Continuing a tradition of giving back, GRAMMY Award-nominated rock band NEEDTOBREATHE close out a banner 2021 with charitable contributions to OneWorld Health and For Others.

After over a decade of work raising funds and awareness for the incredible mission of OneWorld Health, the group hosted NEEDTOBREATHE & Friends One Night Only Supporting OneWorld Health in Nashville, TN last month. Following a gathering at the Rarebird Rooftop bar at the start of the weekend, the guys took the stage at the legendary Country Music Hall of Fame, joined by country superstar and friend Thomas Rhett, for an exclusive Saturday night gig, dinner, drinks, and auction. By the end of the festivities, they had raised over $1.4 million, which will provide sustainable, affordable, and accessible healthcare in East Africa and Central America. This event brings NEEDTOBREATHE’s fundraising total to nearly $6.5 million since the inception of their partnership.

NEEEDTOBREATHE made their return to the road with a very special purpose this year. They joined forces with For Others as the official charity partner for their 38-date Into The Mystery Tour across the U.S. NEEDTOBREATHE donated $1 from each ticket sold to the organization, which endeavors to address the country’s foster care crisis. Additionally, fans utilized the “text to donate” functionality during the show to contribute. In total, over $1.1 million was generated in support of For Others.

“Our band has always aimed to do more than make music and play shows,” says lead singer and songwriter Bear Rinehart. “We have always felt we have a responsibility to use our platform as a vehicle for change — acknowledging the power of music throughout history to bring people together and do good for others. We are blown away by our fans’ support of these initiatives and incredibly humbled by the work we have been able to do together.”

This week, the band proudly presented both organizations with checks. Be on the lookout for more from NEEDTOBREATHE soon.

In recent times there has been a rising number of Christian events which have been organized to give Christians an outlet to go hang out and have Godly fun.

For Christians looking to hang out with fellow believers, especially in the city of Ibadan, Tephilah Ministries International is organizing an End of Year Praise/Carol Night tagged “Stone Of Help.”

The event which is hosted by the founder of Tephilah Ministries International, Pastor John Olumayowa and Moji Zion promises to be one for the books. With a plethora of Christian artists and performers such as Taiwo Fafore, Ibironke, Ogunse Drama, Wande Zion, Femi James, Seun Mighty amongst others Stone of Help is sure to be a blast.

Tephilah Ministries International who are the organizers of the special monthly program WATO which stands for Words And Tongues Only has the vision to preach the Gospel to every soul and win them for Christ and they are leaving no stones unturned to achieve that vision.

Stone of Help will hold on the 17th of December at the Hall of Fortune, NUT Building, Ayankoya street, Oke Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State. and the time is 8:00 pm.

Provident Entertainment welcomes worship leader, songwriter, and producer Ben Cantelon to the team as Senior Director of A&R. As a songwriter, Cantelon has co-written songs with Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, Matt Redman, Maverick City, Newsboys, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Matt Maher, Michael W. Smith, Passion and many more. He has released five projects as a worship artist with Survivor Records and Kingsway Music. Cantelon also held the role of worship leader and pastor at Soul Survivor, Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), and Worship Central in the UK.

“We are thrilled to have Ben join us at Provident,” shares Blaine Barcus, Senior Vice President of A&R of Provident Entertainment. “His diverse background as an artist, worship leader, songwriter, and producer will be a huge benefit to our A&R team and the creatives he will serve/support. Most of all, Ben is a person who loves artists and understands their hearts.”

In 2017, Cantelon and his family relocated from the UK to Nashville to pursue songwriting and producing where he signed a publishing deal with Capitol CMG. With his extensive experience, he is thrilled to make the transition to the business side of the industry. Cantelon and his wife Alice have three young children and currently live in Nashville.

After successfully sustaining weeks of ‘Top Gospel Album’ sales, E. Dewey Smith’s debut EP, “God Period”, is #48 on the 2021 “Top 50 Gospel Albums” list!  This is quite the feat for any artist, especially a new one, however for a singer with twelve videos on YouTube with over a million views, it comes as no surprise to his dedicated fans. The album’s leading single, is currently #14 on Billboard’s “Gospel Airplay” chart.

When asked of his feelings surrounding the success, Smith says, “I’m overwhelmed by God’s favor and the incredible support I’ve received. God is awesome!”

“God Period” is now available to be streamed on all streaming platforms. Physical copies can be ordered on edeweysimth.org.

Gospel artist Gene Hoskins spreads hope and joy with the music video for his latest single “Make It With Jesus.” His new Shanachie Entertainment release, HOMECOMING, is available everywhere now.

“I woke up one morning feeling overwhelmed and stressed myself and I decided to take my own advice and use the things that make me happy in order to combat my own stress. I started singing and thinking about Jesus. I hummed this tune and stuck with me all day. With ‘Make It With Jesus,’ my hope is that the relief I felt after singing it translates to others and it can be a healing tool in some way.” – GENE HOSKINS

Watch Video Below

GRAMMY nominated, internationally renowned artist collective Bethel Music has recently celebrated nine new RIAA Certifications ranging from Gold to 2x Platinum. The Gold Certifications include “Ever Be” by Bethel Music & kalley, “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson, “You Make Me Brave” by Bethel Music & Amanda Lindsey Cook, “Stand In Your Love” by Josh Baldwin, and “Graves Into Gardens” from Elevation Music featuring Brandon Lake.

Bethel Music, Jonathan David & Melissa Helser’s “Raise a Hallelujah” was certified Gold and “No Longer Slaves” has been certified Platinum. Bethel Music & Kristine DiMarco’s “It Is Well” has been certified Platinum and Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love” has been certified 2x Platinum.

“It’s such an honor for Bethel Music to receive these certifications,” says Jenn Johnson, Bethel Music Artist and President.  “The fact that what we are able to be a part of is touching the hearts of so many people and leading them to Jesus, is why we do what we do.”

Bethel Music recently released the follow up to last year’s Dove nominated album Peace – Peace, Vol. II. Using bi-lateral audio, with frequencies scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety, the twelve songs on the album were recorded with the intention of creating a peaceful atmosphere for listeners to experience God’s presence. Much like the first Peace album, Peace, Vol. II features many familiar Bethel Music artists as well as special guests Phil Wickham, Lauren Daigle, We The Kingdom, and Pat Barrett. Peace, Vol. II is now available HERE

Globally acclaimed record label Motown Gospel (a division of Capitol CMG/Capitol and Universal Music Group) announces the signing of four-time GRAMMY nominated duo The Baylor Project to an exclusive distribution agreement, in partnership with their artist-owned label, Be A Light. Their celebrated latest project, Generations, becomes available for the first time across all streaming platforms on December 10, 2021.

The Baylor Project features vocalist Jean Baylor and drummer Marcus Baylor, married musical partners with backgrounds deeply rooted in the church. Before forming The Baylor Project in 2013, Jean Baylor burst onto the scene in the mid-1990’s as part of the groundbreaking R&B duo Zhané. Marcus Baylor first rose to prominence in the early 2000’s as the drummer for the world-renowned, GRAMMY-Award-winning fusion group Yellowjackets. Their debut album, The Journey, spawned two GRAMMY nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance. Last year, their pandemic-era single “Sit On Down” was GRAMMY nominated in the latter category for a second time.

“The Baylor Project has proven their ability to seamlessly merge core jazz, R&B, and gospel creatively while building a loyal following among fans of all three styles in the U.S. and abroad,” shares Monica Coates, Co-Executive Director, Motown Gospel. “That they did those things as independent artists, making their home at the top of the jazz charts and earning 4 GRAMMY nominations along the way is truly praiseworthy. Motown Gospel and Capitol CMG are proud to join them in this innovative new partnership.”

The new label relationship rounds out a whirlwind year of accomplishments for the world-renowned duo. The Baylor Project just received its fourth GRAMMY nomination, a nod in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category for its second full-length album, Generations, released earlier this year. The album spent over ten weeks at the top of the JazzWeek radio chart, and received worldwide acclaim. The group’s single “We Swing,” featuring jazz legend Dianne Reeves and rising star Jazzmeia Horn, was also just named among NPR Music’s 100 Best Songs of 2021.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Motown Gospel and Capitol CMG on this exciting new venture! We look forward to utilizing our combined resources in a collaborative effort to further bridge the gap between our audiences in a unique way,” states, The Baylor Project.

Four -time GRAMMY award-winning duo and Platinum selling Curb | Word Entertainment recording artist for KING & COUNTRY have extended their record for consecutive No. 1 singles to seven with “Relate” – the lead single from the Smallbones’ March 2022 release What Are We Waiting For?. “Relate” has hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart, as well as Mediabase’s Christian AC Airplay chart, marking the 10th career No. 1 for the Billboard Music Award winners.

“There’s something beautiful about the fact that, in a time such as this, a song speaking to the idea of relating to one another and showing compassion and empathy has been so readily received,” Joel Smallbone tells Billboard. “It seems to speak to our worldwide desire to become kinder and more understanding versions of ourselves.”

Simultaneously, for KING & COUNTRY have re-entered the mainstream charts this holiday season, with their celebrated rendition of “Little Drummer Boy” slotting in at No. 13 on Mediabase’s Holiday chart, and No. 21 on their AC chart. The track also re-enters Billboard’s AC chart at No. 18 becoming the duo’s fourth Top 20 mainstream AC hit – the other three being “God Only Knows,” “TOGETHER,” and “Amen.” for KING & COUNTRY hold some notable positions on Billboard’s Year-End chart, finishing Top 10 in nine different categories. In total, for KING & COUNTRY have 1.7 billion career streams.

The No. 1 hitmakers recently announced the upcoming arrival of their brand-new album What Are We Waiting For? out on Friday, March 11th. What Are We Waiting For? is for KING & COUNTRY’s fourth studio album and first album of new music since 2018’s RIAA Gold certified Burn The Ships. Fans can expect a return to the lush and evocative pop sounds the duo has perfected over the years, while Joel and Luke take pen to paper and confront relevant issues with poise, grace, and groove. Pre-order or pre-save the album at the link HERE.

With a coveted “A” Cinema Score, a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a plethora of coverage from a wide range of press and critics, The Jesus Music, released by Lionsgate, and the latest hit directed by the Erwin brothers, is available on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital today.

CBS Sunday Morning is scheduled for Sunday, December 19, featuring interviews with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and for KING & Country. This special episode follows extensive press coverage for the film’s original October 1 release, including from the Associated Press, Billboard, The Catholic Faith Network, The Christian Post, CBN, Crosswalk.com, FORBES, Good Christian Fun podcast, Keep the Faith, LA TIMES, Patheos, Pureflix, Relgion News Service and much more.

Additionally, both Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith have made several national media appearances, including on FOX & Friends, The Tamron Hall Show, The Today Show, and FOX NATION.

GRAMMY Award-winning group Casting Crowns will release their new album, Healer, on January 14, 2022. The pre-order for the new album is available here. The title track for the album is also available now along with the lyric video below. Writing songs as proclamations of faith is the cornerstone of Casting Crowns, and this new album is no different. When the world shut down for the pandemic, frontman and songwriter Mark Hall was faced with the same circumstances as the rest of the world, and he knew he needed to write for the moment. Hall stayed true to his signature straightforward words and wrote from the heart.

“I was walking through the world being shut down, just like everybody else,” shares Mark Hall. “I’ve been a youth pastor for over twenty years and here I was counseling teenagers who’d just lost their senior year, lost their friend groups, felt hopeless for the future. As I started working on this record, I realized all the songs I was writing dealt with healing in some way, something we all need. And more than that, we need a Healer. This whole album is about healing, about how God meets us where we are and what His healing looks like.”

Listening through the album, it’s clear the band’s intention is to show that healing comes in many different colors and sizes. With songs that feel both familiar and brand new, Healer is a scripture-filled push forward, challenging the listener to seek true healing from Jesus, the only Healer we need. Recently Hall spoke with American Songwriter for their November / December issue about the upcoming album, read the interview here.

Leading up to the new release, Casting Crowns has released selections from the album including the poignant song “Scars In Heaven” and the powerful anthem “The Power of the Cross.” As a group that has been known to break records, “Scars in Heaven,” broke the global first-day streaming record for a Christian song debut on Amazon Music, received top playlist positioning at all major digital service providers, and was featured on the Digital Billboard on West End Avenue in Nashville.

Currently, the group is on the KLOVE Christmas Tour along with Mac Powell, CAIN, Dante Bowe, and Jordan St. Cyr. The remaining dates can be found here. Supporting the new album, Compassion International presents Casting Crowns “The Healer Tour” with We Are Messengers and Jonathan Traylor in 2022. Tickets will go on sale next Friday, December 17th. Tickets can be purchased through Casting Crowns’ website.

Fans can also bring the sound of Casting Crowns into their living rooms this Christmas season through a special YouTube playlist featuring the band’s entire Christmas catalog in the form of Yule Log videos. The videos have garnered more than 350,000 views in less than one week.