Jackie Patillo, Gospel Music Association president, is set to receive the BMI Spotlight Award for her dedication to the genre and for her career as an advocate for all Christian and gospel music creators. Previous recipients of the award include Dottie Leonard Miller, Randy Edelman and Frank Gari.
The award will be presented at the 2025 BMI Christian Awards, which will be held on June 17 at the organization’s Nashville office. The private event will be hosted by Leslie Roberts, BMI’s avp of creative, Nashville, and Mike O’Neill, BMI’s president & CEO. In addition, BMI’s Christian songwriter of the year, song of the year, publisher of the year and the 25 most-performed Christian songs of the previous year will be announced.
“Through Jackie’s dynamic leadership, innovative vision, and unwavering love for Christian and Gospel music, she’s been able to bring both genres together through a message that unifies all while reaching a new generation of music lovers,” Roberts said in a statement. “The work that she’s done over her illustrious career is inspiring, and we’re thrilled to be presenting Jackie with the BMI Spotlight Award. We’re also looking forward to celebrating all our award-winning songwriters and producers, highlighting their achievements through community, worship and music.”
As a veteran music executive with posts at Star Song, Benson, Integrity, and Verity Records, Patillo helped shape the careers of such artists as Natalie Grant, Stephen Hurd, Lisa McClendon, Donnie McClurkin, Joe Pace, Israel & New Breed, Marvin Sapp and Alvin Slaughter. As the president of the Gospel Music Association and GMA Foundation, where she has led the organization since 2010, Patillo has demonstrated her commitment to advocating for all Christian and Gospel music makers.
Patillo also serves as the co-executive producer of the GMA Dove Awards, which is viewed by over 3 million people annually on TBN. She was inducted into the Stellar Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2019, the SOURCE Hall of Fame in 2023, and was honored on her 10th anniversary with the Jackie Patillo Leadership Dove Award.
