Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) honored Edwin Hawkins, Tremaine Hawkins and Kurt Carr during its 14th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon.

Held Friday, Jan. 18 at Michael W. Smith's Rocketown club in Nashville, the event also recognized BMI's Most-Performed Gospel Song of the Year: Kirk Franklin's "I Smile" from his Gold-certified album Hello Fear (Verity Gospel). The Walls Group performed the song, which Franklin co-wrote with James Samuel Harris, Terry Steven Lewis and Frederick Tackett, during the event.

A tribute to Carr featured performances by the Donald Lawrence & Co. singers, Lisa Knowles, Sheri Jones-Moffett and Amber Bullock. Hawkins' songs were performed by Shirley Ceasar, Bishop Paul Morton, LaShun Pace, Kierra Sheard, Jason Nelson and Jonathan Nelson. Anaysha Figueroa, Le' Andria Johnson, VaShawn Mitchell and Yolanda Adams sang a special tribute to Hawkins.

CeCe Winans and Donnie McClurkin hosted the luncheon along with BMI President and CEO Del Bryant and BMI Vice President Catherine Brewton.

BMI is a performing rights organization, which represents more than a half-million songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 7.5 million compositions.

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