, Kirk Franklin	God Provides	All Nominees
2017	Best Melodic Rap Performance	Kanye West, Chancelor Bennett, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin, Terius "The Dream" Nash	Ultralight Beam	All Nominees
2017	Best Rap Song	Chancelor Bennett, Swizz Beatz, Mike Dean, Kirk Franklin, Noah Goldstein, Samuel Griesemer, Terius "The Dream" Nash, Jerome Potter, Kelly Price, Nico "Donnie Trumpet" Segal, Derek Watkins, Kanye West, Cydel Young, Malik Yusef Jones	Ultralight Beam	All Nominees
2016	Best Gospel Performance/Song	Kirk Franklin	Wanna Be Happy?	All Nominees
2015	Best Gospel Performance/Song	The Walls Group, Kirk Franklin	Love On The Radio	All Nominees
2012	Best Gospel Song	Kirk Franklin	Hello Fear	All Nominees
2012	Best Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	Hello Fear	All Nominees
2009	Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	The Fight Of My Life	All Nominees
2009	Best Gospel Song	Kirk Franklin	Help Me Believe	All Nominees
2007	Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	Hero	All Nominees
2007	Best Gospel Song	Kirk Franklin	Imagine Me	All Nominees
2006	Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance	Kirk Franklin	Looking For You	All Nominees
1999	Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal	Kirk Franklin, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Bono, Crystal Lewis	Lean On Me (Track)	All Nominees
1999	Song Of The Year	Kirk Franklin	Lean On Me (Track)	All Nominees
1999	Best R&B Song	Kirk Franklin	Lean On Me (Track)	All Nominees
1999	Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	The Nu Nation Project	All Nominees
1998	Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical	Kirk Franklin	Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical	All Nominees
1998	Best Gospel Album By Choir Or Chorus	Myron Butler, Kirk Franklin, Robert Searight II	God's Property From Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation	All Nominees
1998	Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal	Kirk Franklin	Stomp (Track)	All Nominees
1998	Best R&B Song	George Clinton Jr., Kirk Franklin, Walter Morrison, Garry M. Shider	Stomp (Track)	All Nominees
1997	Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album	Kirk Franklin	Whatcha Lookin' 4	All Nominees