By Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com

Gospel music's premiere award show The Stellar Awards taped this past weekend in Nashville, Tenn. at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Marvin Sapp was this year's big winner with eight awards including "Artist of the Year," "Song of the Year," "Male Vocalist of the Year," and "CD of the Year."

Jonathan Nelson, 2006 Stellar Award winner for "Song of the Year," nabbed three 2009 awards for "Contemporary CD of the Year," "Group/Duo of the Year," and "Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year" for the CD "Right Now Praise."

Gospel mainstay Ricky Dillard won two Stellar's for "Choir of the Year" and "Contemporary Choir of the Year."

Hosted by comedian Sinbad and gospel singers Donnie McClurkin and Dorinda Clark Cole, this year's broadcast paid special tribute to gospel veterans Daryl Coley (James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award), Vickie Winans (Thomas Dorsey Most Notable Achievement) and The Rance Allen Group (Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Award).

Additionally, gospel great Rev. Timothy Wright, who was seriously injured in a car crash that killed his wife and grandson in July of 2008, was given an honorary Stellar Award that was accepted by his three sons.

(Read: 'Gospel Industry In Prayer For Rev. Timothy Wright' for back story on Rev. Timothy Wright)

Kirk Franklin with special guests Myrna Summers and Milton Bingham performed a musical medley that included many of Wright's biggest hits combined with some of Franklin's.

Some of the presenters during the ceremony included actress Sherri Shepherd ('The View'), Sheryl Lee Ralph ('Moesha'), R&B star Mario, singer Regina Belle, actress Regina Taylor ('The Unit'), James Fortune, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, actor Clifton Davis ('Amen'), R&B star Mario Winans, Dr. Bobby Jones, Shirley Caesar, Marvin Winans Jr. and Eddie Baltrip.

Tye Tribbett & G.A. opened the telecast with their song 'Stand Out.'

Music legend Dionne Warwick was on hand to perform a salute to President Barack Obama by singing 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.'

There was a medley performed by the "Best New Artist" contenders Jessica Greene, Terrell Hunt, Melody, Jai Reed and Donald Lawrence's protégés, The Murrills. The award ultimately went to Baltimore-based songstress Greene.

There were additional performances during the broadcast by Donnie McClurkin & Karen Clark Sheard, Heather Headley, 21:03, Lee Williams & Spiritual QC's and Da T.R.U.T.H.

With eight nominations, shockingly nominee Jonathan Nelson and his group Purpose was not originally given a performance slot on the show. However, after some behind-the-scenes politics kept originally slated performers Mary Mary and Deitrick Haddon from being on the broadcast, Nelson ended up performing.

Both Mary Mary and Haddon skipped the awards show altogether.

Comedian Akintunde brilliantly tackled the audience preparation and warm-up duties. The funnyman kept the crowd engaged between commercial breaks and set changes and effortlessly had the auditorium in stitches.

The Stellar Awards begin airing in national syndication on Jan. 25.

The show will make its cable debut on March 1 on the Gospel Music Channel (GMC) and later air on WGN America on March 7.

To get a local listing of airdates for The Stellar Awards, go to www.thestellarawards.com.

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A full list of winners from the Stellar Awards is below:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

- Marvin Sapp, Thirsty, Verity/Zomba Label Group

SONG OF THE YEAR

- Marvin Sapp and Matthew Brownie, "Never Would Have Made It" – Thirsty, Zomba Label Group

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

- Marvin Sapp, Thirsty, Verity/Zomba Label Group

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

- Dorinda Clark-Cole, Take it Back, Zomba Label Group

GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR

- Jonathan Nelson featuring Purpose, Right Now Praise, Integrity Music

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

- Jessica Greene, 4 the World, Habakkuk Music

CD OF THE YEAR

- Marvin Sapp, Thirsty, Verity/Zomba Label Group

CHOIR OF THE YEAR

- Ricky Dillard & New G, The 7^th Episode: Live in Toronto , NuSpring Records/EMI Gospel

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

- Aaron Lindsey, Thirsty, Zomba Label Group

CONTEMPORARY GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR

-Jonathan Nelson featuring Purpose, Right Now Praise, Integrity Music

TRADITIONAL GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR

- The Canton Spirituals, Driven, Verity/Zomba Label Group

CONTEMPORARY MALE OF THE YEAR

-Byron Cage, Live at the Apollo: The Proclamation, Gospocentric/Zomba Label Group

TRADITIONAL MALE OF THE YEAR

- Marvin Sapp, Thirsty, Verity/Zomba Label Group

CONTEMPORARY FEMALE OF THE YEAR

- CeCe Winans, Thy Kingdom Come, PureSprings Gospel

TRADITIONAL FEMALE OF THE YEAR

- Beverly Crawford, Live from Los Angeles , JDI Records

CONTEMPORARY CD OF THE YEAR

- Jonathan Nelson featuring Purpose, Right Now Praise, Integrity Music

TRADITIONAL CD OF THE YEAR

- Marvin Sapp, Thirsty, Verity/Zomba Label Group

URBAN/INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

- Kirk Franklin, "Declaration: (This is it)" – The Fight of My Life, Fo Yo Soul/Gospocentric/Zomba Label Group

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

- Marvin Sapp, "Never Would Have Made It", Verity/Zomba Label Group

TRADTIONAL CHOIR OF THE YEAR

- Bishop Paul Morton & The Full Gospel Baptist Church Choir, Embracing the Next Dimension, Light Records/Tehillah

CONTEMPORARY CHOIR OF THE YEAR

- Ricky Dillard & New G., The 7^th Episode: Live in Toronto , NuSpring Records/EMI Gospel

INSTRUMENTAL GOSPEL CD OF THE YEAR

- Angella Christie, The Breath of Life, ACSM Music

SPECIAL EVENT CD OF THE YEAR

- The Clark Sisters, The Best of the Clark Sisters Encore, Dexterity Sounds

RAP HIP HOP GOSPEL CD OF THE YEAR

- Da' T.R.U.T.H., Open Book, Cross Movement Records

CHILDRENS PROJECT OF THE YEAR

- Kaira Miller, In God's Time/It Ain't Over, GFM Entertainment

QUARTET OF THE YEAR

- Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC'S, So Much to be Thankful for, MCG Records

RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING OF THE YEAR

- Michelle Lukianovich, Art Direction & Design; Keith Major, Photography, Marvin Sapp – Thirsty, Verity/Zomba Label Group

PRAISE AND WORHSIP CD OF THE YEAR

- Shekinah Glory Ministry, Jesus, Kingdom Records