24TH ANNUAL STELLAR GOSPEL MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED; Awards show set for Jan. 17, 2009 at Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn.

The nominees for the 24th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards were announced during an Oct. 21 press conference at the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, in Nashville, Tenn. Don Jackson, chairman and CEO of Central City Productions, which produces the Stellar Awards, announced the nominees for the Jan. 17, 2009 awards show, which will be held in Nashville for the fourth straight year.

Marvin Sapp leads all nominees this year with a total of nine, including nods for Artist, Male Vocalist and Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year, along with Song of the Year for his record-breaking hit single, "Never Would Have Made It," which he co-wrote with Matthew Brownie. Tied with five nominations are Dorinda Clark-Cole, Kirk Franklin and Jonathan Nelson featuring Purpose. Like Sapp, Clark-Cole and Franklin are nominated in both the Artist and CD of the Year categories.

For Jonathan Nelson featuring Purpose their Integrity Music debut project, Right Now Praise not only produced nominations for Group/Duo, Contemporary Group/Duo, Contemporary Choir, Contemporary CD and Urban/Inspirational Single/Performance of the Year ("My Name Is Victory"), it also resulted in three other individual nominations for Nelson. Besides Contemporary Male Vocalist of the Year, Nelson is nominated for Producer of the Year for co-producing Right Now Praise with Justin Savage, and the two also are nominated for Song of the Year honors for writing "My Name Is Victory."

Next with four nominations each are Ricky Dillard, Israel & New Breed, Canton Jones and CeCe Winans. Those with three nominations include Byron Cage, Isaiah D. Thomas, Marvin Winans and Deitrick Haddon's group, Voices of Unity. Haddon himself are among those with two nominations. Click here for a complete list of nominees.

Stellar Awards in 28 different categories will be handed out during the Jan. 17 awards show, which will be co-hosted by comedian Sinbad and others to be announced. In addition to the Stellar Awards, Vickie Winans will be honored with "Most Notable Achievement Award" that evening, former Tramaine Hawkins music director, Daryl Coley will be on hand to receive the "James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award," which is sponsored by Allstate, and "The Dr. Bobby Jones Legend Award," which is sponsored by Walgreens, will be presented to The Rance Allen Group.

Besides the unveiling of the nominees, Central City Productions (CCP) and the Gospel Music Channel (GMC) also announced on Oct. 21 a new multi-year licensing agreement that makes GMC the exclusive first-run cable home for the Stellar Awards. GMC will premiere the 24th Annual Stellar Awards on March 1 following its first broadcast syndication window run.

Under the new agreement, GMC also will debut a new, CCP-produced series "The Best of the Stellars." The GMC-exclusive 10-episode series will spotlight the most memorable moments, performances and interviews from the first 23 years of the Stellar Awards. Hosted by Vickie Winans, "The Best of the Stellars" will begin production this fall and premiere on GMC in April 2009, according to a press release.

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