Southern University Gospel Choir takes Baton Rouge’s sound to the national stage
The Southern University Gospel Choir has been named one of five finalists for the inaugural HBCU Choir of the Year award at the 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards
BATON ROUGE, La. — The voices of Southern University are preparing to carry the spirit of Baton Rouge onto one of gospel music’s biggest stages.
The Southern University Gospel Choir has been named one of five finalists for the inaugural HBCU Choir of the Year award at the 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, giving the Baton Rouge university a historic place in the first-ever competition created specifically to recognize gospel choirs from historically Black colleges and universities.
The winner will be announced Aug. 15 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where gospel superstar Kirk Franklin is scheduled to host the Stellar Awards.
For Southern University, the nomination is about more than a trophy.
It represents the musical, spiritual and cultural legacy of an institution that has helped educate generations of Black students while giving them opportunities to develop their gifts.
“This recognition reflects the hard work, consistency, ministry, and excellence our students continue to display both on and off the stage while representing the Southern University System across the country,” said Ernest Bowman, director of the Southern University Gospel Choir, according to the university.
Southern's nomination is part of a historic first for the Stellar Awards. The HBCU Choir of the Year category was created in 2026 to recognize collegiate gospel choirs from HBCUs and their contributions to gospel music and culture.
Southern is competing against the Howard Gospel Choir of Howard University, Morgan State University Choir, North Carolina A&T Fellowship Gospel Choir and The Fort Valley State University Choir.
Southern's nominated entry features Cameron Blain and the song “Call His Name.”
The nomination has resonated well beyond the Southern University campus.
For Baton Rouge, it places a nationally recognized HBCU and one of its signature musical organizations in a competition that acknowledges a tradition deeply rooted in Black church culture.
HBCU gospel choirs have historically provided more than musical entertainment. They have served as training grounds for singers, musicians, worship leaders and directors while creating spaces where young Black performers can develop their artistry and faith.
Southern's Gospel Choir has become part of that continuing tradition.
Bowman, who serves as the choir's director, has described the nomination as particularly meaningful because of what it represents for the students and the university. He also has emphasized its significance for Louisiana.
The journey to Charlotte was not automatic.
Southern was initially among the nominees for the newly established category. Following the first round of public voting, the choir advanced into the final five. The choir acknowledged the support it received from students, alumni, family members and supporters, describing the advancement as the result of a dream, prayer and countless hours of dedication.
That progression has turned the Stellar nomination into a point of pride for Southern alumni and supporters across the country.
It also highlights something larger about HBCUs: their cultural influence extends far beyond classrooms and athletic fields.
For generations, music has been one of the ways HBCUs have introduced Black excellence to audiences far beyond their campuses. From marching bands and concert ensembles to choirs and vocal groups, these institutions have created platforms where young people can develop their talents while representing something larger than themselves.
The new Stellar category recognizes that contribution on a national gospel platform.
And Southern University is there representing Baton Rouge.
The significance is not lost on the students who make up the choir.
The nomination provides them an opportunity to stand alongside gospel artists and musicians who have influenced the genre while demonstrating that the next generation of gospel music is being cultivated on HBCU campuses.
When the Stellar Awards ceremony takes place Aug. 15, Southern University will not simply be competing for a new award.
It will be competing for a place in history.
Regardless of the outcome, the Southern University Gospel Choir has already accomplished something that no HBCU gospel choir has accomplished before: becoming a finalist for the first HBCU Choir of the Year award presented by the Stellar Gospel Music Awards.
For Baton Rouge, that means the city's sound, its HBCU tradition and its gospel heritage will be represented on a national stage.
And when Southern's singers open their mouths in Charlotte, they will carry more than a song.
They will carry Southern University.
They will carry Baton Rouge.
And they will carry the legacy of generations of Black gospel musicians who understood that sometimes a song is more than music — it is ministry, identity and testimony.
