Light Records has compiled thirteen of the songs form this year’s leading Stellar-award nominated CDs. The Stellar awards are called the gospel industry’s Grammy awards equivalent. This is Light ’s
sixth Stellar Awards compilation and promises to be the biggest yet.

The project boats songs from some of the year’s biggest gospel projects. From Prophetess Juanita Bynum’s gold-selling A Piece of My Passion CD is the stirring ballad, “I Don’t Mind Waiting.”

The set features other captivating ballads such as Martha Munizzi’s worshipful “Come Holy Sprit” ( No Limits…Live CD), Lisa McClendon’s jazzy “Just Another Day” (Live From the House of Blues CD), and the Williams Brothers’ remake of the `80s Cocker & Warne’s pop smash “Up Where We Belong” (Soul Link 3 CD).

It was a very good year for traditional gospel music as Bishop G.E. Patterson racked up over 100,000 sales with “Look Where He Brought Me From” that was pulled from the Singing the Old Time Way CD. New Orleans’s Bishop Paul S. Morton joined Keith “Wonder boy” Johnson and the Canton Spirituals’ Paul Porter on the uptempo shout number, “A Mighty Good Friend” (Seasons Change CD).

R&B styled gospel music is gaining greater appeal as artists such as Bryan Wilson create music with a soulful backbeat and a strong message. In Wilson’s autobiographical tune “Still My Father” (Uncloudy Days CD), he talks of growing up without his natural father and looking to God for parental guidance. The trio of Virtue makes a smooth case for trusting in God on “The Sky is the Limit” (Testimony CD) and Shreveport quartet, Zie’l, sings of the Savior’s grace on the mellow funk of “That’s How He Saved Me” (Genesis CD). Proving that she can hold her own with the youth of today, Gospel’s First Lady – Shirley Caesar – turns in a percolating performance on the pulsating, “Everything is Going to Be Alright” (I Know the Truth CD).

Group voices aren’t left out of the equation either. Israel & New Breed spice things up with “ Turn it Around” (Alive in South Africa
CD) and New Direction shows off their smooth harmonies on “Hold On” (Send the Praise CD). Connecticut’s Youthful Praise Featuring J.J. Hairston merges Sunday morning worship with an up-tempo Caribbean beat on “He Reigns” (Live the Praise, the Worship CD). It’s a stellar collection that caps a stellar year in gospel music.