Nashville's Christian and gospel music communities are set for back-to-back celebrations this week, as BMI hosts two separate honors on consecutive nights recognizing the songwriters and artists shaping the genre.
First up: the 2026 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, held Tuesday, July 21, where gospel singer and songwriter Kierra Sheard receives the BMI Impact Award for her career-long influence on the genre. The ceremony will also recognize the past year's 25 most-performed gospel songs and name BMI's Gospel Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year.
The following night, July 22, BMI shifts its focus to the Christian Awards at its Music Row office, honoring the 25 most-performed Christian songs on radio and television over the past year. Three top honors are on the line: Christian Song of the Year, Christian Songwriter of the Year and Christian Publisher of the Year.
One storyline worth watching: songwriter Jeff Pardo has won Songwriter of the Year twice in the past three years, taking the honor in both 2023 and 2025. A third win this year would put him among the most decorated names in the award's nearly two-decade history, alongside past honorees like Casting Crowns' Mark Hall, tobyMac, Ethan Hulse and Phil Wickham.
Both ceremonies remain intentionally low-key by industry standards - private, dinner-format events built around the songwriters themselves rather than red-carpet spectacle. As BMI's Leslie Roberts put it ahead of last year's Christian Awards, the honorees are the ones who "craft the soundtracks to people's lives and spiritual journeys."
Winners from both nights are expected to be announced via BMI's official channels shortly after each ceremony wraps.
Related Articles:
- Christian Music's Best Songwriters Are About to Get Their Flowers: BMI Sets July 22 for Its Annual Awards Night
- Kierra Sheard to Receive BMI Impact Award at 2026 Gospel Music Awards
- What Are the BMI Christian Awards? Inside Nashville's Yearly Celebration of Christian Music's Top Songwriters
