Essential Music Publishing and Provident Entertainment are celebrating Essential Music Publishing songwriter, Ethan Hulse. On September 14th, Nashville Songwriters Association International named Hulse the NSAI Songwriter of the Year at the annual Nashville Songwriter Awards. This is the first time in the organization’s long history that a writer in the genre of Christian music has been recognized with their top honor.

Bart Herbison, Executive Director, Nashville Songwriters Association International shares, “Ethan Hulse is the first songwriter in the Christian genre to win the coveted NSAI Songwriter of the Year Award in its 54-year history. He more than deserves the honor based on his incredible songs and creativity.  But it is also important that the genre receives this recognition because of the economic and musical contributions it makes.”

In addition to the NSAI Songwriter of the Year Award, Hulse recently garnered Songwriter of the Year honors at BMI’s Christian Music Awards. This is the third year in a row that he has received this prestigious distinction.

Hulse has a stellar track record of creating powerful music that moves people and impacts the culture. His collection of work over the past year including, “Rise Up (Lazarus)” (CAIN), “Jericho” (Andrew Ripp), “Evidence” (Josh Baldwin), “The Father’s House” (Cory Asbury), “Sparrows” (Cory Asbury), “Out of My Hands” (Jeremy Camp), “New Day” (Danny Gokey) and “Look No Further” (Evvie McKinney) contributed to this latest achievement.

Holly Zabka, Senior Vice President of Publishing and Head of Creative, Essential Music Publishing says, “The team at Essential Music Publishing and Provident Entertainment are so proud of Ethan and this incredible NSAI recognition. We can’t think of a better songwriter, person and teammate to be recognized as the first ever recipient of this award from the Christian genre. EMP is proud and honored to be his publisher and help carry these songs around the world”.

Powerhouse record label, Karew Entertainment, is presenting their newest artist, urban inspirational singer, Marc Jay. Marc Jay joins the Karew roster with label mates The Clark Sisters, Karen Clark Sheard, and Kierra Sheard. When asked about the new addition, Karew Entertainment President J. Drew Sheard II says, “I’m so excited to partner with Marc Jay on his next project. He has been a part of our family for many years, supporting us, writing songs, singing background, and more, and now it’s his time. We are so proud of him!”

Marc Jay may be new to the label, but truly not new to the Clark/Sheard dynasty. Prior to releasing his own music, Jay recounts the first time singing background for the legendary Twinkie Clark at a church in Battle Creek, MI, “I was so nervous, but afterwards she said ‘good job son’ and kept using me more! I was so excited!” After ministering with Twinkie Clark, he began singing background for Karen Clark Sheard as well as The Clark Sisters, and then finally Kierra Sheard. “Kierra is like a sister to me,” he says. He recounts when she started the choir, Bold Right Life (BRL), and he was very instrumental helping to run and grow the choir. “She used to have a youth conference and I used to organize the choirs, pick the songs, pick the leads, organize the communications, fly people in, everything. That was my job for 6 years…”

Now Marc Jay is stepping from the background into the forefront with new music. “I want anyone who listens to my music to know that they can do anything they put their minds to.” He continues, “…one of my favorite songs to perform is the song, ‘Be You’ and the title says it all. Be exactly who God created you to be because you are beautifully and wonderfully made in His image and no one can take that away from you.”

Newsboys, one of the leading acts in Contemporary Christian music, celebrates the double platinum certification of God’s Not Dead on the eve of their October 1st release of STAND.  The song, off the album of the same name, sparked a movement with a book and a critically acclaimed film series.

“God’s Not Dead,” has had a massive impact and is still on top of the streaming and recurrent airplay charts today.  “It wasn’t long after we released the song God‘s Not Dead that I saw a massive groundswell of believers rallying behind its message, much like when DC Talk released Jesus Freak” said Michael Tait, lead singer.  “It’s become our  battle cry for today’s generation!”

At the album’s core, the Daniel Bashta penned hit worship song “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion)” sings of victory over a century’s worth of philosophers who thought otherwise.

It’s another episode of the Yamaha Come Together Concert, in partnership with Cousins Nigeria Ltd.

The second edition will feature Bamike Adeyemi, popularly known as OBA, a multi-influential expressionist and an award-winning international Singer/Songwriter, famous for her chant rendition in Nathaniel Bassey’s “Olurun Agbaye” featuring Chandler Moore.

Join the “Come Together Concert” this Sunday, 26th September by 6pm WAT.

Live on; https://fb.me/e/1Jtoi3Fd6

Click on the link to register and attend.
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Integrity Music announces the latest project to release from Thrive Worship. The five-song live EP, Let’s Have Church, drops this Friday, September 24.

Created from an overflow of songs being poured out within the team, a constant theme of the early church arose and became the backbone of this new release. Let’s Have Church promises to be high in energy and celebration, restoring the personalness and yet community, the fun and beauty of what Church is called to be. The project includes five live songs, ending with a radio version of its first single, “Pour Your Spirit Out,” which shares the personal testimony of co-founder Corbin Phillips and his healing from 19 years of dealing with panic attacks. Please click here to find out more.

Thrive Worship and its founding leaders – Phillips, along with Peter Burton and Charmaine Wells – is the global worship team of Bayside Church, a multisite movement based in northern California. Being part of the current fastest growing church in the country, Thrive Worship is a group of diverse singers and musicians across seven campuses, expanding their creative reach while keeping the same core passion and message. Working as a worship family, they express the following approach – “a church for people who don’t like church” – with songs that are focused on unwrapping the Gospel to everyone. After signing with Integrity Music in 2018 and releasing their debut album A Thousand More, with the new EP Let’s Have Church, Thrive Worship continues to pursue its call to equip the church with truth and faith, offering songs of hope for the future and love for our Savior.

“Thrive Worship is just an extension of what’s happening in our walls,” Corbin Phillips explains. “We know when we’re writing songs from the heartbeat of testimonies within our church, of our own testimonies, or what we’ve seen God do in our services.”

He continues, “As we entered into this project, we were pulling from [about] 60 songs. We felt like God was pouring out on us but, at the end of the day, I think this idea of what God said in Acts 2, that in the last days that He would pour His spirit out on the church, we’re seeing God’s spirit in our lives. We’re seeing God’s spirit being poured out on our church right now in a way that I’ve personally never seen in the 20-odd years I’ve been coming to this church. We, as Thrive Worship and as songwriters, have a responsibility right now to equip the church with truth and with the Gospel and with the mechanisms to, share and to grow that faith.”

TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour returns for a full-scale arena tour in Spring of 2022. Announced today, the tour will feature TobyMac and DiverseCity along with special guests CROWDER, COCHREN & CO, CAIN AND TERRIAN. The tour kicks off in Jonesboro, AR on February 9th, with stops planned in California, Arizona, Montana, Missouri, New York, and more before wrapping up in Pittsburgh, PA on April 2nd. 

“The heart behind Hits Deep is to bring together artists that not only have hit songs, but songs that hit deep in our hearts.” Said TobyMac. “We’re back for another year and this one is going to be special. We’re talking hit, after hit, after hit with some of my favorite artists!”

Tickets go on sale Thursday, September 23rd at Noon ET, and as in years past the tour will be offering a fan appreciation discount via the code INSIDER. Through September 27th fans can save 20% on any tickets purchased by using the code INSIDER when purchasing online. A full list of dates can be found at AwakeningEvents.com

TOBYMAC Hits Deep Tour is supported Nationally by Food for the Hungry, and Altrua HealthShare.

On September 26^th, artist on the rise Riley Clemmons will join a star-studded line up of artists including The Chainsmokers, Saweetie, Darren Criss, and Thuy at SHEIN X ROCK THE RUNWAY 2021. The virtual event is an exciting hybrid-special that is part music concert, mixed with innovative choreographed dances in a non-traditional fashion show. She will perform “Stuck Inside My Head” from her album Godsend, which was released earlier this year to critical acclaim. SHEIN X ROCK THE RUNWAY 2021 will be available on the SHEIN app, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter beginning at 2 PM PDT

With a social media reach of over 58 million, SHEIN has quickly becoming one of the fastest growing e-tailers in the world. They offer a fresh mix of fashion, home, pet care, and stylish trends at an affordable price for anyone at any age.

Riley Clemmons is a 21-year-old artist from Nashville, TN who has accumulated nearly 250 million global streams and 50 million YouTube video views in her young career. After spending years honing her craft in writers’ rooms, Riley sky-rocketed onto the scene with her 2017 Capitol CMG debut single “Broken Prayers,” which has generated over 30 million global streams to date. Her 2018 self-titled album debut quickly entered the Billboard Heatseekers chart, entering at No. 13. Her latest album, Godsend, has received wide critical acclaim and has quickly established Riley as an artist to watch. The album’s single, “Keep On Hoping,” has become the fastest growing single of her young career, breaking Top 20 on Billboard and MediaBase Radio charts while garnering millions of streams worldwide. An accomplished composer, performer, producer, and recording artist, Riley draws inspiration from life experiences, blending musical influences ranging from pop to classic rock to create music that is as catchy as it is relatable.

GRAMMY- nominated, DOVE Award-winning, and platinum-selling group Newsboys drop “Clean” ahead of the release of their upcoming album, Stand, due out next month (Oct 1).

“We tried to write a song that speaks to the very purpose and mission of every human. We finished the song and were like ‘This feels like an album theme.’ And especially nowadays in the face of so much hate. I mean, lets face it, I’m a man of color, and people are trying to tell me black and white can’t get along; we don’t like each other. When people ask you, ‘Where do you stand? Tell me the hope that lies within you,’ believers in Christ should stand. The Bible says God would rather you be cold or hot, not lukewarm. You’re not standing if you’re standing in the middle. You have to choose a side. If you’re going to be a bad boy, be a bad boy. If you’re going to be a God follower, then be a Jesus freak, do it.” —Michael Tait

Twenty-twenty left us with a choice. In the midst of safer-at-home orders, racial and political unrest, and a virus that wreaked havoc around the world, the question remained: Where do you stand? For Platinum group Newsboys, the answer was easy. Recognizing that their season of collaboration with former bandmates Peter Furler and Phil Joel for their nostalgic run as Newsboys UNITED was coming to a close, current band members Michael Tait, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein and Jody Davis, began to assemble an album that gave no doubt as to who they are and what they believe. The result is STAND, one of the most thoughtfully-crafted releases of their career and a project that marks the band’s return to their original label home, Capitol CMG.

International Award Winning Rap Legends, Rooftop MCs are celebrating their 21st Anniversary in the Entertainment Industry today.

The Duo, which consists of SoulSnatcha and Sokleva are notably renowned for their hit singles and albums including “Lagimo”, “Shock Therapy”, Chop Your Mouth”, “Silence”, “The Minority Report”, “Back At One”, “Laddah”, Eromplaini” and many more (all songs are available on online digital platforms).

The group is known to have changed the game for Urban Contemporary Gospel Music in Nigeria as they paved the way for the wide acceptance of contemporary gospel sound in Churches, Homes,Schools, the Entertainment Industry in Nigeria and Beyond. They have won numerous awards, headlined top global concerts including The Experience Lagos; toured the globe, been on the cover of major entertainment magazines and blogs; had guest appearances on the Nigerian Version of popular children’s show – “Sesame Street” ; have their own clothing line – “Jesu Kristi” and served as ambassadors for top brands during their career while building their own nuclear family units.

Rooftop MCs were also the first Artists ever interviewed on BET International and had their music videos aired on the channel alongside Nikki Laoye, Lara George and Timi Dakolo in 2009. 

With thriving careers as a group and their own solo projects, Rooftop MCs aka Soul Snatcha and Sokleva are still the Boys on the Building with many more years to go and yes, they got so much more music to share from the rooftops.

GET THEIR MUSIC HERE 
http://ps.onerpm.com/4458492500

CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @RooftopMcs @SoulSnatcha @Sokleva 

GRAMMY nominated and Billboard #1 worship group Elevation Worship continues their chart-topping year with “RATTLE!”, which hit no.1 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart this week. The single is a follow-up to the successful track “Graves Into Gardens” which also hit no. 1 earlier this year. “RATTLE!” was written last year during quarantine by Steven Furtick, Chris Brown, and Brandon Lake over voice memos and Zoom calls. The group recorded the song during a rehearsal and decided to put it on their album, Graves Into Gardens. Since then, “RATTLE!” has become a staple in Elevation Church’s worship sets and has found success on radio.

“It honestly feels quite providential that a song about resurrection and living and breathing again has resonated with so many throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope it continues to inspire faith to believe God for even greater days ahead of us. Thank you to all the radio stations and listeners for their love and support of the song,” says Chris Brown of Elevation Worship.

The group recently announced Elevation Nights, a brand new tour featuring Elevation Worship and Pastor Steven Furtick. The tour brings the powerful worship experience of Elevation Church into arenas across the country this fall. Tickets are available at ElevationWorship.com.