Kelly "Prodigal Son" Williams Sr. has been in the music industry for more than 15 years.
CANTON Local music producer and youth mentor Kelly "Prodigal Son" Williams Sr. has been nominated for a 2018 Stellar Gospel Music Award in the category of Youth Project Of The Year (Producer).
Williams has been in the music industry for more than 15 years. He returned to Canton two years ago from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
He is founder of HOLYwood Music Academy which was formed in 2016 through a relationship with HeartBeats To The City and Canton City Schools after-school program.
Williams also works as a mentor with Stark County Family Court, CIRV, Inmate Re-Entry program with the Canton Police Department, Tiqvah, and Canton Calvary Missions.
"This is the best thing that has happened to me since beginning my music career. I've had many highs but this is the ultimate," Williams said in a statement. "Working with these kids from our great city is valuable to me. I see me in them. As a youth, I just needed continued positive direction and that's what I came to offer Canton, Ohio."
Williams said the youth involved in the project are the ones who deserve the applause.
"They worked on a music project through their summer and that's commendable because they could have been out playing in the beautiful summer weather, but they trusted me and my summer mentor partner on this project, Tamara Young of Canton Calvary Missions," he said.
Winners will be announced on March 24 during a televised event on TV ONE.