Kirk Franklin Partners With Uptown Records
The partnership arrives as Uptown Records marks its 40th anniversary.
Kirk Franklin has announced a partnership with Uptown Records, working in conjunction with his Fo Yo Soul Entertainment and TRIBL Music Group. The deal arrives as Uptown marks its 40th anniversary, while Franklin has also released a video for his latest single, “Thank You For Everything,” featuring Karen Clark Sheard of the Clark Sisters.
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The “Thank You For Everything” video made its broadcast debut on BET Her. The collaboration pairs Franklin with Sheard, a longtime member of the Clark Sisters, and is the first new release highlighted alongside the Uptown partnership. Franklin said joining the label was “a genuine honor,” adding that he felt energized by the team’s support and was looking ahead to future work. Uptown executive Natina Nimene and TRIBL Music Group EVP Phil Thornton also confirmed plans to work with Franklin and Fo Yo Soul on forthcoming music.
Franklin has released 21 albums across a career spanning more than three decades and has won 20 Grammy Awards. His 2023 album Father’s Day brought him his 20th Grammy and included the No. 1 hit “All Things.” In 2024, he headlined The Reunion Tour 2.0, whose lineup also included Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, the Clark Sisters, Marvin Sapp and Kierra Sheard-Kelly. Franklin has also collaborated with artists including Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Chance the Rapper and Demi Lovato, and has received the Recording Academy’s Black Music Icon Award and BET’s Ultimate Icon Award. His other recent projects include the SiriusXM channel Kirk Franklin’s Praise and the online series Den Of Kings, which debuted in 2025.
The Franklin partnership is part of Uptown’s renewed activity during its anniversary year. The label’s current roster and recent releases include Yung Miami, G Herbo, Trap Dickey, 9B Meechie and producer ATL Jacob. Yung Miami’s 2026 single “Spend Dat” reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on both Rap Airplay and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
