‘Super dope’ nominees announced for 2026 Stellar Upfront Awards in Charlotte
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In the Charlotte Convention Center, gospel artist Melvin Crispell III made his rounds in a floral suit with reddish-pink flowers covering him from head to toe. Crispell has been involved with the Stellar Upfront Awards since 2019.
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“It’s an honor to be here with the Stellar Awards. We are in my city, which is a new one for us, and I’m super grateful,” he said ahead of securing a nomination for this year.
The nominees for the 2026 Stellar Upfront Awards were announced Wednesday in uptown Charlotte ahead of the award ceremony in August.
This is the first year the Stellar Upfront Awards are being hosted in Charlotte. The upcoming ceremony marks the 41st edition of the show where attendees gather to honor top names in gospel music. Presented by the Gospel Music Academy, it is the first nationally televised gospel music awards show and was started in 1986.
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Kirk Franklin, Stellar Upfront Awards host and gospel artist, also welcomed the move to Charlotte. “This is super, super dope,” Franklin said. “I’ve been coming to Charlotte for about 20 years and every time I come, I see the city grow.”
“It’s incredible to now see that what we do is now a part of the fabric of the city and is becoming its own ecosystem of entertainment.”
Nominees across all categories were announced, including five artists for Artist of the Year: Darrel Walls, Jekalyn Carr, Kim Person, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Tye Tribbett.
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The Stellar Upfront Awards will be held Aug. 15 at the Spectrum Center.
