RCA Inspiration celebrates two nominations for the 66th GRAMMY® Awards. Garnering nominations for the upcoming 2024 show in the category of Best Gospel Performance/Song are Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul/RCA) and Melvin Crispell, III.  

19-time GRAMMY winner Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul/RCA) is nominated in the category of Best Gospel Performance/Song for his #1 hit single “All Things.” Marking his 31st career GRAMMY nomination, “All Things” is the lead single featured off his latest #1 solo album Father’s Day. 

The album was released in October, and both his single and album have hit #1 milestones on the charts this year. 

“All Things” became his 10th No. 1 song on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart, and Father’s Day garnered a new record as his 14th No. 1 album on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart. 

This month, Kirk also received two nominations in the category of Best Gospel/Inspirational Award for the 2023 Soul Train Awards, for his album’s singles “All Things” and “Try Love.” 

The Soul Train Award winners will be announced on Sunday, November 26. Catch Kirk performing live on The Reunion Tour with Tye Tribbett, Israel Houghton, The Clark Sisters, and David and Tamela Mann, which wraps up this month on Friday, November 24. 

2-time GRAMMY nominee Melvin Crispell, III is nominated in the category of Best Gospel Performance/Song for his single “God Is.” “God Is” is featured in Melvin’s second solo album No Failure, which was released in June. 

This marks his second GRAMMY nomination for the vocal phenom, who launched his career just a few short years ago, after winning Season 9 of BET’s gospel competition “Sunday Best” in 2019. 

He was previously nominated at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards in the category of Best Gospel Performance/Song for his #1 hit Gospel Airplay single “Wonderful Is Your Name,” featured off his 2020 debut album. Catch Melvin performing live on multiple dates and cities throughout November and December.  

The 66th GRAMMY® Awards will air live from Los Angeles, Sunday, February 4, 2024, on CBS at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, and stream on Paramount+. 

GRAMMY®-nominated band MercyMe has announced their spring 2024 “Always Only Jesus Tour,” also featuring Newsboys and David Leonard. Hitting 23 cities throughout March and April, tickets will go on sale November 17th at 10:00 local time (except as noted below) via mercyme.org. Full tour routing is listed below.

MercyMe has had a lot to celebrate lately, as their latest single, “To Not Worship You,” hit No.1 on four different Billboard and Mediabase charts. The song is the second No.1 from their latest best-selling project, ALWAYS ONLY JESUS, following the Dove Award-nominated Song of the Year track, “Then Christ Came.”

Additionally, another of MercyMe’s No. 1 songs, “Almost Home,” (inhale/exhale) has also been certified Gold by the RIAA, bringing the band’s certification tally to a total of 15 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum singles and albums.

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Recently the band wrapped up their  “Together Again Tour,” which hit 16 cities in October with past tourmates Crowder and Andrew Ripp.  Currently, they’re out on a twelve-city co-headline run with TobyMac and also featuring Zach Williams.  All tour information and tickets are available at mercyme.org.

“Always Only Jesus Tour” (All dates subject to change):

• March 14 – Loveland, CO – Budweiser Events Center
• March 15 – Rio Rancho, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center
• March 16 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena
• March 17 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena*
• March 21 – Henderson, NV – The Dollar Loan Center
• March 22 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center*
• March 23 – Fresno, CA – SaveMart Center
• March 24 – Stockton, CA – Stockton Arena
• April 4 – Kent, WA – ShoWare Center
• April 5 – Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford Centre
• April 6 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
• April 7 – Boise, ID – ExtraMile Arena*
• April 11 – Fargo, ND – Fargodome
• April 12 – Duluth, MN – AMSOIL Arena
• April 13 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
• April 14 – TBA
• April 18 – Coralville, IA – Xtream Arena
• April 19 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena
• April 20 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center
• April 21 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Bowling Arena
• April 26 – TBA
• April 27 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
• April 28 – Fairfax, VA – EagleBank Arena

*Tickets will go on sale December 1st

Singer/songwriter and worship leader Cody Carnes received his fourth GRAMMY® nomination today for the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Carnes is nominated for his song “Firm Foundation (He Won’t) [Live]” for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song”

The GRAMMY Awards will take place at the Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sun, Feb. 4, 2024, and will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

The nominated song is currently Top 5 at both MediaBase Christian Audience and AC charts and hit No. 19 on the current CCLI chart. Carnes’ song has impacted listeners on a massive global scale with 65M global streams.

“Firm Foundation (He Won’t’) [Live]” is also the title track of his latest live album released this year. This has been a special song from the beginning, with Carnes noting it is one of his favorites he’s ever written.

He adds, “I had a lot of anxiety and fear of the future. I had that feeling of, ‘God, where are You?’ So as I was dealing with those emotions, one morning I woke up and just felt like I needed to sing my way out of that.”

Walking around his house before his family was even stirring, Carnes began repeating the initial melody, and by the time he had sung the idea into his phone, he felt like he had experienced the same “peace that makes no sense” he references in the song.

He finished the fear-fighting anthem with Chandler Moore (Maverick City Music) and Austin Davis along with Aaron Robertson.

Carnes is currently on the Europe leg of “The Blessing Tour” with his wife Kari Jobe. They will finish the special tour this week in Sweden. Recently announced Carnes and Jobe will be performing a night of worship at Carnegie Hall in New York City on February 25, 2024.

Warner Music Nashville MULTI-PLATINUM star Gabby Barrett has announced the title and release date for Chapter & Verse – her massively anticipated sophomore album, due out on February 2, 2024.

Her most autobiographical work to date, Chapter & Verse will follow the 23-year-old hitmaker’s PLATINUM debut Goldmine and deliver even more of the fullhearted songwriting that’s made her one of Country’s brightest young superstars.

Also today (11/10), Barrett shares the latest release from Chapter & Verse: an unforgettably poignant track called “Growin’ Up Raising You.”

In a stunning evolution of Goldmine and its Deluxe edition – a 2020 release featuring smash singles like mega breakout 7X PLATINUM #1 “I Hope,” 4-week Hot AC #1 crossover “I Hope (feat. Charlie Puth),” 3X PLATINUM three-week #1 “The Good Ones,” and PLATINUM

“Pick Me Up” – Chapter & Verse finds Barrett taking greater creative control than ever before having co-written and co-produced already released “Glory Days” – her current single that’s Top 30-and-climbing at Country radio – and “Cowboy Back.”

Along with fully leaning into her Country roots on Chapter & Verse, Barrett’s deepened the emotional scope of her songwriting and created an up close portrait of her experience as a wife and mother of two children, with her third baby due early next year.

To that end, the album’s title refers to the chapters and verses within each book of the Bible, as well as the still-unfolding chapters in her marriage, family, career, and overall journey through life.

On “Growin’ Up Raising You,” Barrett offers up one of Chapter & Verse’s most heart-melting moments. Written by Barrett, Jon Nite, Zach Kale, and Jimmy Robbins, the slow-burning ballad details all the fear and hope of new motherhood, with Barrett’s beautifully nuanced vocal channeling both vulnerability and undeniable strength:

“We’ll get it wrong, we’ll get it right / Whole lotta tears we’ll both have to cry / You’ll learn to run, I’ll learn to let go / Years will go fast, nights will go slow / Lord knows the best thing that I’ll ever do / Will be growin’ up raising you.” 

In a testament to her sharp instincts as a co-producer (alongside Ross Copperman), “Growin’ Up Raising You” sets that outpouring to a luminous backdrop of soaring strings, tender harmonies, and a lovely intertwining of acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitar.

“‘Growin’ Up Raising You’ is a very sensitive song for me,” shares Barrett. “I’m only 23 – I don’t have all the answers to everything, and I haven’t gotten everything figured out. I’m doing the best that I can while trying to raise other people to be the best people they can be.

I feel so blessed to be able to have three little lives that I can help to flourish while I’m also trying to figure out life myself.”

“Within the last few years, we have all gone through many life-changing situations. Some lose their lives from COVID-19, random shootings, violence, addiction, and many social issues.

This song, UNDEFEATED is the anthem of survival, and is a representation that we have made it through all of this by being undefeated, the hook in the song is infectious and ignites undefeated within us”.

DPB is a Billboard charting artist who has shared the stages with artists such as the legendary Rock-N-Roll hall of famer Bootsy Collins, Deion Sanders, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, King and Country, Unspoken, Toby Mac, Canton Jones and many other artists.

To add to his impressive resume, he has also appeared and/or performed on many television shows including BET. DPB was also a member of D.O.C, (Disciples of Christ), a Grammy and Dove award-nominated group.

DPB – Undefeated 3.0

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RECOGNITION
“Undefeated” was performed live on stage at the Red Letter Awards event for which DPB was nominated as God’s Messenger category and dedicated to the US War Veterans.

“God Loves Ya” released June 2023 continues to move up the charts (70’s style Funk)

“Let It Go” reached #1 on the Christian Hip Hop Urban Influencer Charts in April 2023.

GODMODE” reached #2 on the Christan Urban Influencer Charts in December of 2022.

“Feel So Good Today” is 2x most added song on Billboard in Christian Rock National Airplay.

Preceding, “Feel So Good Today,” the single release “Brighter Day” charted #15 on Billboard Christian Rock National Airplay.

“Feel So Good Today” has been the #1 download and stream for 5 weeks straight in “Adult Contemporary” and the #1 on the Christian
Top 20 on MPE.

DPB was the most requested artist on christianhits.net for two years straight in 2018 and 2019.

“Feel So Good Today” was the most requested song on christianhits.net in 2018.

The single entitled “Wake Up,” broke records by staying #1 for twenty-seven weeks on christianhiphop.net in 2016.

DPB was nominated by The Birmingham Area Music Awards for a Bama Award for Best Gospel/Christian Artist.

DPB was nominated by the Urban Inspiration Awards for Best Hip Hop Artist.

What led you to pursue a career as a Christian music performer?
I was brought up in a family Gospel music group so Christian music was all around me starting as a young child.
 
Tell us more about your ministry, please…past, present, and future:
I started doing hip-hop ministry straight out of high school we were called Faith Rap Ministry, aka Disciple Paul.

I ended up joining the group D.O.C. (Disciples Of Christ) a grammy nominated Christian group while with them I did the choreography, some writing music, and became one of the lead singers, after the group went their own ways I became DPB and established the world of dpb brand.

I evolved to DPB which is the initial of my name David Paul Brooks but God wanted a deeper meaning which was Destiny Purpose Blessed my job is to help people find their Destiny and Purpose so they can be Blessed.

Our current venture is to take all entertainment aspects like movies, music, videos, and publications and infuse cutting-edge techniques and technology to bring the kingdom of God to everyone in a never before experience.
 
How do you approach the songwriting process?
I approach it by listening to music and see if God gives me anything while I listen to it.  When I write music I think about what I have gone through or others have or current events that affect us all.

If I don’t feel what I am writing no one else will either so the words I do end up writing cause people to really feel the message that I am singing to them and all my messages are Christ-centered.
 
What inspires you to create music?
The love I have for God and the responses from fans and strangers about how my songs have changed their lives.
 
Tell us about your current radio single, “Undefeated 3.0. (Radio Edit)”
“Within the last few years, we have all gone through many life-changing situations. Some losing their lives from COVID-19, random shootings, violence, addiction, and many social issues.

This song, UNDEFEATED is the anthem of survival, and is a representation that we have made it through all of this by being undefeated, the hook in the song is infectious and ignites undefeated within us”. 
 
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your music career, and how have you overcome them? Showing my love to everyone and being taken advantage of that as people know that is what I am about and overcoming the fact that people are people and I love them all regardless of what they do to me, just like Jesus did.
 

What is your biggest strength as a musician, and how do you leverage it in your work? Being able to minister to everyone, not just the young or the old but to everyone so my message gets out to the masses.
 
What do you consider to be your most successful song or project, and why?
“Brighter Day: and “Feels So Good Today” because Brighter Day went #15 on the Billboard charts and Feels So Good Today is the 2 times most added to the Billboard charts and played on mainstream radio stations along with songs from Justin Timberlake and others.
 
How do you stay current with trends and changes in the music industry, and how do you adapt your work accordingly?
I look at social media, current news, and trends happening in order to adapt and keep current with everyone and society.
 
Can you describe a time when you worked collaboratively with other musicians or producers?
Sitting in the basement of “Rock N Roll Hall a famer” Bootsy Collins in his home along with his son Ouiwey Collins who’s been my producer for years. I have also collaborated with Canton Jones on a few songs.
 
How do you handle criticism or negative feedback about your work?
I can handle it well if it is constructive and makes me better not just someone saying it for the sake of saying it.
 
Please give us a sneak peek at the upcoming album you’re working on. Any tour plans?
UNDEFEATED 3.0 has about 14 songs which were done with my dream producer and I believe all are hits, we would like to have an UNDEFEATED TOUR soon as I believe all of the songs on the album have messages the world needs to hear. 

Along with the Album is a 23-minute short film and a picture book, the first of its kind which celebrates my 30-plus years of living a life UNDEFEATED,  Undefeated is more than an album its a movement coming soon to all.

It was this summer when Provident Entertainment announced the signing of songwriter and worship artist Seph Schlueter along with his debut single “Counting My Blessings.” Since then, the song not only has been growing exponentially in the U.S. but has gone viral internationally, making the song’s message more timely than ever entering into the Thanksgiving season.

Over the past few weeks, “Counting My Blessings” was the most viral song in Brazil, landing the top spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 playlist. At press time, the song continues to stay top 5 on the playlist. Along with its success in South America, one of Brazil’s top gospel artists, Isadora Pompeo, has just released her own version of the song in Portuguese, “Bênçãos Que Não Têm Fím” 

To date, the song has nearly 10M audio streams worldwide, and the official lyric video, music video, and Portuguese translation lyric video have more than 2.5M combined views. The song has also been used in an astounding 280K creations on Instagram along with 13K video creations on TikTok, accounting for more than one billion short-form video views. In addition to the song’s success on social media, “Counting My Blessings” has received 30 adds over the past four weeks at Christian radio and has entered the top 25 on multiple charts.

Most of all, it is Seph Schlueter’s (pronounced “shleeter”) deep passion to awaken people’s hearts, to help lead others into an encounter with Jesus and give language to a relationship with God through his music. His greatest desire is that Jesus would be glorified in all that we do and that Heaven would be made present through the way we live our lives.

With his unique, melodic voice and honest lyrics, follow his socials and you’ll quickly see his heart for the Lord along with his endearing personality. While he may be newer to the Provident roster, both songwriting and performing have long been part of his life. He’s released his own music, has opened for artists such as Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham, and began the group Damascus Worship when he saw the need for worship and revival in the Catholic Church. As a group member and current Worship Director, Damascus Worship is based in Centerburg, Ohio, and has released numerous songs along with an album in 2020, Awake My Soul.

GRAMMY®, Dove and Stellar Award-nominated artist Melvin Crispell, III has released his latest digital single with “The First Noel.” Melvin’s rendition of this timeless holiday classic ushers in the holiday season to bring joy on this new arrangement with his bright vocals and lively melodies.

In addition to Melvin’s holiday release, he recently released a radio edit version of the powerful song “God Is” from his latest solo album No Failure. The new radio and digital single “God Is” (Radio Edit) is out at Gospel radio now. Melvin’s spirited vocals and the country-tinged accompaniment on “God Is” have already made it a popular hit among fans, who have praised the song’s cheerful vibe and Melvin’s performances on the road. 

Melvin Crispell, III, made his solo recording debut after breaking out as the Season 9 winner of the singing competition BET’s “Sunday Best” in 2019. His debut album I’ve Got a Testimony not only achieved GRAMMY, Stellar, and Dove Award nominations but also featured his chart-topping hit single “Wonderful Is Your Name,” written by his late father, the illustrious gospel composer Melvin Crispell Jr. Melvin’s sophomore album No Failure, released in June, has already received widespread acclaim. The album’s first single, “Alright,” earned a nomination for Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year at the 54th GMA Dove Awards.

Melvin is currently enchanting audiences in cities across the country with his soul-stirring live performances.

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Today, internationally renowned and GRAMMY Nominated collective Bethel Music welcomes its newest member with the addition of Edward Rivera. To celebrate the announcement, Rivera has released his debut solo single, “Nothing Else.” The powerful song is a reminder that once you have seen the goodness of God, nothing else in life will satisfy. 

Through “Nothing Else,” Rivera leads the listener into a moment of remembrance of how sweet and near the Holy Spirit is in everyday life.

“Nothing Else” came at a perfect time in my life,” shares Rivera. “I had just wrapped a year-long tour and I was feeling like I missed something. When the tour was done, I was able to process what I witnessed. I realized that all the applause and support my friends, family, and followers were giving me for all the ministry work I had just completed didn’t do anything for me. It was as if my soul was reminding me that none of that mattered. I think this song is a reminder to all of us to not lose our focus. And should we wander off, this song will lead the vagabonds back home! Back to what really matters in this world which is Jesus!“

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Edward Rivera is the newest member of the Bethel Music Collective. He first began performing in school at 16 and started to lead worship at 17 after being called to speak to the marginalized, the prodigals, and the unreached. After graduating high school, Rivera joined a traveling worship choir through LABI and was eventually invited to sing background vocals for artists on tour. This kicked off a six-year-long career before leading as an artist himself. Following an extensive season of touring with worship artists such as Christine D’Clario, Barak, and Maverick City Musica. Rivera found his home with Bethel Music in 2021. His debut single, “Nothing Else,” is a reminder to not lose focus on what really matters in this world, the message and salvation of Jesus. Rivera’s hope is to guide others, especially those within the entertainment industry, back to the church by spreading the good news through music.

Capitol CMG’s rising pop artist Kevin Quinn announced his anticipated new album Real Me. Available everywhere on January 19th, 2024, the captivating 7-track record introduces Kevin in his most authentic, real form as he opens up about his mental health journey for the first time.

With Real Me, Kevin further establishes his knack for deeply personal songwriting that strikes a unique balance between growth and vulnerability. 

“I did the kind of growing that most people don’t do in a lifetime. I felt inspired in my mental health journey and had to make music about it,” said Kevin. “Writing these songs felt like therapy. That’s what art is for me. And if you do it right and share it with the world, hopefully, people listening feel less alone.”

In addition to announcing the album, Kevin dropped “Blessed,” the project’s R&B-infused first single celebrating life’s blessings – from friends and family to experiences and opportunities.

Kevin Quinn Announces Album Due Jan. 2024 With New Single “Blessed” Out Now

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“This song is about the importance of recognizing blessings as they’re happening. We tend not to really see them when we already have them, but the truth is we have so many blessings at any given time that we have to notice them and celebrate how they are shaping our lives,” said Kevin.

Upon Kevin’s official music debut in 2021, PEOPLE Magazine named him one of their ‘Artists to Watch,’ American Songwriter noted his “powerful beginning” and E! News predicted that “his journey in the music industry [was] just getting started.”

From screens to songs, his storytelling abilities are undeniable. He is excited to fully introduce himself on Real Me, available via Capitol CMG on January 19^th, 2024.

Real Me (Track List)

1. Blessed
2. Give You Up
3. I’m Not There Yet
4. Learning to Let Go
5. Real Me
6. Rise Above
7. Way Up