NASHVILLE, TN – MarcJay had encouraging words for visionaries stuck at the beginning stages of their dreams. The producer/songwriter shared advice from the red carpet of the 2026 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards.
The ceremony was held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. MarcJay was one of the honorees.
“A lot of times The Lord gives us vision, and we wait for people around us to affirm it, or to agree with it,” MarcJay told BlackChurchTok from the red carpet. “But God gave the vision to you. And if The Lord gave it to you, go with it no matter what anybody else around you says.”
MarcJay received an award for his work on ‘Send It Down’ by Karen Clark-Sheard at the 2026 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards. The song was the recipient of one of 29 Most-Performed Songs of the Year Awards.
“I know for myself, I always wanted to sing and write songs,” MarcJay said of his journey to the BMI Awards. “But I grew up in certain environments where people told me I couldn’t, I wasn’t good enough, I could never do it.”
‘Send It Down’ is favored in the Gospel arena for several reasons. Not only is the song performed by a legendary singer (Karen Clark-Sheard), but it also has a churchy sound to it that makes listeners want to get up and dance.
The lyrics of the song are impactful as well. Listeners are encouraged to lean into their need for the Spirit of God throughout the single.
“We actually were in Communion service on one Sunday, and we put a little spin on it at the end,” Karen Clark-Sheard said of how ‘Send It Down’ was conceptualized during an interview with Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell.
“J. Drew put a little spin. And we went in, and I mean we churched [by singing], ‘Send your power,’” she added. “And then my husband said, ‘Y’all need to write a song on that.’ And this is how it came up. It was myself, Kierra, J. Drew, and MarcJay.”
The success of ‘Send It Down’ by Karen Clark-Sheard has been a blessing for MarcJay. “You know, you voice your dream and they (critics) stomp on it,” the producer said at the 2026 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards. “But here we are today with the BMI Awards,” MarcJay concluded.