Fort Worth’s Kirk Franklin will be honored with the Black Music Icon Award at a Recording Academy event in Los Angeles on Jan. 30 ahead of the 2025 Grammys.
“Kirk has not only revolutionized gospel music, but has also bridged the gap between genres, redefining the possibilities of musical expression and inspiring generations with his message of hope and faith,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. in a news release.
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“His unwavering dedication to his craft and his legacy of service embody the very essence of the Black Music Icon Award. We look forward to honoring Kirk for his profound influence on the industry and the countless lives he continues to touch worldwide,” Mason Jr. continued.
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The decorated gospel artist has 20 Grammys under his belt. His 2023 project Father’s Day is nominated for Best Gospel Album at this year’s ceremony, which will be televised from Los Angeles on Feb. 2 and serve as a fundraiser for wildfire relief.
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The album was shaped by a surprise revelation: The man Franklin believed was his biological father actually was not.
“I’m very grateful that I had the music to put all of it in, because if I did not have the music, it would have destroyed me,” he told The Dallas Morning News in 2023.
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A paternity test led to the discovery of his birth father, Richard Hubbard, who lived about 10 minutes from where Franklin grew up in Fort Worth.
Franklin felt vulnerable leading up to his first performance back home since learning the news, he said in 2023. But he will always have a soft spot for his city.
“Fort Worth made me: the good, the bad and the ugly,” he told The News. “There’s no other place that I’d rather be.”