American gospel singer and producer, Deitrick Haddon, has openly criticised the organisers of the 2025 BET Awards for giving the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award to rapper GloRilla.
GloRilla won the award for her song Pray About It featuring gospel music legend, Kirk Franklin. The song, which blends gospel and hip-hop, sparked mixed reactions. While some praised the performance for promoting faith through music, others questioned if it should qualify as gospel.
In a video shared on social media, Haddon expressed disappointment over the decision.
“The gospel music industry needs an overhaul,” he said. “After last night’s show, it’s clear—we need a complete reset. What are we doing? Are we really going to let this keep happening and then act confused about why gospel music is struggling to survive?”
He added that the genre is already small and should be protected from being overshadowed by secular artists.
“It’s already a small genre. So, it hurts to watch the Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel Award being given to someone outside our core space. We need people in the trenches—those who advocate for the entire genre, not just individuals,” Haddon said.
GloRilla’s win has sparked a debate about what gospel music should look and sound like in today’s world. While some fans see her collaboration with Franklin as a step towards reaching younger audiences, others believe the award should go to full-time gospel artists.
