Yolanda Adams |
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Adams singing the national anthem at the 2010 National Memorial Day Concert |
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| Also known as | Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music, First Lady of Modern Gospel |
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| Born | Yolanda Yvette Adams
(1961-08-27) August 27, 1961
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| Genres | Gospel, R&B, soul |
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| Occupations | |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
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| Labels | |
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| Website | yolandaadamslive.com |
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Yolanda Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold nearly 10 million albums worldwide.[1] In addition to achieving multi-platinum status,[2]
she has won four Grammy Awards,[3] four Dove Awards, five BET Awards, six NAACP Image Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards, two BMI Awards and sixteen Stellar Awards.[4] She was the first Gospel artist to be awarded an American Music Award.[5]
She is known as the "Queen of Contemporary Gospel Music",[6] the "First Lady of Modern Gospel",[7] while Variety dubbed her the "Reigning Queen of Urban Gospel".[8]
Adams was named by Billboard, in 2009, as the No. 1 gospel artist of the decade, driven by the sales of her No. 1 album Mountain High...Valley Low.[9] In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer service.[10]
She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association in 2017.[11]
In 2018, she became the first gospel artist nominated for a Tony Award for her work on SpongeBob SquarePants.[12] In 2019, she received the Soul Train Music Awards Lady of Soul Award,[13] and received critical acclaim for officially opening Super Bowl LIV with her performance of "America the Beautiful".[14] Billboard listed her as one of the Top Gospel Artist of the 2010s.[15] She has scored five number one albums on Billboard's Top Gospel Album.[16] Adams was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.
Awards and nominations
American Music Awards
| Year
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Award
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Nominated work
|
Result
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| 2002
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Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspirational
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Herself
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Won
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BET Awards
| Year
|
Award
|
Nominated work
|
Result
|
| 2001
|
Best Gospel Artist
|
Herself
|
Nominated
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| 2002
|
Won
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| 2003
|
Won
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| 2004
|
Won
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| 2006
|
Won
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| 2012
|
Won
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| 2023
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Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
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"One Moment from Glory"
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Nominated
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| 2025
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"Church Doors"
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Nominated
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GMA Dove Awards
| Year
|
Award
|
Nominated work
|
Result
|
| 1992
|
Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
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"Through the Storm"
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Won
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| 1999
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Song of the Year
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"Is Your All On The Altar?"
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Won
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| 2002
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Urban Recorded Song of the Year
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"I Believe I Can Fly"
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Nominated
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| Traditional Gospel Album of the Year
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Doug and Melvin Williams Duets
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Nominated
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| Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
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The Experience
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Nominated
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| 2003
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Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
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"Thank You"
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Nominated
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| Urban Album of the Year
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Believe
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Nominated
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| 2005
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Special Event Album of the Year
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The Passion of the Christ: Songs
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Won
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| 2006
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Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
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"Be Blessed"
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Nominated
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| Urban Album of the Year
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Day by Day
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Nominated
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| 2007
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Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
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"This Too Shall Pass"
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Nominated
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| 2012
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Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
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Becoming
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Nominated
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| 2015
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Traditional Gospel Song of the Year
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"How Awesome Is Our God"
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Won
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| 2017
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Gospel Music Hall of Fame
|
Herself
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Inducted
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| 2025
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Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year
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Sunny Days
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Nominated
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| Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year
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"Church Doors"
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Nominated
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Grammy Awards
| Year
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Award
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Nominated work
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Result
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| 1995
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Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
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Save The World
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Nominated
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| 1996
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More Than A Melody
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Nominated
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| 1997
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Shakin' The House...Live In L.A.
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Nominated
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| Live In Washington
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Nominated
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| 1999
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Songs From The Heart
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Nominated
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| 2000
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Mountain High...Valley Low
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Won
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| 2002
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The Experience
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Won
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| 2006
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Day By Day
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Nominated
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| Best Gospel Song
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"Be Blessed"
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Won
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| Best Gospel Performance
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Nominated
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| 2007
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"Victory"
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Won
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| Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
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"Everyday (Family Reunion)"
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Nominated
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| 2016
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Best Gospel Performance/Song
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"How Awesome Is Our God [Live]"
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Nominated
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| 2020
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"Talkin' 'Bout Jesus"
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Nominated
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| 2025
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"Church Doors"
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Nominated
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| 2026
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Best Gospel Album
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Sunny Days
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Nominated
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NAACP Image Awards
| Year
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Award
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Nominated work
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Result
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| 2006
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Outstanding Gospel Artist (Traditional or Contemporary)
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Day by Day
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Won
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| 2007
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Herself
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Nominated
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| 2012
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Becoming
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Nominated
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| 2025
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Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
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Sunny Days
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Nominated
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| "Church Doors"
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Nominated
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Soul Train Awards
| Year
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Award
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Nominated work
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Result
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| Soul Train Awards
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| 1996
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Best Gospel Album
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More Than A Melody
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Nominated
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| 2001
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Best R&B/Soul Single – Female
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"Open My Heart"
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Won
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| 2002
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Best Gospel Album
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The Experience
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Nominated
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| 2019
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Lady of Soul Award
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Herself
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Honored
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| Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
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| 1996
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Best Gospel Album
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More Than A Melody
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Won
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| 2000
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Mountain High... Valley Low
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Won
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| R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Solo
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Nominated
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| 2001
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R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year
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"Open My Heart"
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Won
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| 2002
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Best Gospel Album
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Believe
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Nominated
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| Year
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Category
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Work
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Result
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| 1996
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Contemporary Female Artist of the Year
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Herself
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Won
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| 1997
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Shakin' The House: Live In LA
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Won
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| Music Video of the Year
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Won
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| 2000
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Female Vocalist of the Year
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Songs From the Heart
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Nominated
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| Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year
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Nominated
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| 2001
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Artist of the Year
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Mountain High... Valley Low
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Won
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| CD of the Year
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Won
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| Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year
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Won
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| Female Vocalist of the Year
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Won
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| Contemporary CD of the Year
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Nominated
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| Music Video of the Year
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"Open My Heart"
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Won
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| Song of the Year
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Nominated
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| 2002
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Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year
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The Live Experience
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Won
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| Female Vocalist of the Year
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Won
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| Artist of the Year
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Nominated
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| CD of the Year
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Nominated
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| Contemporary CD of the Year
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Nominated
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| Producer of the Year
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Nominated
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| 2003
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Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year
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Believe
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Won
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| Urban/Inspirational Performance of the Year
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Won
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| Artist of the Year
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Nominated
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| CD of the Year
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Nominated
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| Female Vocalist of the Year
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Nominated
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| Music Video of the Year
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"Never Give Up"
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Nominated
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| 2004
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"The Prayer" (with Donnie McClurkin)
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Nominated
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| 2007
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Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year
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Day by Day
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Nominated
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| 2008
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Special Event CD of the Year
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Yolanda Adams, The Best of Me
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Nominated
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| 2009
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What A Wonderful Time
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Nominated
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| 2012
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Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year
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Becoming
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Nominated
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| Female Vocalist of the Year
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Nominated
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Tony Awards
| Year
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Award
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Nominated work
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Result
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| 2018
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Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
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SpongeBob SquarePants
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Nominated
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Miscellaneous honors
References
- ^ "Yolanda Adams at the 2019 Soul Train Awards: Our Lady Of Soul Gets Candid On The State Of Gospel". BET. November 18, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "5 Questions for Yolanda Adams on Her New Album". May 15, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams". GRAMMY.com. November 26, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams Live | Awards". YolandaAdamsLive. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "Prudential Center Hosts McDonalds Gospelfest". NewJerseyStage. February 7, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards Roundup: Gospel Field". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. January 30, 2006. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams". Gospel Music Association. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "Hopeville Tour". Variety. January 26, 2003. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Bobby Jones and Its Strongest Voice Prepare to Say Farewell". The New York Times. August 3, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams". PBS. July 4, 2020. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame". FOX. May 16, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "2018 Tony Award Nominations: SpongeBob SquarePants and Mean Girls Lead the Pack". Playbill. May 1, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "2019 BET Soul Train Awards: The winners list". CNN. February 2, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams Opens Super Bowl 2020 With A Performance Of 'America the Beautiful'". February 2, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ "Yolanda Adams". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ "Inductees Announced For The Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame June 2022 Induction". May 16, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
- ^ "The Gospel Music Hall of Fame Announces Its 2025 Inductees". August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
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| Studio albums | |
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| Live albums | |
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| Singles | |
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| Related articles | |
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