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The Oxon Hill High School Choir's past year and a half has been nothing short of amazing.

The choir released its second album, titled "Amazing," in late 2008. In 2009, the choir traveled to Italy for a special performance of the songs from the CD.

And this month, the choir won the prestigious Stellar Award for Children's Project of the Year for the CD, marking the first time in the award's 25-year history that a high school act has won the category.

The annual award ceremony is a top honor in the field of gospel music. Nearly 30 students and their families headed to Nashville on Jan. 17 for the awards ceremony.

"It was beyond exciting to win the award," said Selina Lovelace, 17, a senior and member of the choir. "We got to make history — that's something exciting."

Stellar Award winners receive international name recognition and reach large audiences via the telecast of the show, which is airing in syndication through March.

Henry Harris, member of the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy Advisory Board, commended the choir on being the first high-school group to win the category.

"It speaks to the diversity of Prince George's County Public Schools," he said. "I think that [voters] saw it as an opportunity to support a school, education and children."

Emory Andrews, director of the choir, said the award is a culmination of the hard work and dedication of the 51 choir students. Andrews said he had to build up the school's vocal music department from scratch when he came to the school 13 years ago, carefully selecting students for the choir's performance roster.

He said he decided the students would record music to raise money for the choir and as a teaching tool — many of the students benefit educationally from being in a recording studio and seeing how technology and music mix, he said.

"It's just amazing," he said, referring to the title of the awarded CD. "The students feel good — not only has it shed light on our school, but our county, as well."

Students said they found out they won during a pre-awards ceremony and immediately began to celebrate.

"We were acting real cheerleaders-ish," said Jaleel Lewis, 16, a junior and member of the choir. "I just had to celebrate."

The school's principal, Jean-Paul Cadet, who traveled to Nashville to see the ceremony, said that he was so excited after learning the choir had won that he immediately began calling everyone he knew to share the news.

"The world is really seeing the greatness that comes out of Oxon Hill," he said. "It was just really inspiring to witness them make that kind of music history."

Michelle Gaston, PTSA president and parent of a choir member, said the school's win was a testament to the students' and director's work ethic. The choir, she said, practices nearly every morning during the week for about two hours.

"They are constantly practicing their craft. Choir at Oxon Hill is a very serious course and undertaking," she said. "They definitely can compete with the talent [at the Stellar Awards]."