Christian/Gospel
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Cody Carnes tops Billboard’s Christian AC Airplay chart for the first time, as “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” ascends to No. 1 on the survey Jan. 27. In the Jan. 12-18 tracking week, the song increased by 3% in plays, according to Luminate.
On the genre’s overall Christian Airplay chart, the track holds at its No. 2 best, up 2% to 5.4 million in audience.
Carnes, Austin Davis and Chandler Moore wrote the song, which Davis produced.
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The 34-year-old Carnes, from Atlanta, banked two prior Christian AC Airplay top 10s. “Ain’t Nobody” hit No. 2 last April and “The Blessing: Live,” with Kari Jobe and Elevation Worship, reached No. 5 in August 2020.
Carnes and Jobe married in November 2014.
Little, Stone Roll to No. 1
Damon Little’s “No Stressing,” featuring Angie Stone, rises to No. 1 on Gospel Airplay (up 3% in plays). It becomes Little’s second chart-topper and Stone’s first, in her first appearance on the ranking.
Little solely wrote and produced the song.
Little, from Baltimore, follows his first Gospel Airplay No. 1, “Stand Up,” which led for a week in December 2021. He boasts three prior top 10s: “I Won’t Be Defeated” (No. 2, February 2017), “Because of You” (No. 9, January 2015) and “Do Right,” with Nu Beginning (No. 7, April 2005).
Stone, 62, was formerly in hip-hop act The Sequence before posting seven solo entries on the all-genre Billboard 200 between 2000 and 2015. She hit a No. 11 high on the chart with The Art of Love & War in 2007.
Brandon Lake’s “Gratitude” reaches a milestone 20th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart dated Jan. 6, 2024. The song, which first reached the Hot Christian Songs apex on the ranking dated Feb. 4, 2023, becomes one of only eight hits to have reigned for at least 20 […]
In 2025, the Gospel Music Association will open the Dove Center and Gospel Music Museum in downtown Nashville.
The Dove Center and Gospel Music Museum will be located at 147 Fourth Ave. N., at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Commerce Street, one block from the historic Ryman Auditorium.
“Developed to preserve the legacy of our historic past, support the impact of today’s artists, and plant seeds for the future, we believe the Dove Center will be a beacon of light for the kingdom of God,” Gospel Music Association president/executive director Jackie Patillo said in a video revealing details about the timeline for the upcoming Dove Center. “It will also be a key part of the GMA’s mission to expose, promote, and celebrate the Gospel through music.”
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The video also featured a rendering of the Dove Center, with plans including the Dove Awards Theater, a timeline of the history of the gospel music industry, exhibits highlighting artists’ stories, a Hall of Fame area spotlighting plaques for each member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame’s approximately 200 members, and exhibits allowing visitors to create and mix their own song. The center will feature exhibit areas with titles including Lift Your Voice, Moving Up The Charts and Created to Worship.
The Gospel Music Association, which puts on the annual GMA Dove Awards, was founded in 1964. The Dove Awards were conceptualized by singer-songwriter Bill Gaither in 1968. The inaugural Dove Awards were held in 1969 in Memphis, Tennessee, before the awards moved to Nashville in 1971. The Awards were held in Atlanta in 2011 and 2012, before returning to Nashville in 2013.
The building that will house the Dove Center is also home to Lipscomb University’s Spark Center. Since 2013, the Gospel Music Association and Lipscomb University have had a partnership, where the annual GMA Dove Awards have been held at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena, while the Gospel Music Association operates from its headquarters at 4012 Granny White Pike in Nashville, on Lipscomb University’s campus.
This 54th annual GMA Dove Awards winners this year included artist of the year winner Brandon Lake (who picked up four total awards during the evening), while Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Toby Mac, Blessing Offor and Jeff Pardo each won two awards.
The Dove Center will join several other music-focused museums in Music City, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, the National Museum of African American Music, the Johnny Cash Museum, the Patsy Cline Museum, and the Willie Nelson and Friends museum.
Rapper Nicki Minaj’s “Blessings,” featuring gospel star Tasha Cobbs Leonard, blasts in at No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart (dated Dec. 23). It becomes Minaj’s second No. 1 and Leonard’s fifth.
The pair previously teamed for “I’m Getting Ready,” which led Hot Gospel Songs in its debut week in September 2017.
In the Dec. 8-14 tracking week, “Blessings” garnered 3.1 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate. It also sold 3,000 downloads and arrives atop both Gospel Streaming Songs (where it’s Leonard’s fifth No. 1 and Minaj’s first) and Gospel Digital Song Sales (marking Leonard’s 10th leader and Minaj’s second).
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The collaboration is from Minaj’s album Pink Friday 2. Released Dec. 8, it enters the all-genre Billboard 200 at No. 1 with 228,000 equivalent album units in its first week, including 92,000 in album sales. It marks Minaj’s third chart-topper.
Along with “Blessings” and “I’m Getting Ready,” Leonard has led Hot Gospel Songs with her initial entry, “Break Every Chain,” for 12 weeks beginning in June 2013; “For Your Glory,” for 14 weeks starting in January 2015; and “Put a Praise on It,” featuring Kierra Sheard, for five weeks beginning in August 2016.
Leonard extends her record for the most Hot Gospel Songs No. 1s among female soloists since the chart began in 2005. She ties Maverick City Music and Kanye West for the second-most among all acts, after Kirk Franklin with eight.
Meanwhile, “Blessings” marks the second Hot Gospel Songs No. 1 debut in three weeks. Bobbi Storm’s “We Can’t Forget Him” opened atop the Dec. 9-dated tally and reigned for two weeks.
‘One Night’ Is No. 1
Tye Tribbett scores his fifth Gospel Airplay leader as “Only One Night Tho” jumps 5-1. The song, which Tribbett solely penned, increased by 21% in plays during the tracking frame.
The song gives the New Jersey-based Tribbett his fourth straight Gospel Airplay No. 1, as it follows “New,” which led for a week in February; “Anyhow” (two weeks, June 2021); and “We Gon’ Be Alright” (one, September 2020). He banked his first leader when “Victory,” with backing group G.A., ruled for three weeks beginning in September 2006.
After pole dancing his way into hell and grinding on the devil, Lil Nas X is ready to climb his way back up to the pearly gates with an enchanting new clip.
In a tweet on Wednesday evening (Nov. 29), the “Industry Baby” singer shared a video of himself lip-syncing to an unreleased song. Dressed in a long denim skirt and a T-shirt saying “if God doesn’t exist, then who’s laughing at us?,” Lil Nas sang out a prayer in the new clip. “Father stretch my hands/ The lonely road seems to last the longest,” he crooned. “Help me with my plans/ Everything seems to go nowhere.”
Calling on “angels” to help him “keep my faith” at the end of the clip, the 24-year-old made his intentions crystal clear in the clip’s caption. “y’all mind if i enter my christian era,” he asked his followers.
Of course, releasing a gospel-adjacent song doesn’t change who Lil Nas is at his core — a top-tier troll. When some X users began criticizing the rapper for “mocking” Christianity, he made sure to put them in their place. “making christian music does not mean i can’t suck d–k no more,” he wrote. “the two are not mutually exclusive. i am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.” When one user tried to clap back and tell the singer that’s “not how Christianity works,” Nas was swift in his response: “watch out everybody it’s the christianity correctional officer.”
While Lil Nas was more than happy to mess with trolls and joke about his shift in sound, he did get very real with his audience, asking them to take his music a little bit more seriously. “y’all see everything i do as a gimmick. when in reality im just an artist expressing myself in different ways,” he wrote. “whether im a cowboy, gay, satanic, or now christian y’all find a problem! y’all don’t police nobody else art like mine. y’all hate me because im fun cute and petite.”
Billboard has reached out to representatives for Lil Nas X for more information on the release of his new song.
The new song clip comes amid a quiet period for the “Old Town Road” singer. His last single “Star Walkin’,” a collaboration with the multiplayer online game League of Legends, was released in September 2022, peaking at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following October.
Lil Nas is well aware that his fans miss hearing new music from him: In a tweet mimicking Spotify Wrapped posts from other artists, the rapper joked that he earned a grand total of 2 streams in 2023. “damn not releasing music really starting to take a toll on my career,” he quipped.
Check out the full teaser for Lil Nas X’s stirring new song below.
Housefires and JWLKRS Worship rise to No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart dated Dec. 2 with “I Thank God,” featuring Blake Wiggins and Ryan Ellis.
The collaboration also reaches No. 1 on Christian AC Airplay.
During the Nov. 17-23 tracking week, the song drew 5.4 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
“I Thank God” was written by Dante Bowe, Chuck Butler, Jesse Cline, Maryanne George, Enrique Holmes and Aaron Moses. It was produced by Tony Brown, Jonathan Jay and Aaron Robertson.
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The song is the first entry on both Christian Airplay and Christian AC Airplay for Atlanta-based worship collective Housefires, following four entries, including two top 10s, on Top Christian Albums: Housefires lll hit No. 3 in September 2016 and We Say Yes reached No. 6 in June 2017.
On the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs survey, the act has logged five tracks. “I Thank God” lifts 14-13 on the latest list, a new career high for Housefires.
Orlando, Fla.-based JWLKRS Worship (the first word in their name is pronounced Jaywalkers) logged one prior Christian Airplay appearance as “Silence” reached No. 43 in August, as well as No. 31 on Hot Christian Songs in February.
“I Thank God” marks the first billed Christian Airplay and Christian AC Airplay entry for Wiggins, who is a member of Housefires. Ellis, meanwhile, has one additional top 10 on both lists: his own “Heart of the Father” hit No. 3 on the rankings in 2022.
Angel Taylor’s ‘Speak’ Now No. 1
Angel Taylor ascends to No. 1 on Gospel Airplay with her first solo entry on the chart, “Speak,” which increased by 13% in plays Nov. 17-23.
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Taylor is one of the founding members of Trin-I-Tee 5:7, which formed in New Orleans in 1997. The act has notched three No. 1s on Top Gospel Albums: its self-titled LP, in 1998; Spiritual Love (2000); and Angel & Chanelle (2011).
The outfit has earned three top 10s on Gospel Airplay: “Listen” (No. 9, 2008), “Over & Over” (No. 2, 2011) and “Spirit Break Out” (No. 3, 2016).
Anthony Brown & Group Therapy reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart (dated Nov. 25) with “Speak Your Name.” The single increased by 2% in plays during the Nov. 10-16 tracking week, according to Luminate. Brown solely wrote the song and co-produced it with Justin Savage. “Every artist creates music with the hope that […]
Multi-genre superstar Kanye West is Billboard’s Top Gospel Artist of 2023, marking three straight years that he claims the top honor. He’s the first act to be the year-end Top Gospel Artist in three years since 2017, when Tamela Mann claimed her third triumph.
On the Billboard charts dated Sept. 11, 2021, Donda started with a bang. It debuted in the penthouse on the all-genre weekly Billboard 200 plus Top Gospel Albums and Top Christian Albums with 309,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S., according to Luminate.
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
It marked West’s 10th Billboard 200 leader and his second No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums (as well as Top Christian Albums).
Donda followed his first spiritual LP, Jesus Is King, which crowned both lists as well, plus the Billboard 200. King started with 264,000 weekly units in November 2019, which was a record at the time on the two faith-based lists.
On the Top Gospel Albums year-end tallies, Donda is No. 1 and Jesus Is King is No. 5.
Also, Donda has ranked at either No. 1 or No. 2 on the weekly Top Gospel Albums chart so far this year. Jesus Is King has also remained strong, holding in the Top Gospel Albums top 10 throughout 2023.
Since Top Gospel Albums launched in 1983, Donda is the longest running No. 1 (over 100 weeks), and Jesus Is King is second (over 65 frames).
Billboard’s top duo/group of 2023 and No. 2 among all acts is the Atlanta-based worship collective Maverick City Music. The popular act repeats from 2022 in the rankings.
Old Church Basement, the collaborative project with Christian act Elevation Worship, ranks as the Top Gospel Albums No. 2 LP of 2023. The set, which opened at No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums in May 2021 with 19,000 units and spent 17 frames at the summit, has been in the top five for all of 2023.
The Nos. 4, 6 and 10 albums of 2023 are also from Maverick City Music. At No. 4 is Kingdom: Book One, a collaboration with gospel star Kirk Franklin. The LP opened at its No. 2 peak in July 2022 with 8,000 units. Maverick City, Vol. 3: Part One is the No. 6 set of 2023; and No. 8 is Move Your Heart with Upperroom.
Maverick City Music finished 2023 with the release of The Maverick Way Complete: Complete Vol. 2 with Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine. It arrived atop the weekly Top Gospel Albums list dated Nov. 11 (which places it within the 2024 chart year) with 11,000 equivalent album units. Concurrently, it also crowned the weekly Top Christian Albums chart.
Also, the year-end No. 1 on Hot Gospel Songs is “Jireh,” a collaboration from Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine. The song debuted at No. 1 in April 2021 and has spent the sum of 2023 in the top three.
Gospel icon CeCe Winans is the leading woman of 2023, ruling the year-end Top Gospel Artists – Female tally, and No. 3 on the overall Top Gospel Artists recap. Her hit “Goodness of God” led Gospel Airplay for four weeks starting on the Feb. 18-dated tally, giving Winans her fourth leader. It’s No. 5 on the year-end Gospel Airplay Songs roundup. Plus, it’s the leading track of the year on Gospel Digital Song Sales.
The No. 1 Gospel Airplay Song of 2023 is Erica Campbell’s “Feel Alright (Blessed),” which dominated the weekly version of the chart for two frames beginning July 29, 2023. Campbell, who has tallied three Gospel Airplay chart-toppers so far, comes in as the that chart’s leading artist of the year. In the top female category, Campbell finishes fourth. Billboard’s Top New Gospel artist of the year is the Hampton Roads, Va.-based choir Voices of Fire, which is led by Bishop Ezekiel Williams, who is Pharrell Williams’ uncle. Voices of Fire’s “Joy (Unspeakable)” featuring Pharrell Williams peaked at No. 7 on Hot Gospel Songs in July.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
Singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle is Billboard’s Top Christian Artist of 2023, plus the top female Christian Artist of the year.
“It’s been an incredible year,” Daigle tells Billboard after hearing that she earned the top honor. “New creative collaborators, a new producer, new writers and most of all new friends. Our fans on the road have been so incredible and we can feel their love and their energy every single night, and for me that connection (to our music) is inspiring. I am so unbelievably grateful to them, to be able to do what I love and look forward to so much more in ’24.”
Explore All of Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Charts
In 2023, we saw new music from Lauren Daigle for the first time since 2018. On May 12, Daigle released a 10-song self-titled album with the promise that the deluxe version with 10 more tracks would come later. The LP paired the 32-year-old Daigle with new producer Mike Elizondo and was also her first through Atlantic Records, which her longtime label, Centricity, formed a partnership with in January.
The new set was her first new music since Look Up Child, which opened at the Top Christian Albums summit in September 2018 and proceeded to ring up a record 102 frames at No. 1. It was bolstered by the crossover smash “You Say,” which dominated Hot Christian Songs for an also unprecedented 132 weeks starting in July 2018.
On Christian Airplay, “You Say” reigned for 18 weeks. It also crossed over, crowning Adult Contemporary for two weeks.
Plus, “You Say” is the No. 1 track of 2023 on Christian Streaming Songs.
Look Up Child remains strong, placing as the No. 2 LP of 2023 on Top Christian Albums, second only to Kanye West’s Donda, which is the lead LP of the year on the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums tallies.
Daigle’s self-titled set launched at No. 1 on Top Christian Albums list dated May 27 with 25,000 equivalent album units, including 20,000 in album sales, in the May 12-18 tracking frame, according to Luminate. It marked Daigle’s fourth leader on the list.
Daigle returned to the Top Christian Albums penthouse on the May 16-dated survey. Her self-titled set, made available as a deluxe version, added 13 tunes to the original 10-song album.
After the deluxe edition was released Sept. 8, the set (with both versions combined into one chart listing) rebounded 5-1. It earned 13,000 equivalent album units (up 388%), with 8,000 in album sales. On the all-genre Billboard 200, it re-entered at No. 79, after it opened at its No. 21 high in May.
Daigle’s 2023 self-titled album finishes in the top 10. It’s No. 7 on the Top Christian Albums year-end ranking.
Meanwhile, lead single from Lauren Daigle, “Thank God I Do,” is No. 2 on the Hot Christian Songs year-end chart.
“Thank God I Do” became her fifth chart-topper on Christian Airplay, where it dominated for a week in July. On Hot Christian Songs, it awarded Daigle with her sixth No. 1, dominating for its first time in May.
Daigle is the only artist to date who has banked two Hot Christian Songs No. 1s that dominated for 20-weeks or more: “You Say” and “Thank God I Do.”
“Thank God I Do” is also tops on the year-end Christian Digital Song Sales tally.
Brandon Lake Leads: Singer-songwriter Brandon Lake wins a major category for the first time, crowning Billboard’s Top Christian Artists – Male roundup.
To say that Lake had a big year is quite the understatement, as he leads as the top Christian Airplay and Hot Christian Songs artist this year.
Lake’s hit “Gratitude” is the top song of 2023 on Hot Christian Songs. It gave Lake his second No. 1 in February and his first where he’s unaccompanied. Lake co-authored “Gratitude” with Dante Bowe and Benjamin Hastings, while Jacob Sooter produced it.
The artist added his third leader (among five top 10s) when “Praise You Anywhere” hit the Hot Christian Songs pinnacle in November.
On Christian Airplay, Lake added his second No. 1 and fourth top 10 this year. “Gratitude” led the list in March and “Praise You Anywhere” hit No. 3 on Oct. 7.
Elevation Worship Gets High Praise: 2023 marks the first time that Elevation Worship, the music collective based in Charlotte, N.C., leads Billboard’s Top Christian Artists – Duo/Group recap. The act places second in the overall Top Christian Artists category.
On the charts dated Jan. 21, the act earned its second leader on Hot Christian Songs and its third on Christian Airplay as “Same God” topped both surveys.
“Same God” is the No. 12 song of the year on Hot Christian Songs and No. 14 on Christian Airplay.
In June, Can You Imagine?, which includes eight songs, was co-produced by the collective’s frontman Chris Brown along with Steven Furtick. The LP was recorded in front of a live audience at Elevation Church in Charlotte Jan. 13.
Can You Imagine? awarded Elevation Worship with its seventh No. 1 among 13 top 10s on Top Christian Albums.
‘This Is’ Phil Wickham: No. 1 on the year-end Top Christian Airplay Songs tally is is Phil Wickham’s “This is Our God,” which led for two frames staring on the June 3-dated chart. It gave Wickham his fourth chart-topper among 10 top 10s.
The 39-year-old singer-songwriter from San Diego co-penned the song with Pat Barrett, Steven Furtick and Brandon Lake. It was produced by Jonathan Smith.
Wickham places as the No. 5 Top Christian Artists overall and No. 2 in the male category.
Billboard’s year-end music recaps represent aggregated metrics for each artist, title, label and music contributor on the weekly charts from Nov. 19, 2022, through Oct. 21, 2023. Rankings for Luminate-based recaps reflect equivalent album units, airplay, sales or streaming during the weeks that the titles appeared on a respective chart during the tracking year. Any activity registered before or after a title’s chart run isn’t considered in these rankings. That methodology detail, and the November-October time period, account for some of the difference between these lists and the calendar-year recaps that are independently compiled by Luminate.
For King & Country, the duo of siblings Joel and Luke Smallbone, notches its 14th leader on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart (dated Nov. 18) with “What Are We Waiting For?” The song increased by 7% to 6 million audience impressions Nov. 3-9, according to Luminate.
The twosome extends its record streak to 11 consecutive Christian Airplay No. 1 singles (encompassing songs in lead roles promoted as proper, non-holiday radio singles, unless seasonal songs contribute to that run).
The siblings co-authored their latest leader.
“Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve loved music,” Luke Smallbone tells Billboard. “I never thought I’d be a songwriter, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the true power of music – it can impact someone’s eternal destination. For us to be a part of that journey in someone’s life is an immense privilege and honor.”
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For King & Country’s 14 Christian Airplay No. 1s mark the second-most among all acts since the chart began in 2003, after MercyMe’s 18. Jeremy Camp, Matthew West and TobyMac rank third with 12 each.
“What Are We Waiting For?” follows for King & Country’s “Love Me Like I Am” (with Jordin Sparks), which ruled for two frames starting in February. Before that, the pair led with “Joy to the World” for a week in December 2022 and “For God Is With Us” for three weeks that July.
The other No. 1s in the duo’s active streak: “Relate,” which ruled for three weeks starting in December 2021; “Amen” (one week, July 2021); “O Come O Come Emmanuel” featuring NEEDTOBREATHE (two weeks, starting in December 2020); “Together” with Kirk Franklin and Tori Kelly (five, beginning in August 2020); “Burn the Ships” (five, starting in January 2020); “God Only Knows” (10, beginning in April 2019); and “joy.” (four, starting in August 2018).
Amid that stretch, the tandem’s holiday track “Heavenly Hosts” reached No. 2 in January 2022. Plus, the duo featured on older sister Rebecca St. James’ “Kingdom Come,” which hit No. 26 that May.
For King & Country scored its first Christian Airplay No. 1 with its seventh entry, “Fix My Eyes,” for a week in September 2014.
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Grear & Co. Get First Gospel No. 1
James Grear & Company’s “I Wanna Say Thank You” featuring Maurette Brown Clark hits the Gospel Airplay summit. In the Nov. 3-9 tracking week, the song gained by 14% in plays.
James Grear & Company earns its first No. 1 in its second appearance on the chart, after “It’s My Season” peaked at No. 29 in 2015.
Brown Clark leads Gospel Airplay for a second time, after “It Ain’t Over (Until God Says It’s Over)” dominated for five frames in 2009. Her first of eight entries, “One God,” hit No. 2 in 2007, her first of four top 10s.
Brown Clark has an additional song on the Nov. 18 tally: “I See Good” ranks at No. 18, after reaching No. 14.