(RNS) — Grammy favorites added to their previous wins in the gospel & contemporary Christian music category at the annual awards on Sunday (Feb. 4), with top honors going to Kirk Franklin, Lecrae, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Tye Tribbett and Blind Boys of Alabama.
Gospel singer Franklin won his 20th Grammy for his performance and songwriting on “All Things” in the best gospel performance/song category.
Franklin, who won the only category he was nominated in, said in an Instagram video before the ceremony that he gets nervous and has “a lot of anxiety about award shows.” The Grammy winner added that he does not like to compete against his friends, with a nod to a category that included a number of nominees Franklin has collaborated with in the past, including Marvin Winans, Hezekiah Walker and Karen Clark Sheard.
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Clark Sheard won her own award with The Clark Sisters, an American gospel vocal group of five sisters, who received the lifetime achievement award, which was announced in advance of the ceremonies.
The Clark Sisters have won two Grammys as a group, and they are the highest-selling female gospel group in history.
Lecrae received his third and fourth Grammy Sunday night, taking home best contemporary Christian music album for “Church Clothes 4″ and sharing an award with Tasha Cobbs Leonard for their performance of “Your Power” in the best contemporary Christian performance/song category.
The father of three took his daughter to the awards as his date. “I just wanted to be the father I never had and give my kids experiences. God is beyond kind,” Lecrae wrote on Instagram after his win.
“Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this song an amazing tool for the kingdom!” Cobbs Leonard, one of the few women to take home a Grammy in the gospel and contemporary Christian music categories, wrote on Instagram.
