Artist and songwriter Kierra Sheard is set to receive the BMI Impact Award at the 2026 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards, to be held at BMI’s Nashville office on Tuesday, July 21. During the ceremony, BMI will also honor the songwriters, producers and music publishers of the past year’s 25 most-performed gospel songs in the United States. The BMI Gospel Song, Songwriter and Publisher of the Year will also be named. The private event will be hosted by BMI CEO Mike O’Neill and vp, creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton.
Sheard, 38, is the daughter of Grammy-winning singer and pastor Karen Clark Sheard and Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Sr., pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, and the granddaughter of gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark. Kierra Sheard portrayed her mother in the 2020 Lifetime film, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.
Sheard has successfully forged her own path while honoring her family’s rich musical legacy. Known for blending traditional gospel with contemporary R&B influences, she has expanded the reach of gospel music to a new generation of listeners.
Sheard has amassed five No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart: I Owe You (2004), This Is Me (2006), Free (2011), Graceland (2014) and Kierra (2020). She has also notched five No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart and three No. 1 hits on Hot Gospel Songs.
She has received four Grammy nominations, seven Stellar Awards, three Dove Awards, four BMI Awards and she was named BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year in 2022.
“Kierra Sheard is one of the most influential and dynamic voices in gospel music today,” Brewton said in a statement. “Through her exceptional talents and commitment to inspiring others, Kierra continues to shape the genre and impact audiences around the world. It’s a privilege to recognize her remarkable achievements and contributions to gospel music.”
