Grammy-nominated brother and sister duo, Kierra Sheard-Kelly and J. Drew Sheard II are BMI’s first siblings to win the award show’s top honor, ‘Songwriter of the Year’ in the gospel category at the 2022 Trailblazers of Gospel Award show held in Nashville, TN. The two were awarded for their writing on the chart-topping songs, ‘It Keeps Happening’ performed by Sheard-Kelly, as well as “His Love” performed by The Legendary Clark Sisters. When asked about how she feels about this incredible accomplishment Sheard-Kelly states, “It feels like it’s paying off! It’s all worth it!” She continues, “It’s a blessing to grow, journey through our careers together, and be acknowledged as trailblazing siblings. It’s a blessing to know that someone else sees the value in our songs and efforts. Being notarized by our publishing company, BMI, who covers millions of brilliant other writers, is beyond special and encouraging. I’m thankful!”
This marks the second year that producer/songwriter J. Drew Sheard II has received this award. Last year Sheard II won for his work on “Victory” which was also performed by The Clark Sisters on their latest album, “The Return”. When asked about this milestone, Sheard II says, “Wow this is surreal! I’m truly grateful to BMI for this honor, and to share it with my sister, makes this moment even more impactful.” He continues, “I would like to thank the writers my sis Kierra Sheard, Faith Evans, Snoop Dogg, The Clark Sisters, and the other writers that helped me on these records. I also would like to thank all of the labels involved as well — RCA, Motown, and of course team Karew. This wouldn’t be possible without your consistent love and support for this music. I also would like to send a special shout out to my mentor Tracey Artis who not only mentored me but is responsible for 2 of the hit songs that allowed me to get the awards. Here’s to making more music!”
Both “It Keeps Happening” and “His Love” are currently available on all streaming platforms.
