It’s safe to say that the inaugural Gospel Excellence Honours Night, hosted by RSL Awards and GMIA, was not only a success but a triumph. With sensational live music, celebrated gospel legends, and several fervent calls to push gospel qualifications forward, the Gospel Excellence Honours Night, which took place on Tuesday 16th April 16, 2024, was the first instalment of the ground-breaking new initiative to empower aspiring performers in gospel music.
Gospel Excellence Honours Night
The Gospel Excellence Honours Night, held at the prestigious Kings Place, London was filled with heart-felt appreciation, enthusiasm and celebration as each fellow was awarded for their individual and outstanding contributions to music.
RSL Awards and the Gospel Music Industry Alliance (GMIA) have partnered to honour some of the most notable performers, artists, educators and contributors to the UK and international music industry. Many of the fellows honoured, have produced for iconic artists, sang in front of international viewers at historic events and propelled grassroot initiatives that have had an incomparable impact on up-and-coming performers today.
Each fellow was awarded with an Honorary Level 7 RSL & GMIA Fellowship – a formal accolade for the remarkable impact they have had on the industry and to shed more light on the talent found within the gospel community.
The RSL Awards & GMIA Fellows are:
- Audrey Lawrence-Mattis
- Ayo Oyerinde
- Clinton Jordan
- David Copeland
- Faye Simpson
- Jerome Brown
- John Fisher BEM
- Karen Gibson MBE
- Ken Burton
- Lawrence Johnson
- Nicky Brown
- Noel Robinson
- Priscilla Jones-Campbell
- Ray Prince
- Bazil Meade MBE
- Tyndale Thomas MBE
- Anu Omideyi
- Roger Moore
This truly was an awesome night with rave reviews from guests on the music, honourees and passionate discussion on improving music education for people looking to perform gospel music.
“I loved every minute of this evening. What an incredible night, overflowing with musical genius and beauty.”
Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE
Founder & Artistic Director, Chineke!
Gospel Graded Music Exams
RSL have worked extensively with the Gospel Music Industry Alliance (GMIA) to create a Rockschool Graded Exam for singers who perform in the Gospel tradition. Starting with Grade 6, candidates can choose from a range of benchmarked pieces that have been chosen by leading Gospel partitioners such as RSL Fellows Karen Gibson and Anu Omideyi.