Gospel vocalist and minister Petra Kaye tops the list of nominees in the 2023 Sterling Gospel Music Awards.

The nominations for the 7th staging of Jamaica’s premiere gospel music awards show were announced last evening via the event’s social media platforms.

Petra Kaye is nominated in three categories, the most for any of the nominees. She goes up against perennial favourites such as Rhoda Isabella, Marion Hall, and Da Flame in the Female Artiste of the Year category.

She is also nominated in the Album of the Year category, for her live album Sing Praises, while her Christ Alone Medley appears in the Local Hit Producer of the Year category.

It was produced by Kamar Forrest for Danx440 Entertainment.

Basillia Barnaby-Cuff, organiser of Sterling Gospel Music Awards, spoke to the milestone seventh year of the awards.

“With the number 7 being God’s perfect number, it will be used as a theme for this year, ‘Sterling7-October 7- Honouring7. This year we will be honoring a group of 7 sound providers and engineers who have supported the growth of the gospel industry over the years.

“Also, for the first time since 2020 we will be reintroducing the category Most Rated Event of the Year, which was replaced by Virtual Event of the Year during the height of the covid-19 pandemic,” said Barnaby-Cuff.

This year’s event will be held on Saturday, October 7, at Swallowfield Chapel in St Andrew. It promises to be a red-carpet.

“Over time, we continue to have a greater impact on souls in the kingdom and bring awareness to those currently outside looking in,” said Barnaby-Cuff, who spoke about the growth of the event which seeks to honour the achievements of the practitioners within the gospel music sector.

“We continue to provide an arena for artistes and major players to draw closer to sponsors and potential sponsors, as well as getting closer to their supporters. We continue to provide fulfilling snippets of entertainment by virtue of artistes on the line-up and we continue to salute others and join in recognising talent and rewarding excellence,” she said.

The Sterling Gospel Music Awards has grown from a small gathering in Manchester for its first staging to going mainstream with several stagings being highlighted on national TV and live-streamed last year.

Other multiple nominees in the 2023 Sterling Gospel Music Awards are Ryan Mark, Kevin Downswell, Marion Hall; radio personalities Anya Jean Phillips, Jucal Dyer, Sara Ann Edwards-Miller and Ava Gay Blair-Black, Levy’s Heritage, DJ Nicholas, Prince Saj and Johnmark Wiggan. Each picked up two nominations.

“Patrons can expect a sterling show,” confirmed Barnaby-Cuff.

Among the nominees are:

Video of the Year

Set Me on Fire – Trevon Clarke

Champion – Levy’s Heritage

Sweet Eeh – Sone G featuring Da Journey

Let Me Loose – Sirnan Biblical

God is In Control – Leonell Teape featuring DJ Nicholas

Fully Jesus – Prince Saj

Male Artiste of the Year

Kevin Downswell

Christopher Gayle

Prince Saj

Johnmark Wiggan

Group of the Year

Levy’s Heritage

Perpetual Sounds of Praise

Foster Triplets

HUMBLE

Breakout Sensation of the Year

Johnmark Wiggan

Oshane Mais

Biblical Lyricist

Perry in Christ

Collaboration of the Year

Sweet Ehh – Sone G featuring Da Journey

Happy – Tiffany Levy featuring Chozenn

Clean Clean – Ryan Mark and DJ Nicholas

God do it – Godson Four Corners featuring Minister Treasure