Sunday Mornin’ Country held up on their promises to be the best ticket in town, blending top Country artists and fan-favorite Gospel music performances. The 40th Annual Anniversary event brought attendees together for a time of celebration and inspiration, along with great entertainment for the whole family. The incredible show was hosted by the longtime supporter of the ministry event and legendary Country Music and Rock -n- Roll Hall of Fame member, Brenda Lee on Sunday, June 12th on the Grand Ole Opry stage making history with the best-attended show on the books. Mark your calendars now as next year the event will once again take place on the Sunday at the end of one of the biggest music festivals in Nashville on June 11, 2023.

“Sunday Mornin’ Country is not only a great experience for the audience, but it’s also a great experience as a performer! Having a chance to share the stage with so many legends was a true blessing. I can’t thank them enough for letting me be a part of the program,” shared performer Alex Miller.

“We truly are blessed to produce this event each year. Our team has worked for many months to put together a program that has garnered rave reviews from performing artists and fans alike. The program was full of great songs and wonderful moments and we have seen a show in a long time that included as many standing ovations as our 40th-anniversary show. We can’t wait until next year!” exclaimed producers Lynn Fox and Melanie Walker.

“I really enjoyed accompanying my friend John Berry during his performance at the Sunday Mornin’ Country event this year. It was great catching up with Brenda Lee and Charlie McCoy, who I have had the honor of working with,” stated Steve Dorff.

Extraordinary performances for the 40th Anniversary held something for everyone with a lineup of acclaimed artists and spectacular performances. Some of the exceptional highlights included Alex Miller singing “I’m Gonna Sing,” John Berry accompanied by Steve Dorff on his standing ovation performance of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” Brenda Lee joining Joanne Cash Yates during the introduction to “I’ve Got Jesus In My Soul” and Charlie McCoy performing “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Additional heartfelt, soul-touching and masterful productions included:
The Country Chorale-featuring-Troy Richardson and David Smith “Unclouded Day”
The Country Chorale-featuring-Linda Grimes and Keith Ital “When The Morning Comes”
National Anthem-Nikki Headley “Star Spangled Banner”
Music City Strings 40 Years of Sunday Mornin’ Country
Tennessee River Boys “When Heaven Crumbles”
The Country Chorale-featuring-Judy Gilbert, Bev McCann and Mark Thomas “One Day At A Time”
T. Graham Brown “Wine Into Water”
Makenzie Phipps “The Old Rugged Cross”
Music City Quartet “Only Here For A Little While”
Dianne Sherrill “Have A Little Talk With Jesus”
Chris Golden “Can I Get A Witness”
Nadine from Larry’s Country Diner “Comedy”
Melanie Walker “Get Up In Jesus Name”
Special Military Tribute-The Fox Brothers-with special guests-René Jones and The Color Guard  “God Bless The USA”
LuLu Roman “That’s The Man I’m Looking For”
Adam Warner “Someone God Can Use”
Cowboy Joe and The Babcocks “Brand Of The Cross”
Holly Watson “It Is Well”
Todd Tilghman “Blood, Sweat & Her Tears”
Joanne Cash Yates and The Country Chorale “Just As I Am”
All Artists and The Country Chorale “I’ll Fly Away”

“Sunday Mornin’ Country is one of my favorite things to be a part of each year. It reminds me of my childhood; going to church, being with old friends, meeting new friends and sharing the songs of my childhood,” said event host Brenda Lee. “I was honored to be invited to host the 40th-anniversary show again this year at the Grand Ole Opry House.”

Past years’ performers have included the talents of Jeannie Seely, John Berry, Skeeter Davis, Roy Acuff, Lynn Anderson, Jason Crabb, Chris Young, Jimmie Wayne, The Oak Ridge Boys, Roy Clark, Freddy Hart, Grandpa Jones, Charlie McCoy, Vestel Goodman, Paul Richey, Marty Raybon, Ricky Skaggs, Connie Smith, Rhonda Vincent, The Whites, Tammy Wynette, Brenda Lee, Linda Davis, Jean Shepard and many others.

Sponsored by the Nashville-based nonprofit, Music City Christian Fellowship, the concert wraps up the week at the conclusion of CMA Music Fest each year, leaving fans and guests with an uplifting memory of Nashville. Sunday Mornin’ Country is the longest-running country/gospel event during the music festival.

A band that has become synonymous with dynamic live performances, two-time GRAMMY-nominated group We The Kingdom will hit the road on a headline tour this fall, We The Kingdom LIVE with Cory Asbury. The 22-date trek is set to kick off on Thursday, September 29, stopping in cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville and more through November.

We The Kingdom recently released “Miracle Power” (5.27 via Capitol Christian Music Group), the first track off the group’s sophomore studio album, which marked the band’s biggest street week streaming debut for a single to date. It will go for adds on radio this Friday, June 24.

The multi-generational group is currently opening for Crowder on his My People Tour, which is happening now throughout the Southeast. Additionally, they’ll perform at fairs and festivals across the country this Summer. Tickets for We The Kingdom’s Ryman Auditorium date (11.5) are already on-sale, and additional dates on the We The Kingdom LIVE with Cory Asbury tour will go on-sale this Friday, June 24 at wtklive.com.

Named Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year at the 2021 Dove Awards, We the Kingdom is comprised of brothers Ed Cash and Scott Cash, Ed’s children Franni Rae Cash Cain and Martin Cash, and close family friend Andrew Bergthold, who all came together as musicians during a life-changing Young Life experience. Since making their debut in 2018, the group has garnered continuous praise, earning their very first RIAA-certified GOLD Single for ‘Holy Water’, the group’s first No.1 hit, in just a few years as a commercial band.

We The Kingdom’s team includes Roundtable Management, Capitol Christian Music Group and Shore Fire Media. ‘We The Kingdom LIVE with Cory Asbury’ is produced by Premier Productions.

We The Kingdom LIVE with Cory Asbury Tour Dates

Thu., Sep. 29 | Countryside Christian | Tampa, FL

Fri., Sep. 30 | Northland Church | Orlando, FL

Sat., Oct. 1 | FBC Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale, FL

Sun., Oct. 2 | Florida Theater | Jacksonville, FL

Fri., Oct. 7 | Texas Trust CU Theatre | Dallas, TX

Sat., Oct. 8 | Houston, TX^

Sun., Oct. 9 | Tobin Center | San Antonio, TX

Fri., Oct. 14 |CrossCity Christian Church| Fresno, CA

Sat., Oct. 15 | Capitol Christian Center | Sacramento, CA

Sun., Oct. 16 | Calvary Community Church | Los Angeles, CA

Thu., Oct. 20 | Lake City Church | Spokane, WA

Fri., Oct. 21 | Rolling Hills Community | Portland, OR

Sat., Oct. 22 | Eugene FBC | Eugene, OR

Sun., Oct. 23 | Overlake Church Redmond | Seattle, WA

Thu., Oct. 27 | Hoyt Sherman Place | Des Moines, IA~

Fri., Oct. 28 | Willow Creek | Chicago, IL

Sat., Oct. 29 | The Lerner | Elkhart, IN

Sun., Oct. 30 | Wings Event Center | Kalamazoo, MI

Thu., Nov. 3 | Ovens Auditorium | Charlotte, NC

Fri., Nov. 4 | Alabama Theater | Birmingham, AL

Sat., Nov. 5 | Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN*

Sat., Nov. 6 | Coca-Cola Roxy | Atlanta, GA

*Tickets Available Now

~Tickets on-sale June 29

^Tickets on-sale July 1

GRAMMY-winning group Maverick City Music and 16-time GRAMMY winner Kirk Franklin joined The View to commemorate Juneteenth, delivering a powerful rendition of “Kingdom” alongside 10-year-old viral sensation Jordan Hollins.

https://youtu.be/GqhzocZjb1A

This is just the beginning of an exciting week for Maverick City Music and Franklin, who are both nominated for the Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel/Inspiration Award — Maverick City for “Jireh” and Kirk Franlin for “We Win” — at the upcoming BET Awards. They are set to perform during the show on Sunday (6.26), and they will also join NPR’s Tiny Deskon Friday (6.24) as part of Black Music Month.

Maverick City Music and Franklin are currently headlining arenas on their ‘The Kingdom Tour,’ which ranked at No. 6 on Pollstar’s Live 75 this week, shattering multiple records since the 37-date trek kicked off earlier this month. The tour continues tonight in Grand Rapids, MI, before heading to Columbus, OH, and St. Louis, MO, through the end of the week. Fans can purchase tickets to the nearly sold-out tour HERE.

Shanachie Entertainment is pleased to announce the release of “Love Letter” the first single from Anthony Nelson & The Overcomers’ inaugural single from Anthony’s forthcoming and yet untitled release due in Fall 2022. Written by Anthony and Shanzel Willis and produced by Anthony with Desmin Gore, “Love Letter” is a beautiful soaring expression of gratitude for the Lord’s blessings.

“Love Letter is a ballad and humble gesture of admiration to our Lord and Savior,” Anthony says. “Nostalgically speaking, love letters were a great way to show someone that you really loved and cherished them. In this technological age, we’ve kind of departed from the simple yet beautiful practice of writing a love letter. Hopefully, this song can help rekindle the art of spending more time with THE Lord and expressing love from the tablets of our hearts to Christ Jesus, who deserves it all.”

Anthony Nelson is a rising gospel star who as an independent artist scored a Top 5 Billboard Gospel chart hit with “Deeper” and Top 10 successes with such singles as “Everyday” and “Undeserved.” This success is remarkable given that Anthony just began recording in 2015. Signed to Shanachie Entertainment in early 2022, Anthony is now poised to rise to the next level.

Anthony Nelson was born in Louisiana, where he still lives today, to music-loving parents. His mother and grandmother both were noted gospel vocalists at Mount Bethel, B.C., in Carville, Louisiana; his mother was choir director there and ministered through song throughout Southern Louisiana. Having completed B.S. and M.S. degrees from Southern University, A & M College and LSU, Anthony initially did not envision a career in gospel but in dealing with grief following the death of his beloved parents, he was called by the Lord to pursue composing and performing gospel music. Aside from his radio success, his hit single “Deeper,” was featured multiple weeks on prominent televangelist, author, actress and Gospel singer Dr. Juanita Bynum’s popular “Live at 3 With Me” radio show. Now Anthony is working on completing his first full-length album, knowing for the first time that he will have the benefit of a label partner to bring his music to a wider audience.

“Not only is Anthony a wonderful singer but he is an exemplary new-generation gospel artist stretching musical boundaries to find new ways to deliver a gospel message,” says Shanachie General Manager Randall Grass. “We are very excited to be working with such a compelling new talent.”

Marvin Sapp’s 15^th album release debuts at #1 on Billboard’s Current Gospel Albums chart, making it Sapp’s seventh consecutive #1 Gospel album debut. The album also lands at #3 on the Top Christian/Gospel Albums Sales chart. This is an especially notable achievement for the artist, also a newly minted label owner, who released the album on his Elev8 Music & Entertainment imprint distributed through ThirtyTigers. 

Substance offers a contemporary yet timeless Marvin Sapp sound, which is consistent without being predictable, and brilliantly written with biblically-centered lyrics. The lead single, “All In Your Hands,” has earned Sapp a nomination for the 2022 Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational BET Award . Sapp recently performed the luminous song on ABCs “Sound of Freedom” Juneteenth special currently streaming on Hulu.  

“All In Your Hands” is one of 11 reflective and refreshing tracks on Substance that are intended to provide listeners with a renewed sense of hope, uplift and faith.  

Substance, the new album from Marvin Sapp, is available now everywhere digital music is sold.

On Friday, the Catholic Diocese of Ondo state in Nigeria laid to rest the bodies of more than 40 churchgoers who were murdered on Pentecost Sunday. Today, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) is calling on British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to use the upcoming ministerial for freedom of religion or belief in London to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” for “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”

On June 5, gunmen attacked St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the city of Owo during Pentecost mass, killing dozens, including children. Until now, this sort of attack has been rare in Nigeria’s Christian-majority southwest. No one has been arrested for the attack.

In an open letter to Foreign Secretary Truss, Dr. John Eibner, the president of CSI, warned that “Nigeria has experienced a spike in atrocity crimes committed against Christians” since U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s decision last November to remove Nigeria from the U.S.’ own list of “countries of particular concern.”

“Washington’s declaration that it had no ‘particular concern’ about religious freedom in Nigeria was openly celebrated by advisors of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari,” Eibner noted. “But it was widely condemned by representatives of Nigeria’s victimized religious communities.”

The upcoming International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, scheduled for July 5-6 in London, is part of a series of religious freedom ministerials that was launched by the US government in Washington DC in 2019. A UK government strategy document from July 2021, “Global Britain in a Competitive Age,” highlighted the planned 2022 Ministerial, and called the “campaign for religious freedom” a “vital instrument of our influence overseas.”

Eibner urged Truss to use the Ministerial to propose “the adoption of a resolution declaring that Nigeria is indeed a ‘Country of Particular Concern’” and to “urge Secretary Blinken to reinstate Nigeria on the U.S. Department of State’s list.”

About Christian Solidarity International:

Founded over 40 years ago, CSI is an international Christian human rights organization, campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity, and assisting victims of religious persecution, victimized children and victims of catastrophe. CSI delivers emergency food assistance, medical treatment, and other lifesaving aid to victims of religious persecution and natural disasters in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Nigeria, South Sudan, Pakistan, and other hotspots around the globe. CSI is currently the only organization working to liberate Christians and other South Sudanese forced into slavery by government-backed forces during the Sudanese civil war. For more information visit https://csi-usa.org.

Soulful South African Gospel Singer GirlKing Releases ‘He Shall Never Fail Me’ & ‘Noma Bengathini’ From Her Upcoming Album ‘The Best Thing In The World’.

GirlKing, whose real name is Ntombinkosi “Ntombi” Mncube, is a South African Gospel musician. Her new singles “He Shall Never Fail Me” and “Noma Bengathini” and available now on all platforms, and taken from her upcoming album ‘The Best Thing In The World‘ (that will be released on 1 July).

Her sound is contemporary, fresh, smooth and powerful! Every track is unique, beautiful and musically intricate, thanks to her song writing gift, anointed vocal ability, and the greatly talented musicians and singers that God so graciously provided to work with her in putting together her debut album.

GirlKing’s promise to her fans is an album that is going to take them through her love journey with God, Praise and Worship. The album will be released on 1 July and will be available on all online music platforms and in CD format (on pre-order basis).

‘He Shall Never Fail Me‘ is based on the Bible verse found in Isaiah 59:21 where God promises us that His Spirit that rests upon us and His words that He has placed in our mouths shall never fail or depart from us. The song also seeks to remind God’s people of the power that He has given them in the form His blood, Spirit and His words.

Listen to “He Shall Never Fail Me” Below

‘Noma Bengathini‘ is a love song to Jesus. In this song GirlKing sings about how God calls us with a high calling and how He chooses us even before we know Him. She then pledges never to leave God no matter what people may say or whatever circumstances she may encounter in life.

Listen To “Noma Bengathini” Below

About Artist

GirlKing, whose real name is Ntombinkosi “Ntombi” Mncube, is a Gospel musician and practicing Advocate and member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates.

She was born and raised in the Clermont Township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and discovered her gift and love of music during her early childhood. She gave her life to the Lord at a young age and learnt the art of leading Praise & Worship whilst singing in the Church Choir under the Ministry of the late Bishop Mzimela. 

Her anointed and soulful voice, coupled with her unique and authentic singing style, ensured she developed a firm following amongst local artists, Churches and institutions of higher learning. She worked with recording artists like Thulani Shezi, Swazi Dlamini, Nhlanhla Sibisi, Thulani Ga Ndlela and Nathi Zungu.  

CONNECT WITH ARTIST

Facebook || Instagram || Twitter || All Links

Apple Music today launched ‘Juneteenth 2022: Freedom Songs, a specially-curated collection of music to celebrate and honor Juneteenth. Available to stream exclusively on Apple Music, the second annual compilation features an eclectic mix of originals and covers to celebrate the holiday from the likes of Alex Isley, Brittney Spencer, 6LACK, Bun B, Cautious Clay, Damien Sneed, Denzel Curry, Eladio Carrión, Elena Pinderhughes, Jlin, Koryn Hawthorne, Kranium, Lupe Fiasco, Moliy, SEB, and WSTRN. ‘Juneteenth 2022: Freedom Songs’ is available now in Spatial Audio only on Apple Music HERE.

“As the awareness and mainstreaming of Juneteenth continues to rise, our team at Apple Music is committed to commemorating the holiday while ensuring that its historical significance is not lost,” said Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B. “We continue our annual efforts with a new collection of Black Music and stories from artists across an array of genres aimed to amplify the conversation, inspire reflection, and celebrate freedom.”

Artists featured on ‘Juneteenth 2022: Freedom Songs’ were commissioned by Apple Music’s expert music curators to reflect the spirit of Juneteenth through the majesty of music. Including over 16 artists across an array of genres, including Hip-Hop, Gospel, Latin, Jazz, R&B, Country and more, the collection aims to uncover the complexity of the Black experience against the backdrop of the historical touchpoint of Juneteenth — from joy to pain and hope to rumination.

To complement ‘Juneteenth 2022: Freedom Songs’, Apple Music partnered with multiple Black visual artists who created original artwork for the project, including: Kendall Henderson and Sophie Douala. Additional elements include bespoke animations from artist Robbie Shilstone and a companion visual of 6LACK’s rendition of “UMI Says” directed by Adele “Supreme” Williams and Erin G. Wesley.

Additionally, Apple Music celebrates Black music all month long with ‘Black Music Month: The Future,’ a global campaign spotlighting the future of Black music through a curated list of rising stars from around the world across a multitude of genres who are creating and influencing new sounds. Check out ‘Black Music Month: The Future’ on Apple Music HERE.

This week Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) presented its 2022 BMI Christian Awards, honoring the prolific musical career of BMI Icon Award recipient Steven Curtis Chapman and the Christian Songwriters, Song, and Publisher of the Year.

During this annual event, Essential Music Publishing (EMP) was named Publisher of the Year along with Ethan Hulse being named Songwriter of the Year for the fourth consecutive year in a row, and “There Was Jesus” was named 2022 BMI Christian Song of the Year.

“What an incredible honor for EMP to be recognized as BMI Publisher of the Year,” shares Holly Zabka, Sr. Vice President for Essential Music Publishing and Head of Creative for Provident Label Group.

“It’s a testament to the amazing roster of writers we get to champion, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see their hard work recognized. I am grateful to our entire publishing team that continually serves our writers with great care and dedication.”

EMP received 11 of the 25 most-performed songs of the year (listed below). The Song of the Year, “There Was Jesus,” was written by Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith, and Zach Williams. This popular track was recorded by Dolly Parton and Zach Williams and was the most performed Christian song of the year, and it also won the 2021 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. Songwriter of the Year, Hulse wrote Andrew Ripp’s “Jericho,” Jeremy Camp’s “Out of My Hands,” and CAIN’s “Rise Up (Lazarus).” Hulse first signed his publishing deal with EMP in 2016 and has since then become one of the genre’s most sought-after writers.

In addition to the Song Awards and honors, Provident artist Ben Fuller performed his song,” Who I Am,” and CAIN performed a musical tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman during his BMI Icon presentation as they sang “Great Adventure” and “I Will Be Here.”

Essential Music Publishing – BMI Song Awards (*EMP Writers)

• “Alive & Breathing”
  Ellie Limebear*, Matt Maher*
• “Amen”
  Jake Henry*, Jeff Pardo, Micah Tyler*
• “Battle Belongs”
  Phil Wickham*
• “Famous For (I Believe)”
  Chuck Butler*, Krissy Nordhoff, Jordan Sapp, Taren Wells*
• “Graves into Gardens”
  Chris Brown*, Steven Furtick*, Tiffany Hudson*
• “Jericho”
  Ethan Hulse*, Andrew Ripp*
• “Less Like Me”
  Mia Fieldes*, Zach Williams*
• “Out of My Hands”
  Jeremy Camp, Ethan Hulse*, Jeff Sojka
• “Peace Be Still”
  Hope Darst, Mia Fieldes*, Andrew Holt
• “Rise Up (Lazarus)”
  Ethan Hulse*, Nick Schwarz*
• “There Was Jesus”
  Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith*, Zach Williams*

Last night, multi-GRAMMY Award-winning artist/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman was honored for his prolific musical career as a BMI Icon Award recipient at the 2022 BMI Christian Awards. This is the first Christian BMI Icon Award honoree as Chapman joins the elite list of songwriters including Barry Manilow, Brian Wilson, Carole King, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Sting, and others who have left an influence on generations of music makers and the music industry.

During the evening, country star and member of Lady A Hillary Scott and Christian country trio and labelmates CAIN paid musical tribute to Chapman. Scott brought her signature voice to “Who You Say We Are” and “Speechless” while Cain serenaded the crowd with “Great Adventure” and “I Will Be Here.” In true songwriter fashion, Chapman wrote an original song for his acceptance speech to conclude the special evening.

“As a guy who loves to use words to try to paint a picture of what’s deep in my heart, I’m at a loss for words deep and beautiful enough to express what I feel after being honored by friends, family, and the wonderful folks at BMI and receiving the BMI Icon award last night,” shares Steven Curtis Chapman. “I’m completely blown away by all of the kindness, love, and honor I was shown. What an epic evening to once again ‘taste and SEE how good the Lord is’ and to remember and celebrate all of the amazing people who have been part of my incredible, ongoing Great Adventure!”

Celebrating 35 years since his debut album this year, Chapman has had a storied career as the most awarded artist in Christian music history. He has been honored with 59 GMA Dove Awards, five GRAMMYs, and an American Music Award. Chapman also has 49 No. 1 radio singles, sold more than 11 million albums, and has ten RIAA-certified Gold or Platinum albums in his career.

He has collaborated with and had his songs recorded by other renowned artists in the Christian music world including BeBe Winans, CeCe Winans, Amy Grant, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Geoff Moore, and others. His songs of hope have also crossed genres, seeing collaborations with Billy Dean, Glenn Campbell, Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Ricky Skaggs, Brad Paisley, and Lauren Alaina. In 2017, Chapman also became a best-selling author with his memoir Between Heaven and the Real World: My Story.

Last month, it was announced that Chapman had penned a new deal with Provident Label Group as he released his new song, “Still,” which he debuted from the Opry stage that same night. He is currently working on music that will be released throughout this year including a new radio single next month.

“I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d have the opportunity 35 years later to once again pour out what’s in my heart onto ‘the page’ and into a recording like this newest project,” shares Steven Curtis Chapman. “These unprecedented times we have all been journeying through have stirred me deeply, and these songs and this record have come from that deep place…these songs are as honest as any I’ve ever written.”