Gospelfest 2021 Wins Emmy

Heartbroken that because of COVID-19, McDonald’s Gospelfest—the annual music festival, talent competition and fundraiser held in Newark, New Jersey— would have to be canceled, Producer/Director A. Curtis Farrow turned to his team at Irving Street Rep and to his most reliable source of help, prayer. There had to be a way for the show to go on. Farrow received his answer: It’s 2021 and technology abounds. Farrow would create a virtual Gospelfest. With the support of the NY Metro Owner Operators Association, the sponsors of Gospelfest and the McDonald's Corporation directed and edited virtual performances of the allstar talent Gospelfest attracts.

The 38th McDonald's Gospelfest 2021, titled “We Are the Church” aired on Mother’s Day May 9, 2021 on Fox 5, with a special message from Pastor Joe A. Carter of the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. Farrow had crafted a one hour spectacular praise fest, the uplift everyone needed in those dark days of isolation and uncertainty.

Fast forward to October 8, 2022 and the 65th Annual New York Emmy Awards Gala was underway. Farrow’s show had been nominated in the Religion Short or

Long Form content category and that was a blessing. But actually receiving the award, well, there is always hope. Afterall, Farrow had already received two Emmy awards for producing McDonald’s Gospelfest 2000 and 2001 and garnered twelve nominations between 2003 and 2021. So when the category was introduced and the words “ ...the Emmy goes to…” were followed by “McDonald’s Gospelfest 2021,” Farrow, overjoyed that he and his hardworking team had won another Emmy, was speechless. Farrow has been lauded for organizing and leading 1,171 voices to break the Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Gospel Choir. He produced a 2,000-voice choir at Madison Square Garden and a 5,000-voice choir at the Nassau Coliseum and received accolades for the organization, planning, and execution of the homegoing services A. Curtis Farrow for Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin, seen worldwide. Curtis Farrow credits everything in his life to his strong belief in God, and is immensely proud of his team at Irving Street Rep: Ron Lucas, Terry Gadson, Xavier Wise, Terence Kitchings, and James Williams—who will each receive Emmy statuettes of their own.