meta-scriptKirk Franklin Wins Best Gospel Performance/Song | 2020 GRAMMYs | GRAMMY.com
Kirk Franklin Wins Best Gospel Performance/Song | 2020 GRAMMYs

Kirk Franklin 

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Kirk Franklin Wins Best Gospel Performance/Song | 2020 GRAMMYs

Kirk Franklin takes home Best Gospel Performance/Song at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards

GRAMMYs/Jan 27, 2020 - 03:20 am

 Kirk Franklin has won Best Gospel Performance/Song at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards for "Love Theory." This marks his 15th GRAMMY win overall. 

"Wow. Thank you," the singer said. "Gospel music has so many incredible talents and I'm so humbled to be in that category with some of the greatest to ever do it."

Franklin thanked his wife, the mother of his children, and took the moment to send prayers to Kobe Bryant's family.

Franklin beat out fellow nominees Gloria Gaynor featuring Yolanda Adams ("Talkin' About Jesus"), Travis Greene featuring Jekalyn Carr ("See The Light"), Koryn Hawthorne featuring Natalie Grant ("Speak The Name") and Tasha Cobbs Leonard ("This Is A Move (Live)"). 

Check out the complete 62nd GRAMMY Awards nominees and winners list here.

What Is Trap Gospel? How A New Generation of Christian Rappers Are Grabbing The Attention Of Believers & Non-Believers
Christian rapper Alex Jean

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What Is Trap Gospel? How A New Generation of Christian Rappers Are Grabbing The Attention Of Believers & Non-Believers

Christian rappers such as Wande, BigBreeze, Mike Teezy and Alex Jean are big on sonic relatability, and are using familiar hip-hop sounds to spread the gospel. Their message is resonating in and out of the church.

GRAMMYs/Feb 22, 2024 - 02:05 pm

When Christian artist Mike Teezy released his single "Communion" in 2020, he didn’t expect his song to influence a listener in New York to stop practicing witchcraft. 

The catchy rap track, which details the importance of the Christian sacrament, was pouncing through a taxi's radio speakers when it dawned on the listener that she needed to take her faith more seriously. 

The North Carolina rapper spits: "Before you even take a bite of the bread / And proceed to drink up all the juice / Better make sure that your soul is clean / And I ain't talking bout no shoes." 

After hearing the lyrics the listener immediately reached out to the rapper with her testimony. "From that moment on she threw away her tarot cards and made a decision to actually try to follow Christ," Teezy, born Michael E.J. Tyree, tells GRAMMY.com.

While this experience might be unique, Teezy is one of many gospel artists whose trap tributes to Christ are resonating with listeners both in and outside of the faith by speaking to their own experiences. 

Christian artists have "crossed over" for decades, though GRAMMY-winning rapper Lecrae may be the earliest example in hip-hop. In 2014, Lecrae secured a No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and gospel charts with his religiously-influenced Anomaly. His success would influence a generation of artists, including labelmate Wande, whose songs have appeared in commercials and TV.

Gospel Across Borders

As the son of a preacher, Teezy grew up listening to church elders using rap as a way of appealing to the younger congregation. Their failed attempts (along with Teezy wanting good non-secular music to dance to in church) is why the 32-year-old became a musician. "I was like this is corny…if I ever do [music], I would do it a different way," he says. 

Teezy believes wholeheartedly in the healing power of God. The rapper was involved in two freak accidents as a child and was told that he would never be able to walk, let alone dance, again. But within minutes of the diagnosis, the rapper was doing flips out of the hospital. 

"Miracles are real, that's why I try to share [the gospel], as much as I can — even through my music," he says.

Pulling inspiration from musical artists like Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, and even fellow North Carolina rapper DaBaby, Teezy creates Christian remixes to popular songs, as well as make original music such as "Forgive ‘em" which gained traction when Christian podcast Know For Sure shouted it out, and of course, "Communion."

"I feel like a lot of [Christian rappers] now are approaching [music] that way too," he says, adding, "we're preaching the same message about Jesus Christ but approaching it differently to reach different people, areas, and cities."

Two-time GRAMMY-nominated Christian artist Yewande Dees, known as Wande, has had her faith-based rhymes reach the likes of people at Apple and Netflix. One of her top three most Shazamed songs, "Blessed Up," even found its way onto Michelle Obama’s 2020 playlist.

"What I hope to do is provide people who like rap music with something they can listen to without sacrificing their values." 

Wande’s music led her to being cast on Oprah Winfrey’s unaired reality series "Young & Gospel" as well as TBNx "Girl Talk," a YouTube series featuring prominent young women influencing the faith. The 27-year-old says her music helps those making a transition and seeking to change their life.

Likewise, Atlanta-based rapper Markel Stenson, known as BigBreeze, uses trap sounds like "ratchet drums" and distorted 808s to rap about Jesus. 

"When it comes to where I came from and spreading the gospel to people [living] in poverty, the trenches, or just low-income family housing," BigBreeze who’s big on relatability and has accumulated a following of believers searching for a sound similar to trap artists like Future and Young Thug. "I know what type of music attracts their ears and I know what they like to hear."

Trap music originated in the southern U.S. and many of its pioneers hail from Atlanta. Artists like BigBreeze are taking that influence and using trap's familiar beats to replace the often negative messaging in secular hip-hop with words and messages of hope. 

Read more: A Guide To Southern Hip-Hop: Definitive Releases, Artists & Subgenres From The Dirty South

"People are tired of hearing about [sex and violence]," says BigBreeze, who was raised in hopeless conditions before finding God. "If I can push this sound and get [the word] to them, then maybe it'd be a stepping stone to them wanting to open the [Bible], step in church, or wanting to just see who Jesus is."

BigBreeze and his cohort both know their audience and are reflective of larger trends. The American Bible Society’s "State of the Bible 2023" study found that 64 percent of Black people were "far more likely to be committed to Christ than any other racial or ethnic group."

Crucifying The Messenger

The use of familiar or "worldly" beats and samples in the Christian music world isn’t a new practice. In fact, a handful of Christian artists have long explored the concept of meeting listeners at a relatable place. 

Notably, Kirk Franklin and gospel group God's Property, along with Salt-N-Pepa’s Cheryl James, made "Stomp," which sampled Funkadelic’s "One Nation Under a Groove." The song snagged them two GRAMMY Awards in 1998: Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Rhythm & Blues Song. That same year, Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation also received a GRAMMY Award for Best Gospel Choir Or Chorus Album. 

Franklin later revealed that he was ridiculed by the church about "Stomp." He also confessed to purposely missing out on attending the ceremony (where he’d win his first GRAMMY) in the previous year, out of fear of being judged or seeming too worldly. "There was a time that anything that didn’t look like church was the devil," Franklin shared on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast "Club Shay Shay." 

Although intellectually outdated, this is a plight the new generation of Christian artists still grapples with today. 

For these reasons, BigBreeze was advised to switch up his sound early in his career. "When I first started [making music], it was so different from [typical Christian music]," he recalls, adding,"If God is behind it, people are going to realize where your heart is at." 

Florida-based Christian artist Alex Jean has similarly faced detractors. The 24-year-old has dealt with everything from devout Christians attempting to shut down his shows, to his comment sections being flooded with shady religious remarks. 

"If they truly knew what God's will was, then they would understand what I do and actually know why music exists," Jean says.

A New Wave Of Followers

Many Christians believe the original purpose of music was intended to minister healing, peace, and inspiration to believers. Like most Christian artists, Jean samples popular rap songs and beats while using lyrics that glorify God. His heavy-bass voice recalling the late drill rapper Pop Smoke initially grabbed the attention of people; the message is what made them stay around. 

"Music started in heaven, God created music and then it became twisted," Jean tells GRAMMY.com, adding "whenever I hop on a song or a sample, that's me introducing [listeners] to how music started and what music is."

In a little over a year, Jean’s songs "Walking In Peace" and "Forever In Faith" accumulated over 1.5 million views on TikTok. Jean even became the first Christian artist to perform for On The Radar Radio, a hip-hop platform notorious for viral freestyles from Drake, Central Cee, Ice Spice, and other influential rappers. 

Jean believes the world is craving this type of "kingdom music." 

"It fulfills human needs, it gives purpose, kills worry, adds real confidence, keeps you secure, strong — all the stuff everybody wants," says Jean, adding that spiritual music " gives you control over your life."

With over 130,000 posts with the hashtag Christian rap on TikTok, this genre continues to grow as listeners spread the holy versions of their favorite sounds. Yet, artists like Wande say none of these achievements surpass the moment when her Muslim father put aside his own religious beliefs to support her career. 

"I feel like God used my gift of music to get me closer with my father who’s not with that Christian stuff," she says. "Now he comes to my shows that are at churches…it's been cool seeing how music can even transcend that barrier with us."

Wande has not only broken barriers within her family but she’s also breaking barriers within the predominantly male space, as she was the first female Christian rapper to perform on the main stage in 2022 at the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Show in Atlanta.

Though it hasn’t been easy for the Nigerian-born Christian rapper to break into this space, she says it's beautiful to see how much Christian rap has "grown and expanded." 

"I think TikTok has been helping the genre tremendously, with so many different Christian artists going viral now," says Wande.

As far as representing her female Christian audience, Wande makes empowering songs such as, "Don’t Worry Bout It" that include stand-out lines like: "It's no division in the buildin', got the same goal / We on some different, we flowin' to save souls" and "if He said it, then it's done / Called it holy girl summer 'cause we chillin' with the Son." 

Wande and her peers encourage people who aren't fans of trap or rap to focus on the message and how it’s changing the lives of believers and non-believers. 

"I always say look at the fruit and how many people are being uplifted by the songs," she says. 

Queer Christian Artists Keep The Faith: How LGBTQ+ Musicians Are Redefining Praise Music

4 Reasons To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony
The 2024 GRAMMYs will air live on Sunday, Feb. 4, on CBS and Paramount+.

Graphic courtesy of the Recording Academy

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4 Reasons To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony

The Premiere Ceremony may not be part of the CBS telecast, but it’s an indispensable part of the 2024 GRAMMYs experience — and the Recording Academy’s purview. Here are four reasons you don’t want to miss it, ahead of the 66th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 4.

GRAMMYs/Jan 31, 2024 - 03:19 pm

As momentous as the 2024 GRAMMYs telecast will be, it will only cover a fraction of the actual GRAMMY nominations.

The realities of TV broadcasting mean the wider world only gets to see, not the whole iceberg, but merely the tip. This by way of its head-turning, world-shifting General Field Categories including Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, and Best New Artist.

Yes, the General Field Categories boast the most visibility. But while they may be listed at the top of the nominations list, they are never meant to overshadow those beneath — not by a long shot.

That’s why the Recording Academy puts so much time, intention and care into the Premiere Ceremony, which annually precedes the main GRAMMYs telecast. And by all accounts, the 2024 iteration will be one for the ages.

The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards Ceremony & Livestream will air at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET on live.GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy's YouTube channel. City National Bank, the Official Bank of the GRAMMY Awards, is returning for its second year as the presenting sponsor of the Premiere Ceremony.

The Premiere Ceremony is the most incredible lead-up to Music's Biggest Night," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement. "With an amazing line-up of presenters and performers, we'll reveal and celebrate the winners of more than 80 Categories, spanning the diverse genres and crafts that have contributed to such a spectacular year in music."

Read on for a list of four reasons to be thrilled for the Premiere Ceremony — and we’ll see you on the stream!

A Star-Studded Opening Number

The opening performance at the Premiere Ceremony is always a highlight, and this year promises to be no exception: J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Pentatonix, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks.

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, J. Ivy is nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, for The Light Inside. Poe is up for Best Contemporary Blues Album, for Blood Harmony. For Holidays Around the World, Pentatonix earned a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Finally, for her feature on for KING & COUNTRY’s “Love Me Like I Am,” Sparks is up for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. (E., though being a four-time GRAMMY nominee, is not nominated at the 2024 GRAMMYs.)

Stellar Performers All Around

The rest of the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will feature brilliant performers. These musicians will showcase the wide range of genres the Academy celebrates on GRAMMY night, as well as the diverse creators in the Academy and the music industry at large.

These include current nominees Adam Blackstone, Brandy Clark, Kirk Franklin, Robert Glasper, Bob James, Laufey, Terrace Martin, and Gaby Moreno and David Aguilar, as well as GRAMMY-nominated recording artist/drummer Harvey Mason Sr.

The Music’s In Great Hands

The music producer and music director of the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will be Cheche Alara, a GRAMMY-and Latin GRAMMY-winning music master who has worked on titanic albums by Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Natalia Lafourcade, and many more.

With Alara at the helm, the Premiere Ceremony won’t just celebrate music — it’ll be a bastion of outstanding music itself.

You Get The Complete GRAMMYs Experience

Don’t think of the Premiere Ceremony as the mere ramp-up to the 2024 GRAMMYs; think of them as two pieces of one GRAMMYs experience.

By carefully watching the Premiere Ceremony as well as the main telecast, you get the entire sense of where music is headed, through the lens of the world’s leading society of music people.

So tune into both the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony and the 2024 GRAMMYs themselves — if you love this universal artform, and wish to elevate it, join us on Feb. 4 for Music’s Biggest Night!

How To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs Live: GRAMMY Nominations, Performers, Air Date, Red Carpet, Streaming Channel & More

Performers For 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony Announced: Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Gaby Moreno, Kirk Franklin, Adam Blackstone, Brandy Clark & More; Justin Tranter To Host
The 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will stream live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com

Graphic courtesy of the Recording Academy

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Performers For 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony Announced: Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Gaby Moreno, Kirk Franklin, Adam Blackstone, Brandy Clark & More; Justin Tranter To Host

Streaming live Feb. 4, the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will include an opening number featuring J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Pentatonix, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks. Presenters include Natalia Lafourcade, Carly Pearce, Molly Tuttle, Rufus Wainwright, and more.

GRAMMYs/Jan 25, 2024 - 01:59 pm

GRAMMY night just got bigger! The Recording Academy has announced performers and presenters, as well as the host, for the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony. The Premiere Ceremony kicks off with an opening number featuring a performance by J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Pentatonix, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks. Other artists scheduled to perform include current nominees Adam Blackstone, Brandy Clark, Kirk Franklin, Robert Glasper, Bob James, Laufey, Terrace Martin, and Gaby Moreno and El David Aguilar, as well as GRAMMY-nominated recording artist/drummer Harvey Mason Sr. Acclaimed songwriter/producer and activist Justin Tranter, who is currently nominated for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical, will host the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony.

Presenters at the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony include Patti Austin, Natalia Lafourcade, Carly Pearce, Molly Tuttle, Rufus Wainwright, and five-time GRAMMY winner and former Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Jimmy Jam. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and Chair of the Board of Trustees Tammy Hurt will provide opening remarks.

Taking place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles hours before the 2024 GRAMMYs, the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony, is a special presentation in which the majority of the night’s GRAMMY Awards are awarded. The 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will stream live on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com. City National Bank, the Official Bank of the GRAMMY Awards, is returning for its second year as the presenting sponsor of the Premiere Ceremony.

2024 GRAMMYs: Explore More & Meet The Nominees

"The Premiere Ceremony is the most incredible lead-up to Music's Biggest Night," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "With an amazing line-up of presenters and performers, we'll reveal and celebrate the winners of more than 80 Categories, spanning the diverse genres and crafts that have contributed to such a spectacular year in music."

Learn more about the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony performers, presenters and host, who are all mostly current nominees at the 2024 GRAMMYs, below.

Austin is nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album (For Ella 2 Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band); Blackstone is nominated for Best Jazz Performance ("Vulnerable (Live)" Featuring The Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté) and Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn).

Meanwhile, Clark is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album (Shucked), Best Country Solo Performance ("Buried"), Best Country Song ("Buried"), Best Americana Performance ("Dear Insecurity" Featuring Brandi Carlile), Best American Roots Song ("Dear Insecurity" Featuring Brandi Carlile), and Best Americana Album (Brandy Clark).

Franklin is nominated for Best Gospel Performance/Song ("All Things"); Glasper is nominated for Best R&B Performance ("Back To Love" Featuring SiR & Alex Isley) and Best R&B Song ("Back To Love" Featuring SiR & Alex Isley).

James is nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (Jazz Hands); J. Ivy is nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album (The Light Inside); Lafourcade is nominated for Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album (De Todas Las Flores).

Larkin Poe is nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album (Blood Harmony); Laufey is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Bewitched); Martin is nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album (Nova with James Fauntleroy).

Moreno is nominated for Best Latin Pop Album (X Mí (Vol.1)); Pearce is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance ("We Don't Fight Anymore" Featuring Chris Stapleton); Pentatonix is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Holidays Around The World).

Sparks is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song ("Love Me Like I Am" with for KING & COUNTRY); Tranter is nominated for Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical; Tuttle is nominated for Best Bluegrass Album (City Of Gold with Golden Highway); Wainwright is nominated for Best Folk Album (Folkocracy).

The 2024 GRAMMYs will broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT. See here for the full list of nominees at the 2024 GRAMMYs. Learn more about how to watch the 2024 GRAMMYs. See the full list of performers and host at the 2024 GRAMMYs to date.

The 66th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony is produced by Branden Chapman, Ruby Marchand, Chantel Sausedo, and Rex Supa on behalf of the Recording Academy. Greg V. Fera is executive producer and Cheche Alara is music producer and music director.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
Kendrick Lamar

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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