BMI will honor Gospel artists CeCe Winans, Donald Lawrence and Twinkie Clark at its 10th Annual Trailblazer of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon on Friday, January 16 2009. The invitation only ceremony will take place at Rocketown in Nashville.
CeCe Winans’ career has generated a trove of top-shelf industry accolades comprising numerous Grammy, Stellar and Dove Awards. Her work with her brother as the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans expanded the boundaries of Gospel music and welcomed new listeners into its fold.
Her solo projects reintroduced her as an artist comfortable with the spotlight. CeCe has been a BMI songwriter for more than 20 years. Her catalog of compositions including the BMI Christian Award winning song “Say a Prayer,” as well as “Addictive Love,” “Well Alright,” and “Pray.” Her gold and platinum selling albums fill her resume and her latest effort “Thy Will Be Done” promises more acclaim.
Donald Lawrence is a producer and BMI songwriter, choir director and singer whose major influences on contemporary Gospel music is unparalleled.
His original work with the multiple awards winning Tri-City Singers revealed a rare and innovative artist capable of musical brilliance and authentic Christian praise, while his work as a producer embodied projects by Gospel icons including fellow honoree Twinkie Clark, Kirk Franklin and Karen Clark Sheard. Lawrence has also penned songs for The Clark Sisters, the Tri-City Singers, his own well-received solo projects, and more. His growing catalog includes the 2007 BMI Christian Award winning “Blessing of Abraham” and “Encourage Yourself.”
Elbernita “Twinkie” Clark has enthralled listeners for decades, both through her acclaimed solo work and leadership of Gospel’s royal family The Clark Sisters.
A skilled musician dubbed “Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ,” Clark also wields aerobatic vocals only matched by her sublime knack for composition. Clark has two Grammy Awards and has penned songs for The Clark Sisters, Rev. James Cleveland, Al Green, Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers, Esther Smith, James Moss, Dave Hollister, Xscape and Mary J Blige. The legendary BMI Gospel songwriter, Twinkie Clark, has recently recognized alongside her sisters at the 2007 Stellar Awards, where the influential group received the award for Most Noted Achievement.
BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is an America performing right organization that represents more than 375,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI’s latest financial results, $901 million for its 2008 fiscal year, are he highest performing right collections for any copyright organization I the world.
