Rising star Anne Wilson celebrates exciting news this week, with the announcement of her first-ever American Music Award nomination for Favorite Inspirational Artist. The 2022 American Music Awards will air live from Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC.

The nomination follows an astounding six Dove Award nominations for Wilson, including Song of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year- Artist, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. Wilson will take her talents to the stage with a performance at the 53rd annual GMA Dove Awards, airing worldwide on TBN, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET.

“So incredibly blown away that I’m nominated for Favorite Inspirational Artist. God is doing so much through ‘My Jesus’ and I’m just so thankful,” shares Wilson. “I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the AMAs and everything else HE is doing!”

Wilson’s new single “Hey Girl,” which Billboard notes “further heightens her country ties” is an uplifting, energetic anthem that connects with fans. Since its release, “Hey Girl” hit No. 1 on the TikTok Country playlist with 8.2M views on TikTok. The hashtag, #HeyGirl, has surpassed 190M views and stemming from this, Wilson has launched Hey Girl Nation as a community for her fans to connect, encourage self-confidence and remind members of their self-worth. “Hey Girl” is a follow up hit to Wilson’s breakout debut single, “My Jesus,” which was named ASCAP Song of the Year and made history as the longest No.1 single on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart last year.

Expanding upon her explosive year, Wilson is set to release her first book My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope from Thomas Nelson on Oct. 25. Drawing from her personal experiences of tragedy and loss, Wilson shares her detailed path to healing in this book that she hopes will help those going through similar experiences.

Chart-topping Christian rock radio vocalist Matt Sassano is proudly partnering with nonprofit organization TheHopeLine to launch the “My Dear God Letters” initiative.

The initiative aligns with the message of his In Defiance EP, which was released in August via Rockfest Records. Sassano’s music is a call to action to the listener to stand in defiance to whatever makes them feel alone, depressed or powerless. The initiative is putting words into action and providing a safe environment with professional support from TheHopeLine to share stories and seek support from a welcoming community.

The landing page also gives his fans an opportunity to learn more about his backstory, which is riddled with mental health struggles, abuse, and disabilities. Together, Sassano hopes to get honest with his fanbase and come together stronger than ever before.

About the initiative:

“We are hoping for a variety of submissions from people who just are tired of  ‘faking it’ and want a place to be real with how they feel and what they are dealing with. I sincerely believe the first step to mental health healing is being transparent about the ugly things nobody wants to confront. My Dear God letter gives you that chance.” – Matt Sassano

About TheHopeLine:

“As a person who has suffered mental health issues in the past, I resonate with TheHopeLine’s mission. I was once a kid locked away in a psych ward with not many people who even cared to visit me. It was dark. But later I saw things turn around and I was a mental health aide in a psych facility. I’m living proof that you CAN turn things around with both prayer, support and help. I believe what TheHopeLine does and am passionate about helping people find the same healing I did.” – Matt Sassano

Though Matt Sassano launched his solo career in 2016, his roots in rock music run deep with his bands Transparent and Transparent Soul. His six years with these rock ensembles prepared him for sharing his debut solo LP Transcend in 2019, driven by energetic synths and raw storytelling. His passion for Christianity, songwriting and music creation have helped him navigate life with Cerebral Palsy and the rare learning disability Dyscalculia. Not only has he connected with fellow underdogs everywhere through his craft, but Matt’s work was also featured on the 2012 NASCAR The Game: Inside Line. As Matt ventures into a new chapter of his musical career with the awe-inspiring and riff-laden In Defiance, it’s clear his heavy rock journey is far from over.

Sibling trio CAIN is so “blessed” to release “I’m So Blessed (Best Day Remix”) today.  Listen HERE. This new version of their current radio single was quickly created to answer the call of their listeners, thanks to the overwhelming response from the video they posted in late August on their social channels, which quickly went viral. Since then, it has had more than 10M combined views on CAIN’s social channels and there have been more than 37,000 user-generated uses of the sound from the video, accounting for an additional 15M views.

Additionally, the band’s following on Instagram and TikTok has grown by an incredible 150,000 followers, while streams of the song on DSPs are up 300% in that same time period. Be sure to check out the video on their IG and TikTok pages and the full audio of the remix below.

“I’m not a rapper and will never claim to be,” Logan Cain states. “I just had a dream in my head one day of me rapping along to the song. I admit that I originally heard it in a Chance The Rapper tone, but I made up my own version and started doing it in our shows. What has been so great is that people were just connecting with the song’s message, that your status as a child of the Most High is not conditional. When we were writing the song, that’s exactly what we hoped the takeaway would be from its message.”

Logan continues, ” It doesn’t matter what day it is, if it’s a random Tuesday or even your birthday, and it’s not about having dollar signs in your eyes and sunglasses on at night. It’s being blessed knowing that Jesus is mine and I am His. We’re hoping that who we serve has the biggest say in how we serve them. We want the listeners to know that we’re so grateful that you have connected with this song in such a major way. We heard you and we got this version out as quickly as we could!”

I’m So Blessed – CAIN

Along with the impact “I’m So Blessed (Best Day Remix)” is making, 2022 continues to be an exciting year for CAIN from touring around the U.S. to all three becoming parents for the first time (welcome new CAIN members River James Cain, Calloway Davy Johnson, and Stevie Jhett Matz, pictured above).

CAIN is also nominated multiple times at next week’s GMA Dove Awards. Their album Rise Up received nods for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year and Recorded Music Packaging of the Year, while their Christmas project, Wonderful, is up for Christmas/Special Event Album of the Year.

Logan, Madison, and Taylor continue on the road this fall where they are sharing “I’m So Blessed /Best Day Remix” along with many of their other hit songs on The Healer Tour with Casting Crowns and Anne Wilson this fall. Click here for the latest tour dates.

GRAMMY-winning vocal powerhouse Naomi Raine shared the first episode of her new personal video series ‘Journey: The Docuseries’ earlier this week. The new series explores the day-to-day of the GRAMMY, Billboard Music, Dove and Stellar Award-winning artist and her process of self-discovery while creating her incredible solo album ‘Journey,’ which was released in July.

Part one focuses on her emotionally moving track “Okay,” highlighting Naomi’s mindset while writing the track and giving a behind-the-scenes look at the song’s conception with producer Taylor Hill (Justin Bieber, Drake, Lecrae). Raine discusses her childhood, trying to manage the expectations of being labeled “the good one,” her definition of being real and more.

Naomi also shared the video for “Okay (Acoustic)” last week in tandem with the release of her ‘Journey: Acoustic Sessions’ LP. Watch here: youtu.be/Gu7ebNXUj9w

Naomi recently joined Fox & Friends to discuss the new acoustic album and perform her R&B-infused track “Not Ready” and Maverick City Music’s “Promises.” The dynamic vocalist is set to make her Grand Ole Opry debut on October 29th. Her song “Jireh,” written for Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music, is up for Song of the Year at this year’s GMA Dove Awards. For more information, visit naomirainemusic.com.

Centricity Music’s break-out artist Katy Nichole receives her first American Music Award nomination less that 10-months after releasing her debut, record-breaking Billboard No. 1 single, “In Jesus Name (God of Possible).” Nominated for Favorite Inspirational Artist, the 2022 American Music Awards are set to air live Sunday, November 20 at 8:00 pm EST / 7:00 pm CST on ABC and will take place from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. A fan-voted award show, voting is now open via https://www.theamas.com/how-to-vote/.

“This is unreal. What an honor to be nominated for the AMAs,” Nichole writes on her Instagram. “I am so incredibly grateful and never could’ve imagined this in my wildest dreams.”

In addition to the American Music Award nomination, Nichole is this month’s Billboard Chartbreaker and has seen her second radio single, “God Is In This Story” featuring Big Daddy Weave, follow the trajectory of her first single, launching all the way to No. 1 this week on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart.

Both of Nichole’s radio hits are found on her self-titled debut EP and are being heard live by tens-of-thousands of concert-goers in cities across the nation. Currently on tour with Jeremy Camp before joining Matthew West next month for a series of events, the 2022 Dove Award-nominated artist then wraps up her year on the K-LOVE Christmas Tour.

dick clark productions and ABC today announced nominees for the “2022 American Music Awards” (AMAs), the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, which will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. EST/PST on ABC.

The nominations announcement kicked off ABC’s “Good Morning America” with a reveal of the 2022 New Artist of the Year nominees, featuring a video of two-time AMA winner Becky G surprising this year’s nominees with the news. Additional nominees were announced via the AMAs Twitter account, and the full list of 2022 AMA nominees is below. Fan voting for all awards is now open via VoteAMAs.com and Twitter, except for Favorite K-Pop Artist which will open Tuesday, Nov. 1.

FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST
Anne Wilson
for KING & COUNTRY
Katy Nichole
Matthew West
Phil Wickham

FAVORITE GOSPEL ARTIST
CeCe Winans
DOE
E. Dewey Smith
Maverick City Music
Tamela Mann

Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas December 10 at 8/7c on Lifetime

Caught in a blizzard on Christmas Eve, estranged mother and daughter Journee (Naturi Naughton) and Nia (Lorea Turner) are forced to take refuge inside a church where a handful of also-trapped parishioners are reeling from the cancellation of their annual holiday concert.

The spirit of the season takes hold as Journee and Nia weather the wintry storm together with the other churchgoers, including handsome youth pastor Adam (Luke James) and a heavenly music teacher (Kirk Franklin), who motivate the mother and daughter to reconcile their differences through music, faith, and love. With the help of this unlikely yet spirited group of strangers, Journee and Nia band together to help the church salvage their holiday traditions and show-stopping Christmas day performance, despite the raging storm outside.

Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas is produced by Swirl Films and Big Dreams Entertainment. Kirk Franklin, Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd, Leslie Greif and Naturi Naughton serve as executive producers. Alex Kerr, Keith Neil, Eric Tomosunas and Angela Plasschaert also produce. Tailiah Breon directs from a script by Tara Knight.

Christian rock veterans in Kutless have announced the launch of a new podcast titled Rock In a Hard Place. Hosted by Jon Micah Sumrall (vocals) and James Mead (guitar), the podcast will revisit crucial moments in Kutless history, sharing insight and humor along the way. You can subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice at https://lnk.to/kutlesspodcast.

“We’ve been through a lot of stuff over the last 20 years, and we’re planning on talking about that more in depth through the podcast,” Sumrall explains.

Rock In a Hard Place is a natural expansion of Kutless’ reintroduction over the past few months. The band recently released “Words of Fire,” their first new material in five years. Before that, they released an EP featuring reimagined versions of three songs from their 2002 debut album.

“We’ve grown, we’ve learned, there have been hard times, there have been fun times. Every step of the way as we revisited these songs, it brought back a lot of memories,” Sumrall says. “It was actually a really neat thing to come back and just reflect on 20 years of music and all that we’ve experienced.”

The first episode is available now, offering fans their first glimpse of Kutless’s origins. You can find it at https://lnk.to/kutlesspodcast.

Curb | Word Entertainment’s Sidewalk Prophets is excited to announce their upcoming 4^th annual “Great Big Family Christmas Tour,” bringing their Great Big Family together for a time of carols, fellowship, and celebration. Fans can purchase tickets HERE now.

“We absolutely love Christmas, and this tour is our favorite,” shares front man Dave Frey. “There is something special about coming together, singing carols, and celebrating the birth of Christ. If you need a kickstart getting into the Christmas spirit, this is the event for you. Come one, come all, let’s make some Christmas memories together.”

Fans can look forward to creating special memories with their families as well as fun surprises and giveaways throughout the show. Like past years, each show will be in support of a local individual or organization in need, with an offering collected after the show. To date, the “Great Big Family Christmas Tour” has raised over $150K for local individuals and organizations around the country, with a goal to raise over $1M dollars in the coming years.

Tickets for the “Great Big Family Christmas Tour” are on sale now, with options ranging from general admission, to an early entry meeting with Dave Frey, to a VIP pre-show party. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.greatbigfamilychristmas.com. Listen to Merry Christmas To You (Great Big Family Edition), the band’s latest Christmas album release in 2019, HERE and pre-order a vinyl copy HERE.

“Great Big Family Christmas Tour” Dates

• 12/1 – Terre Haute, IN
• 12/2 – Columbus, OH
• 12/3 – Midland, MI
• 12/4 – Cleves, OH
• 12/5 – Wheatfield, IN
• 12/7 – Edwardsville, IL
• 12/8 – Edwardsville, IL
• 12/9 – Joplin, MO
• 12/10 – Wabash, IN
• 12/11 – Ashland, OH
• 12/15 – Jackson, MI
• 12/16 – Brunswick, OH
• 12/17 – Forest City, NC
• 12/18 – Lenoir City, TN

*Tour date information subject to change

Centricity Music’s Katy Nichole and Curb | Word Entertainment’s Big Daddy Weave land on top of the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart this week with “God Is In This Story.” The single is featured on Nichole’s self-titled debut EP and marks her second consecutive, and Big Daddy Weave’s eleventh, No. 1 song.

Created following Nichole’s story of physical suffering from scoliosis, resulting depression, hope and eventual healing, and after the passing of Big Daddy Weave founding member Jay Weaver earlier this year, “God Is In This Story” and its compelling concept video became a resounding declaration for both artists.

Cowriting the song with Grammy®-nominated songwriters Ethan Hulse and Jeff Pardo, Nichole affirms, “There’s no story that doesn’t matter to God. Every story was written by Him, and He’s the greatest author of all time. If you truly believe with your whole heart that God is good, even in the hard times of life, then you’ll see how He was in your story the entire time. People can see God through us when we tell our stories, and that’s how they’ll know how faithful Jesus truly is. It’s really amazing how something I once thought of as my story has become our story.”

Big Daddy Weave’s Mike Weaver shares, “We are so grateful for how this song has been received, and equally grateful for how it has spoken to us during one of the hardest times of our lives. God has used it to remind us that He is with us through the hurt, and how valuable that is.”

Nichole is currently on tour with Jeremy Camp before joining Matthew West next month for a series of events. The 2022 Dove Award-nominated artist then wraps up her year on the K-LOVE Christmas Tour.

Big Daddy Weave is headlining their Only The Beginning tour this fall with guest artists Austin French and Hannah Kerr and are in preparations for their Spring 2023 tour.