Hello World,
My favorite Christian celeb Sherri Shepherd, an ABC’s “The View” contributor, is a moving target because she stays on the move! Tomorrow night in Las Vegas, Sherri along with syndicated radio and TV personality Rickey Smiley will return as co-hosts of the 31st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, having hosted together in 2014. Hailed as the “biggest night in gospel music,” this year’s Stellar Awards will be held at the Las Vegas Orleans Arena. The telecast will premiere on TV One during the week of March 6, as well as in broadcast syndication on 150 stations in over 125 markets around the country from March 12 – April 10.
The 2016 Stellar Awards nominees in 28 categories were revealed in January with gospel heavyweight Anthony Brown, a contender for both Male Vocalist of the Year and Producer of the Year, topping the list with ten nominations. The prolific songwriter and his bandmates Group therAPy are also nominated for Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Group/Duo of the Year, CD of the Year, Choir of the Year, Contemporary Group/Duo of the Year, Contemporary CD of the Year, and Recorded Music Packaging of the Year.
Also returning to the show with a slate of nominations this year, chart-topping act Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago receives eight nods, the second highest number overall. Jenkins is nominated for Producer of the Year and Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year, and his critically acclaimed group is competing for Song of the Year, CD of the Year, Choir of the Year, Traditional CD of the Year, Music Video of the Year and Traditional Choir of the Year.
With eight and six nominations respectively, Erica Campbell and Tasha Cobbs demonstrate the powerful impact of women in gospel music, recognized for Artist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, CD of the Year, Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year and Contemporary CD of the Year. Campbell also receives a nod for Urban/Inspirational Single or Performance of the Year while Cobb garners one for Praise and Worship CD of the Year.
Richard Smallwood, nominated for Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year, and his group Vision are in contention for Traditional Choir of the Year, Special Event CD of the Year and Praise and Worship CD of the Year. Other artists earning multiple nominations include Israel & New Breed, Jonathan McReynolds, Tina Campbell, The Rance Allen Group, newcomer Casey J and living legend Dorinda Clark Cole.
In other Sherri Shepherd news, Sherri and John Lithgow will star in NBC’s legal comedy pilot The Trail, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Below is the description of the new sitcom!
The Trail is described as a serialized single-camera comedy following a young big-city lawyer and his oddball defense team during a high-profile murder trial in a small Southern town.
Lithgow will play the man on trial, Larry Henderson. A smart but slightly clueless poetry professor at a South Carolina community college who is accused of killing his wife, Larry finds the whole notion of being charged with murder absurd, but he has a couple secrets that could really derail his defense.
Shepherd will play Anne, the well-meaning and enthusiastic assistant/receptionist at a makeshift law office in East Peck, S.C. She suffers from facial blindness — the inability to recognize people by their faces — along with a host of disorders that make her job as a member of Henderson’s defense team much more difficult.
As Sherri is a former legal secretary, I know she will be great in this role!
And finally, Sherri is hosting and executive producing WE TV’s unscripted series Match Made In Heaven for its upcoming second season, according to Deadline.com!
“During my time co-hosting The View, I was always talking about the need for an African-American bachelor on television,” Shepherd told Deadline. “When We TV approached me about partnering up with them I had to say yes. Words can’t describe the amount of fun I’ve had working on this show.”
Any thoughts?
