Doing Big Things! Pastor Mike McClure Jr.'s 6 Stellar wins position him to truly transform lives
By Paul Grein // Gospel Music // EEW Magazine Online
Pastor Mike McClure Jr.—also known as PMJ—racked up impressive honors at the 37th Stellar Gospel Music Awards, walking away the top winner.
In an interview with The Christian Post, the 38-year-old founder of the Rock City Church in Forestdale, AL, who won six awards— including Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year—for I Got It: Single's Ministry Vol. 1 is now letting the public inside his life, ministry, and history.
"I come from a family that was in rich tradition,” said McClure whose grandfather, Bishop Calvin Woods, was the president of Dr. Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Male Artist of the Year winner Pastor Mike, Jr.
Earl Gibson III.
"My father was a pastor, so serving God and loving people has been embedded in my DNA,” continued McClure, who launched his church in 2009 with ten friends and now has thousands of members. "Within two years, we were filling up arenas in the city of Birmingham, transforming lives.”
Though the pastor, author and recording artist has always loved music, he was obedient to God when he felt led to shelve any musical aspirations for a season.
"I clearly heard the Lord tell me, ‘For the next 10 years, love God, love your family, love your city, love your church, and the world will come looking for you,’” McClure told CP. "So, when I started my church, I literally didn't do anything music related for the most part.”
After a decade, however, he received the divine release to release his first solo single, “Big,” which soared into the Top 20 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Songs and Gospel Airplay charts.
McClure sees this as evidence that if “you trust God and dream big, He will come through for you.”
Though fame and accolades have come to him, this is not the end goal for McClure, who told CP his mission is to reach those "on the margins, the least, the lonely, the left out, and the lost."
The influential platform he is building through ministry—both pastoral and musical—he believes is instrumental in accomplishing this goal.
"Influence is better than money,” McClure said, because it can “help transform lives on a very real level.”
Regarding his Stellar Awards wins, one of gospel’s newest stars, who was named Artist of the Year for two consecutive years—something no one has done since Donald Lawrence in 2006-07—said, "No words can describe how I felt.”
Here’s the full list of winners for the 2022 Stellar Gospel Music Awards.
Artist of the year
Pastor Mike, Jr.; I Got It: Single’s Ministry Vol 1; Black Smoke Music Worldwide/ Rock City Media Group
Song of the year
“Jireh” (Featuring Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine); Naomi Raine, Chandler Moore, Steven Furtick & Chris Brown; TRIBL Records
Male artist of the year
Pastor Mike, Jr.; I Got It: Single’s Ministry Vol 1; Black Smoke Music Worldwide/ Rock City Media Group
Albertina Walker female artist of the year
Tamela Mann; Overcomer; Tillymann Music Group
Duo/chorus group of the year
Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music; Jonny x Mali: Live in L.A. EP; Life Room/K Approved/RCA Inspiration/MNRK
New artist of the year
E. Dewey Smith; God Period; Pebble Street Records
Album of the year
I Got It: Single’s Ministry Vol 1; Pastor Mike, Jr.; Black Smoke Music Worldwide / Rock City Media Group
Choir of the year
Ricky Dillard; Breakthrough: The Exodus; Motown Gospel
Producer of the year
CeCe Winans, Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, Greg Ham, Derek Spirk & Chaz Corzine; Believe for It; Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media
Contemporary duo/chorus group of the year
Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music; Jonny x Mali: Live in L.A. EP; Life Room/K Approved/RCA Inspiration/MNRK
Contemporary male artist of the year
Pastor Mike, Jr.; I Got It: Single’s Ministry Vol 1; Black Smoke Music Worldwide/ Rock City Media Group
Traditional male artist of the year
Ricky Dillard; Breakthrough: The Exodus; Motown Gospel
Contemporary female artist of the year
Tamela Mann; Overcomer; Tillymann Music Group
Traditional female artist of the year
Martha Munizzi; Best Days; Epic Music
Contemporary album of the year
I Got It: Single’s Ministry Vol 1; Pastor Mike, Jr.; Black Smoke Music Worldwide / Rock City Media Group
Traditional album of the year
The N.O.W. Experience; Kelontae Gavin; RCA Inspiration
Urban/inspirational single or performance of the year
“Amazing”; Pastor Mike, Jr.; Black Smoke Music Worldwide / Rock City Media Group
Music video of the year
“Help Me”; David Mann Jr.; Tillymann Music Group
Traditional choir of the year
WINNER: Ricky Dillard; Breakthrough: The Exodus; Motown Gospel
Instrumental album of the year
The Good News (Instrumental); Charles Butler & Trinity; Impact One Music / Red Alliance Media / Fair Trade Services
Special event album of the year
Jonny x Mali: Live in L.A. EP; Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music; Life Room/K Approved/RCA Inspiration/MNRK
Rap hip hop gospel album of the year
No Church in a While; 1K Phew & Lecrae; Reach Records
Youth project of the year
Janessa Smith; Finish This Race; Inspired Recording
Quartet of the year
The Brown Boyz; The Reintroduction; SIX19 Music
Recorded music packaging of the year
Jonny x Mali: Live in L.A. EP; Tyler Siemen; Life Room/K Approved/RCA Inspiration/MNRK
Praise and worship album of the year
Believe for It; CeCe Winans; Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media
Praise and worship song of the year
“Believe for It”; CeCe Winans; Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media
Rap/hip hop song of the year
“Redeemed” ft. Mali Music; Amethyst; Independent
James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award
Ricky Dillard
Aretha Franklin Icon Award
Aaron Lindsey
Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award
Rev. Milton Brunson
Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award
Candi Staton
Stellar Honors Hall of Fame
Conference of National Black Churches
o Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman
o Senior Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, African Methodist Episcopal Church
o Senior Bishop Kenneth Monroe, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
o Senior Bishop Lawrence L. Reddick, III, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
o Presiding Bishop & Chief Apostle John Drew Sheard, Church of God in Christ
o Dr. Jerry Young, President, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
o Dr. David Peoples, President, Progressive National Baptist Convention
Rev. Anthony Evans, President, National Black Church Initiative
Gospel station and announcer of the year nominees
Major market station of the year
WPZE Praise 102.5, Atlanta
Large market station of the year
WJYD JOY 107.1, Columbus
Medium market station of the year
WNZN 89.1, Lorain
Small market station of the year
WYPZ – FM 99.5, Macon
Internet station of the year
WVTC Gospel Radio Network, http://www.wvtcradio.com
Gospel announcer of the year
Melissa Wade, WNNL – The Light 103.9, Raleigh, NC
