From topping Billboard charts to earning a spot on a major U.S. gospel awards shortlist, Barbados native Karlos Cobham, a contemporary gospel artist based in the United States, is capturing global attention once again. This time, he is reaching out to his community back home for support to push his nomination bid forward on one of independent gospel music’s most prominent platforms.
Cobham, who previously landed a Grammy consideration for his 2022 Billboard No.1 Christian hip-hop track *Royalty* featuring Emcee N.I.C.E., is now poised to make history as a two-category shortlisted contender for the 2026 Avidity Gospel Music Awards. Holding dual roles as CEO and flagship artist of his independent label KWEST Records, the multi-talented songwriter and producer is nominated in two high-profile categories: Gospel Rap Artist of the Year, and Gospel R&B/Hip Hop Single of the Year for his 2025 hit *Blessed*.
Hosted by the Avidity Recording Academy (ARA), an organization dedicated to lifting up recording artists, industry professionals and creative collaborators across the independent music sector, the 11th annual Avidity Gospel Music Awards will run from November 6 to 9 in Dallas, Texas. Built around a core mission of recognition, education and advocacy, the academy works to celebrate outstanding artistic achievement, raise industry-wide professional standards, and nurture emerging talent for the next generation. Through its focus on driving innovation across music creation, production, education and technology, ARA aims to empower independent creators to build sustainable, long-term careers in the broader global music industry.
With the first round of public voting set to close this Sunday, Cobham has issued a public call to his fellow Barbadians to back his bid by casting their votes at aviditygospelawards.com/vote. He emphasized that local support can not only boost his campaign but also cement Barbados’ growing reputation as a hub of talented gospel artists on the international music stage.
In an exclusive telephone interview with Barbados TODAY from his base in New York on Tuesday, Cobham shared that his core focus remains advancing faith through music. “Everything I do is centered on advancing God’s Kingdom and serving him,” he explained. The chart-topping artist also admitted that self-promotion does not come naturally to him. “To be honest, I find it hard to promote myself. I spend most of my time highlighting other artists on my radio show. I know marketing is a critical part of this industry, so I may end up hiring an agent to handle that side of things for me,” he said.
Notably, Cobham’s path to the Avidity shortlist mirrors his previous journey to Grammy consideration: he never actively campaigned for a spot. Just as his 2022 No.1 *Royalty* earned Grammy consideration without aggressive promotion on his part, his name landed on the Avidity awards ballot entirely without any outreach or marketing from his team. He also pointed out that many independent artists pay to be considered for award nominations, and while he was approached to do the same, he declined the offer.
With a career that already spans international stages, Cobham has performed across Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, sharing lineups with Grammy-winning artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard and collaborating with some of the biggest names in contemporary gospel: gospel reggae trailblazer DJ Nicholas, Grammy-nominated producer and singer Canton Jones, and acclaimed rapper Dee-1. Beyond his work in music, Cobham is also the founder of KWEST International Inc, a non-profit organization focused on supporting creative and visual arts programming.
Official final nominees for the 2026 Avidity Gospel Music Awards will be announced on August 4 at 8 p.m. Barbados time, via a public livestream hosted on the Avidity Gospel Awards official Facebook page. The first round of voting is open to the general public, while the final round is restricted to voting members of the Avidity Recording Academy. In this initial phase, public votes narrow down the shortlisted candidates to determine who advances to final nominee status. Organizers have confirmed that only one vote is allowed per person, and any duplicate votes cast from the same person, device or IP address will be automatically discarded.