As the Sterling Gospel Music Awards mark 10 years of celebrating and recognising excellence in Jamaica’s gospel music industry, KFC Jamaica is marking a milestone of its own, returning for its ninth year as the event’s longest-serving sponsor.

The renewed partnership was announced during Sterling’s 2026 media launch at the R Hotel in Kingston on Thursday, September 17. For this year’s staging, KFC has committed J$1 million in cash and meal support, continuing a relationship with the awards that began in 2018.

A key feature of KFC’s 2026 sponsorship will be the presentation of the KFC Big Deal Awards for Excellence in Broadcasting, which this year will honour veteran broadcasters whose longstanding work has helped shape Jamaica’s media landscape and connect with audiences across generations. This year marks the fifth consecutive year that the KFC Big Deal Awards for Excellence are being presented. 

“This year sits at the intersection of two important milestones for us, with Sterling celebrating 10 years and KFC marking nine years alongside the awards,” said Andrei Roper, Marketing Manager, KFC Jamaica. “To have been part of almost the entire journey is something we are proud of, particularly when we look at how Sterling has grown over that time. We have continued to support the platform because of the space it has created within Jamaica’s gospel music industry and the people it has helped bring greater recognition to. As Sterling enters its tenth year, we are pleased to once again be part of the occasion and to honour this year’s gospel stalwarts through the KFC Big Deal Awards of Excellence.”

Since first partnering with Sterling in its second year, KFC has supported special recognitions celebrating contributors across different areas of Jamaica’s gospel fraternity, both on stage and behind the scenes. At the 2025 staging, the KFC Big Deal Kingdom Stalwart Awards honoured longstanding faith leaders, while the KFC Spotlight Award recognised contributors to gospel dance.

Basillia Barnaby-Cuff, Founder and Executive Director of the Sterling Gospel Music Awards, said KFC’s long standing support has been meaningful to Sterling’s growth over the years.

“When Sterling was still finding its footing, KFC saw value in what we were building and chose to support it,” Barnaby-Cuff said. “There is a certain confidence that comes from knowing a partner believes in the work beyond a single staging, and KFC has given us that over the years. Their consistency has helped us continue creating space for people across the gospel industry whose work deserves to be seen and acknowledged. To reach 10 years with KFC still part of the journey makes this milestone particularly special.”

Sterling’s 10th staging will also introduce a new format, with the awards moving from its traditional live ceremony to a national television special. The Sterling Gospel Music Awards 10th Anniversary Television Broadcast Special will premiere on Sunday, October 18, on Television Jamaica and will also stream on the station’s YouTube platform, opening the anniversary staging to audiences in Jamaica and beyond. 

The anniversary programme will feature award presentations, musical performances, artiste features, storytelling and content looking back at Sterling’s first decade, bringing together elements of the awards’ history while setting the stage for its next chapter.