Washington, DC — CD Porter, Javon Inman, and Rob Mercer emerged from Washington DC as individual talents with award-winning careers and ministries. The three joined together in a 2016 West Africa mission and music trip which inspired them to create a musical force and super-group called DRK 2 LGHT. In 2020 they released their debut hit single and video “He Keeps On”.

DRK 2 LGHT has unified their individual strengths as songwriters, musicians, and singers with blended styles spanning from Urban-soul to traditional Gospel. The trio throw in a chunk of funk and hint of pop-rock to their foundation of worship music to create their sound to be forever branded as DRK 2 LGHT.

CD, Javon, and Rob are continually creating music and are now set to release their second single “Fix My Heart”. “Fix My Heart” is written by Javon and produced by Tone Jonez who also produced the group’s first single. “Fix My Heart” is going for adds and airplay at Gospel radio now and will be available on all digital music outlets on April 23.

“Fix My Heart” is a rock-driven head-banger song that has a soulful chorus that gives the track heat! The trio delivers the song with a powerful performance and ministers the lyrics with heart.

“Any great song perfectly marries melody and message,” Rob shares. “That’s what Javon has written with FIX MY HEART. It’s a fiery cry from a broken place and God never rejects a contrite heart.”

“Fix My Heart” continues to validate DRK 2 LGHT in Christian music as it is rare to have an all-male African-American trio group of singers with such talent, marketability, and dedication to ministry and the artform.
Through their growing catalog of music, their authentic bond of brotherhood and passion to see people delivered, DRK 2 LGHT is proving to let their light shine before men so that God will be glorified!

Javon Inman, Rob Mercer and CD Porter – DRK 2 LGHT

In 2020 they released their debut hit single and video “He Keeps On”.

Two-time GRAMMY Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Lauren Daigle announced she will be performing at the Ryman Auditorium later this month (Apr 30). Tickets for ‘A Night At The Ryman With Lauren Daigle & Friends’ go on sale Wednesday at 10AM CST. This one-night event will have limited in-person seating.

Since the release of her GRAMMY Award winning, platinum certified album Look Up Child, Lauren Daigle has reigned on the Billboard Charts. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart making Daigle the first female artist to simultaneously hit the Top 10 on both Billboard’s Pop and Christian Billboard Album Charts. In addition, the GRAMMY Award winning triple-platinum crossover hit, “You Say,” became the longest-running No. 1 song of any genre on the weekly Billboard Hot charts at an incredible 116 weeks. Daigle has earned seven Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, ten GMA Dove Music Awards and sold-out concert venues all over the world.

Internationally renowned singer/songwriter and worship music icon, Don Moen, is set to present An Evening of Hope, a livestream featuring special guest, Lenny LeBlanc.

Partnering with Mandolin, the online worship event will be an intimate evening of acoustic praise and worship, as Moen and LeBlanc sing their most well-known songs, share stories and invite viewers to worship together.

The event will take place on Friday, April 30, 2021 at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 5 PM PT.

This one-time-only, online worship event is accessible from anywhere in the world and will be available for viewing 24hrs after airing. For more information and to purchase your ticket, visit www.DonMoen.com/concert

There are 3 ticket options available:– $15.00 | Livestream Ticket– $45.00 | Livestream Ticket + Preshow Backstage Meet & Greet with Don Moen– $115.00 | Livestream Ticket + Postshow VIP Experience with Don Moen – featuring a private one-on-one Zoom call.

Blessing Annatoria, the 18-year-old Zimbabwe-born vocal powerhouse from Dudley and reigning champion of ‘The Voice’, today announces her forthcoming debut album “Count My Blessings”. “Count My Blessings” will be released on 30 April 2021 via Universal Music, making Blessing the youngest ever winner in the show’s history to release an album. The album’s first single I Smile, an uplifting and empowering interpretation of the Kirk Franklin original,is out now [12.03]. Blessing Annatoria, Olly Murs’ second winning act on the show, will perform her debut single live at ‘The Voice’ Final on Saturday, 20 March 2021. Her debut album is available now to pre-save or pre-order.

Fresh in everyone’s minds, due to being crowned the winner of ‘The Voice’ only in November 2020, after a seven-month break filming due to the pandemic, Blessing Annatoria has firmly embraced this experience to show there truly is no stopping her. Recording her debut album remotely during lockdown with award-winning producer, arranger and songwriter Rupert Christie, who has worked with the likes of Jessie J, U2, Coldplay, Lianne La Havas and Lou Reed, as well as Blackbook Music, Blessing Annatoria is releasing “Count My Blessings” less than five months after winning the show.

The gospel infused “Count My Blessings” features a stunning selection of 14 songs, representing all facets of Blessing Annatoria as an artist. From re-imagined versions of her ‘The Voice’ performances, songs that have inspired and uplifted her, to hymns, which she has given a contemporary twist, Blessing Annatoria wants to bring different cultures together, spreading joy and happiness.

Blessing Annatoria says: “During this time of hardship and struggle, I wanted to release an album of encouragement and joy. I want people to feel uplifted and I really hope the songs and hymns will give people strength to pick themselves up and be happy again.”

Speaking about extending her name from just Blessing, which she was known as on ‘The Voice’, she adds: “Annatoria is my middle name and actually the name of my dad’s mum, my grandmother, who sadly passed away when my dad was young. I feel like the name represents me as an artist and my different backgrounds, which is perfect for the new album.”

The upbeat and bouncy I Smile, an anthem to joyful resilience and optimism, is the poignant first single of Blessing’s debut album, showcasing her soulful and show-stopping vocals. She is joined on the track by a remotely recorded choir led by Kingdom Choir’s Wayne Hernandez, best known for performing at Meghan and Harry’s wedding and who has worked with artists including Jay Z and Gorillaz.

The album’s emotive and soul-stirring title track Count My Blessings, which Blessing Annatoria co-wrote, is a rich melodic message to have faith, spread kindness and to help each other. ‘The Voice’ fans will be thrilled with the inclusion of a beautiful new version of Blessing’s winning song Angels by Robbie Williams, a powerful and emotional rendition of Westlife’s Flying Without Wings, as well as an electrifying re-imagine of Mariah Carey’s Without You, the track which secured Blessing her place in the final.

Representing her childhood and faith, the album also features three hymns with a close connection to Blessing Annatoria. As a young Zimbabwean, Blessing grew up singing hymns in church and she has been surrounded by them all her life, which is why it was so important to her to include them on “Count My Blessings”, particularly the striking How Great Thou Art, which Blessing describes as her “family’s song”. All of the hymns have been given a contemporary twist and are set to introduce a new audience to their uplifting powers.

Blessing Annatoria wowed millions of fans across the UK and was crowned the ninth winner of ‘The Voice’ in November 2020. She now returns with her gospel-inspired debut album “Count My Blessings”, which will be available on the 30 April 2021. Her first single I Smile is out now.

Natalie Grant was part of Courageous Hope: Easter Worship featuring Natalie Grant, presented by the Gospel Music Association and The Voice Of The Martyrs over the past weekend.

Natalie also played The Grand Ole Opry on April 3, with her husband, producer Bernie Herms, accompanying her on piano. She performed “How Great Thou Art” and “Alive/To God Be The Glory” on the Opry stage. She was also part of Steven Curtis Chapman with Ricky Skaggs and Natalie Grant, the three of them performing “My Redeemer Is Faithful And True/Amazing Grace.”

Natalie was also excited to be part of the 2021 Tennessee Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday, March 24^th at the Grand Ole Opry House. Bernie joined Natalie on piano here, as well, as she performed three songs for the guests. Watch a recap of the performance HERE.

For more information about the Tennessee Prayer Breakfast, visit tennesseeprayerbreakfast.org.

Christian music artist, singer/songwriter Ellie Holcomb is set to release her third studio LP, Canyon, this summer on June 25th in partnership with Capitol Christian Music Group. This will mark the first label distributed release for the independent artist. The title-track, “Canyon,” is available now along with a stunningly beautiful music video shot at Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park. Holcomb taped the video along with a team of five women with the video directed by Shelby Goldsmith.

“We have been massive fans of Ellie and her music for as long as we’ve known her and always hoped for the opportunity to represent her as an artist,” shares CCMG Co-President Brad O’Donnell. “Canyon is a special project, and it reflects Ellie’s heart and creativity perfectly. We are so excited to be a part of bringing it to the world.”

Hudson Plachy, CCMG Co-President adds, “We are honored to partner with Ellie and support her vision and music. We are so excited for everyone to experience this new music.”
Stepping into her new family of CCMG, Holcomb has crafted an album that captures the sounds and melodies from personal experiences and growth since her last studio project, Red Sea Road in 2017.

“Canyon is a record about a deeper sorrow and a higher hope,” shares Ellie Holcomb. “A tornado tore through our neighborhood, Covid-19 shut down our country and canceled all of our touring, racial tension was high in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Christmas morning began with a bomb that went off in downtown Nashville, the capitol was attacked, and we have had so many family friends lose people they love to the virus. In many ways, writing and singing these songs felt like finding my way through a serious season of suffering and sorrow.”

Watch the “Canyon” Music Video:

She continues, “We all know what it is for our hearts to be broken, split wide open by the pain and loss and sorrow we encounter here. We know brokenness. We know division, but there in the middle of all the chaos, in the places where the pain cuts a canyon into our very hearts, there is a river running through. There is a current of love that brings refreshment, hope and comfort. There is a river of love there to carry us if we’ll only let it. There is a river to carry us back home, to the place where all of us came from, to the place of belonging to the one who made us, to a place of belonging to each other.”

For Canyon, Holcomb teamed with with an incredibly talented team of co-writers such as Natalie Hemby, Bear Rinehart of NEEDTOBREATHE and Thad Cockrell, and the project was produced by Cason Cooley along with executive producer and her dad, Brown Bannister.

“I have seen Jesus meet me in the wounds in my own story that I tried to hide or bury, and I’ve experienced the kindness and empathy of God in my most painful places in a palpable way, so these songs are written from a new place of wholeness, healing and freedom,” explains Holcomb. “This is the first record I’ve ever made that makes me want to run or dance! I hope it makes people want to dance for the joy of knowing they are beloved.”

GRAMMY® and Stellar Award-winning artist, actress, and multi-faceted entrepreneur Kierra Sheard-Kelly, released the deluxe edition of her chart-topping album KIERRA (Karew Entertainment / RCA Inspiration). The new album is an accompaniment to her forthcoming memoir, “Big, Bold, and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You to Be” (Zonderkidz), which will be released on April 13th. A musical trove, KIERRA (Deluxe) is available everywhere now.

An artistic hybrid of Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Gospel sounds, Kierra continues to boldly step out as a creative powerhouse on the 20-track deluxe edition, introducing five new songs: “Out of My Mind” (feat. Camper), “Grace,” “Live 4 God,” “A Good Man,” and “Something Has to Break” (feat. Karen Clark Sheard), the duet with her mother, which is currently playing on radio and was recorded from their enthralling appearance together on the 2020 BET Awards. The album features the original 15-tracks including the #1 Billboard hit Gospel single “It Keeps Happening” and “Don’t Judge Me” (feat. Missy Elliott), and production from frequent collaborators Harmony “H-Money” Samuels and her brother J. Drew Sheard, songwriters Mia Fieldes, Jonathan Smith, Varren Wade, Edgar “JV” Etienne, Justin Brooks, Sir the Baptist, and vocals from Gospel artists Todd Dulaney, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Le’Andria Johnson and Kierra’s nephew Jacob Sheard. In addition to releasing her new album, Kierra recently connected with Nick Cannon for a special rendition of Gospel legend Fred Hammond’s “No Weapon,” which debuted on Good Friday.

Going forward in forging fearless new paths, Kierra will make her debut as a published author on April 13th with her memoir, “Big, Bold, and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You to Be” (Zonderkidz). To commemorate the momentous occasion, Kierra is hosting “The Big, Bold and Beautiful Experience,” on April 10th and April 11th. The 2-day virtual conference will include a mix of “bold conversations” and “big performances,” and featured guests include Sarah Jakes Roberts, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Meagan Good, Erica Campbell, PrettyVee, Sevyn Streeter, Dwight Holt Jr., Chandler Moore, Terrence J, and Jonathan McReynolds. In her immersive and inspirational book for teens, Kierra shares her hard-won advice on body positivity, spiritual self-care, goal setting, finding your joy, and living boldly in faith, empowering you to grab the life you’re meant to lead.

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Brunswick, GA native Hulvey opens up to This Is Me TV in their latest documentary, Where Do I Belong?, which premiered this morning on YouTube. This 10-minute documentary is released in anticipation of the 22-year-old’s debut album Christopher that drops worldwide on April 9, 2021.

Shot in Brunswick, GA and Atlanta, GA, the doc goes behind the scenes and off and on the stage with the Reach Records’ artist. They share how he grew up like a lot of Christian kids – going to church, eating goldfish crackers, hanging out with his friends, but not really connecting deeply with God. After going on a mission trip and seeing the Holy Spirit at work, Hulvey decided to pursue God with all he had.  But he didn’t always go about it the right way…

In high school, it looked a lot like judging people, and sticking to a strict list of ‘What Not To Do.’ Hulvey found himself on the outside – never being invited to the parties, and seeing friends slowly drift away. But hip hop gave him a place to belong. After a few of his singles blew up in his local community, Hulvey ended up moving to Atlanta, bagging groceries at Publix while trying to get signed by Reach Records. Even if the record deal fell through, nothing was going to stop Hulvey from creating music from the Holy Spirit and finding satisfaction in God.

This is Christopher Hulvey’s story.

Grammy-nominated songwriter and singer, Jason Clayborn, is teaming up with gospel music legend, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, for the re-release of the smash hit song, “You’re All I Need”. Clayborn was the original writer for the hit song that garnered Walker critical acclaim in both the Christian and secular music industry. However, for the first time ever, the writer has joined forces with the artist and the two are re-releasing the song in the form of a well orchestrated partnership, and will have fans living in the nostalgia of the moment. “This almost never happens…” says Clayborn when speaking of this momentous collaboration. “Often times, the writers of many of the songs that many of us love by our favorite artists go unnoticed, and sometimes unmentioned in the mainstream spotlight…” he continues, “…I’m so honored that Bishop Walker would be willing to do this track with me and help present me, my music, and my group, The Atmosphere Changers, to the world…”

“You’re All I Need” is currently the leading single at radio in preparation for the release of the full album, “God Made it Beautiful” to be released May 28, 2021 (the same weekend as Clayborn’s 40th birthday). Preceding the “You’re All I Need” single, Clayborn also charted with hits including “Praise Belongs to You” and the album’s title track, “God Made it Beautiful”. The official video showing the partnership between Clayborn and Walker is set to be released the same weekend, Sunday, May 30, 2021. Pre-orders for the album will begin Friday, April 16, 2021 — the same day as Clayborn’s release of his collaborative album, Choir Sessions Live,  with Contemporary Christian Music phenomenon, Stephen McWhirter.

Currently on the ballot as a voting finalist for The Stellar Awards category of “Contemporary Choir of The Year”, Jason Clayborn and The Atmosphere Changers are truly this year’s “one’s to watch” for an incredible year!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 8, 2021) – Mississippi-based singer/songwriter Ryan T. Miller has earned Songwriter of the Year honors in the 18th annual ChristianSongwriting.com competition. The contest, sponsored by CM United, is the longest-running Christian songwriting contest in existence. Miller won the competition with his song, “Prodigal Child.” A video of Miller performing his award-winning entry is on YouTube.

A judging panel consisting of Dara Maclean, singer/songwriter, worship leader, recording artist; Jonah Sorrentino (aka KJ-52), singer/songwriter, hip-hop artist; Landry Cantrell, singer/songwriter, recording artist; and Rachael Lampa, singer/songwriter, recording artist; awarded the top honor to Miller.

In addition to the title, winning the competition earns Miller numerous prizes and opportunities, including one of the singer/songwriter’s songs being released to radio internationally by A-Sides Radio Promotion as well as PR services by INOV8 PR. For a complete list of prizes, go to christiansongwriting.com/information.

Each year, the ChristianSongwriting.com contest names quarterly winners, with all first place quarterly winners becoming eligible to be named the annual songwriter of the year.

A full list of winners, including quarterly winners, is below:
18th Annual Songwriter of the Year – Ryan T Miller
1st Place Winner (1st Qtr) – David Gainforth
2nd Place Winner (1st Qtr) – Billy Pind
3rd Place Winner (1st Qtr) – Brianna Turbeville
1st Place Winner (2nd Qtr) – Katlyn Crawford
2nd Place Winner (2nd Qtr) – Billy Pind
3rd Place Winner (2nd Qtr) – David Pellegrini
1st Place Winner (3rd Qtr) – Josh Fox
2nd Place Winner (3rd Qtr) – Eddie Willis
3rd Place Winner (3rd Qtr) – Curtis Kokenos
1st Place Winner (4th Qtr) – Ryan T Miller
2nd Place Winner (4th Qtr) – Josh Fox
3rd Place Winner (4th Qtr) – Courtney Young

The annual competition runs from January through December. The 19th Annual Songwriting Content is currently underway. Learn more at ChristianSongwriting.com; all details can be found at christiansongwriting.com/information; you may enter at christiansongwriting.com/enter.

Judges for the 19th Annual Songwriting Contest are Mike Weaver, lead singer for Dove Award-winning band Big Daddy Weave; Austin French, contemporary Christian recording artist; Paul Wright, hip-hop and R&B singer/songwriter; and Ron Rawls, worship leader, Grammy winning producer, and keyboardist/band director for Mandisa.

About CM United
Formerly CCM Network International, CM United, which was founded in 2002 by Jeff McLaughlin, is a membership organization with more than 4,000 members, consisting primarily of Christian songwriters, singers, bands and worship leaders. CM United’s premiere event is its annual songwriting contests. The 19th Annual Songwriting Contest currently is underway. Learn more at ChristianSongwriting.com, like on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram.