Since 1958, the Recording Industry Association of America^® (RIAA) has celebrated artists whose music captivates generations and hits significant U.S. streaming and sales thresholds as fans engage in more ways than ever before.

Today marks a special year-end moment when the top albums, singles, and first-timers are recognized for their massive achievements. #RIAAClassOf 2023 touts 57 breakout artists who earned their first Gold & Platinum certifications in 2023* with a list spanning three albums and 48 singles.

Billboard chart-topping, multi-platinum rapper/producer NF is included in this list for his gold single “Hope.” The single is the title track from his third studio album to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. 

HOPE also topped the album charts in New Zealand, The Netherlands, and Switzerland and took the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as the album charts in Australia, the UK, Canada, and Norway.

“This is truly one of our favorite times of the year – the chance to commemorate extraordinary firsts! This kind of certification represents the incredible connection between artists, record labels, creative partners, and fans.

We are continually amazed by the unique talents who break through and are honored to recognize the RIAA Class Of 2023 … we can’t wait to celebrate their next big milestones!” says RIAA COO Michele Ballantyne.

“Music moves culture and has the power to connect like never before. The RIAA is so proud to acknowledge the impact of incredible voices and innovative engagement that captivated fans in 2023. These albums and singles earned coveted RIAA Gold & Platinum certifications because they reflect the very best!” says RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier.

With a groundbreaking three-decade career boasting chart-topping recordings and genre-defining hit singles, GRAMMY® nominated, Dove Award-winning Christian music trailblazers Point of Grace were recently honored by fans, family and fellow artists during their annual Circle of Friends Weekend in Franklin, Tennessee.

The 30th anniversary celebration featured video tributes from Little Big Town, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans and Michael W. Smith, among others, while Centricity Music senior vice president of A&R John Mays—a former Word Records executive instrumental in Point of Grace’s launch and subsequent success—presented plaques to group members Shelley Breen, Leigh Cappillino and Denise Jones commemorating major milestones in the vocal ensemble’s career to date.

Since the release of their watershed self-titled debut in 1993, Point of Grace has become one of the Top 10 best-selling artists in the history of Christian music. With 27 #1 singles—including 24 consecutive chart-topping hits, a number unmatched by any artist in any genre—Point of Grace’s 22-album discography includes two Platinum and five Gold-certified projects, as well as 8 million career album sales, among numerous other accomplishments.

Further adding to their accolades, Point of Grace’s latest set, Turn Your Eyes (Songs We Love, Songs You Know) Volume II, recently took home the Dove Award for Inspirational Album of the Year.

Debuting in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart following its release in April, the Fervent Records (Curb | Word Entertainment) project was produced by Cindy Morgan and features Point of Grace’s signature take on a range of Christian music classics and new selections, including Rich Mullins’ iconic “Awesome God” and the roots/pop original “At The Table.”

“It’s been a wonderful journey so far,” shares Point of Grace founding member Shelley Breen. “Sometimes onstage I become overwhelmed with gratefulness that God has allowed us to continue to travel and sing for 30 years. We have all matured so much—not only in age but in faith—and we’re more convinced than ever that nothing is better than singing about Jesus.”

“Although we’ve loved reflecting and celebrating, we couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come,” says Point of Grace’s Leigh Cappillino. “We’ve been writing new songs with some dear friends, and we’re eager to share those with the world soon. The next chapter for Point of Grace has begun!”

Capping a milestone year, Point of Grace is currently bringing their “Gloria: The Christmas Tour” to 11 cities across the country. Hosted by Andrew Greer with very special guest Mark Schultz, the popular holiday outing has already played to multiple sold-out crowds.

Kicking off last month in Troy, Ohio, the tour stops in Waco, Texas; Deland, Florida; and Columbia, Tennessee, among other locations, before concluding December 19 in Augusta, Georgia.

Earlier this month, Point of Grace took their signature sounds of the season to the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock, performing at an event hosted by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The trio was also recently featured as part of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove’s “Christmas at The Cove” concert series in Asheville, North Carolina.

Soul-inspired pop singer/songwriter, worship leader, accomplished pianist, and producer Natalie Layne is named by Pandora in its 2024 Pandora Ten Artists To Watch campaign. This annual program highlights 10 of the most promising new recording artists. Previous years’ lists have featured success stories like Dua Lipa, Post Malone, The Kid LAROI, and Tate McRae.

Following this month’s announcement, Pandora is set to support the 2024 Pandora Ten Artists To Watch on socials and its platform editorially throughout the year. Additionally, this subscription-based music streaming service owned by Sirius XM Holdings is featuring Layne today (Dec. 8) on a Times Square billboard located in New York City on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets.

“From note one, Natalie Layne grabs your attention and keeps it with bullseye lyrics, infectious melodies, and riveting performances,” declares Pandora’s Melissa Chalos, Assoc. Director of Programming, Christian/Gospel. “And the fact that she’s practically a virtuoso on the keys makes her a true unicorn and the most compelling new artist in Christian music.”

Along with her six-song Centricity Music debut EP, Amen, which features the NewReleaseToday.com-featured hit radio single and CBN “Studio 5”-premiered video “Amen,” Layne has also re-recorded new piano and vocal versions of the EP.

Her Amen (At The Piano) releases Dec. 15 and is available at digital and streaming outlets globally via https://fanlink.to/AMENatp.

Inspired by the simple kindness of a neighbor waving and smiling as they passed in her neighborhood, Layne co-wrote the title track with hit-making songwriters Benji Cowart and David Spencer.

“Amen,” as well as the whole album’s sonic direction, is meant to be as welcoming as a friend and as cohesive as that of a seasoned artist, with the messages behind the music stemming from her personal experience.

Matthew West invites you to ‘Come Home For Christmas’ with a concert special set to air on December 22 at 7 pm CT on TBN. Filmed December 2 at Belmont’s Fisher Center in Nashville, TN, West performed a slew of classic holiday hits, his original tunes “Come Home For Christmas” and “Because of Bethlehem,” and was joined by his daughter, Lulu West, for a stunning duet of “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.”

West, who is “in his ‘Michael Bublé season’” (The Tennessean), hosted his second annual Come Home For Christmas Weekend welcoming hundreds of fans from around the world to celebrate the season.

“Because of Bethlehem” was inspired by New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado’s book of the same title. Featuring West’s uplifting vocals, “Because of Bethlehem” serves as a reminder of the promise of God’s love by sending us His son, Jesus, and the bona fide reason for the season.

Wrapping up an impressive 2023, West was honored with ASCAP’s prestigious Golden Note Award, presented to songwriters, composers, and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Prior winners include Garth Brooks, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Reba, Jay-Z, Usher and more.

Additionally, he celebrated another milestone success – he notched his 30th number-one song as an artist-songwriter combined.

Dubbed by Billboard as “one of Christian music’s most prolific singer-songwriters,” he most recently released MY STORY YOUR GLORY. Composed of 22 tracks, the first part of the double album, MY STORY, embodies the countless stories fans have shared with the songwriter over the years as well as personal experiences, while the second part, YOUR GLORY, marks the first official Gospel worship album.

The 5x GRAMMY nominee is currently on his COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Tour. Just announced, that he will hit the road beginning in February for his DON’T STOP PRAYING 2024 TOUR with special guest Cochren & Co.

American Idol finalist and Atlantic Record’s recording artist Colton Dixon is closing out 2023 on multiple year-end Billboard and MEDIABASE charts.  Overall Dixon was MEDIABASE’s fifth most-played artist (Christian impressions) and sixth most-played for Christian AC. 

Billboard counted him their ninth top Christian airplay artist, while the massive multi-format No. 1 hit “Build A Boat (Feat. Gabby Barrett)” landed at No. 6 on the MEDIABASE Christian Impressions chart and No. 10 on its Christian AC chart.

The 2023 success follows both a K-LOVE Fan Award and GMA Dove Award nomination for Song of the Year for the track that was the longest running No.1 Mediabase Christian AC song of 2022.

Before the year ends, however, Dixon has kicked off December in a big way with his new “Home For Christmas” single and tour. Hitting eleven U.S. cities this fall, and also featuring Jason Crabb on eight of the stops, with Cade Thompson on the remaining three, Dixon is performing Christmas favorites, and his brand-new single, which is available now. 

In the midst of the tour, Dixon also stopped by the OPRY to perform “We Three Kings” with Hollyn as a part of Tommee Proffitt’s lauded THE BIRTH OF A KING event.

Most recently, Dixon made an appearance on The Paula Faris Show chatting about  American Idol, millenial dads and career setbacks, which hit just as The Tennessean featured him on their front page, reflecting on career highs and lows and more.

Earlier this year Dixon released his bestselling 7-song CANVAS EP featuring the top ten single, “My Light,”  which he performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show. 

As fall rolled in he made his NFL debut with a stunning performance of the National Anthem for defending Super Bowl champs, The Kansas City Chiefs, while amid his fall run with Jordan Feliz for their “The Love & Light Tour.” 

Dixon expects to be announcing 2024 tour plans soon.  To stay up-to-date on all touring plans, visit ColtonDixon.com.

Congratulations to Taya Gaukrodger (née Smith)! Taya and her husband Ben welcomed their first child into the world on October 20th at 8:15AM. Bo Benaiah Gaukrodger weighed in at 9lbs at birth and measured 22.5 inches.

“Big hands, big feet & a good set of lungs,” Taya shared on social media. She continued, “God has been beyond kind —Bo is such a joy-filled little boy, Ben is the most incredible Dad and I’m forever ruined in the best way ha. It is all a gift, thank You Jesus.”

Taya also shared some insight into baby Bo’s name in a longer post below. Congratulations Taya and Ben!

Growing up with a common surname, my parents were quite intentional in selecting our first names, so much so that we each grew up knowing the origin and meaning behind our own.

Fast forward to 3 years ago, Ben & I started discussing kids names as we needed to start the convo early because he liked traditional names and my name is Taya so yeah 

As we laughed and baulked at each others suggestions we decided to stop and ask God for a name, and left it at that.

Not long after, I woke up one morning with a strong prompting to google the word “BO” in Hebrew, spelt exactly like that. This has only happened one other time.

And it read,

‘ Bo (בֹּא‎—in Hebrew) the command form of “go,” or “come.” ‘

In the Bible, names located people, identifying what was going on at the time and were then powerfully spoken over individuals again & again each time their names were called – both good and bad.

Children are a heritage from the Lord and we believe they’re to stand on their parent’s shoulders going further than we did, in all the ways. I was a tad hesitant about what the Lord would ask of our son especially because Ben and I have some pretty crazy stories to tell of Gods leading & faithfulness,

But I see Gods kindness in Bo’s name.

That before his first breath, we were to remember that ultimately he belongs to the Lord.

Whatever God asks of him through his life, we are to encourage obedience to the Lord in all things, reiterated each time we say his name.

He is to be a man under authority, the authority of Almighty God 

It is an honour to be your parents Bo, we love you beyond X

Appalachian Christmas, the 2022 holiday offering by acclaimed Thoroughbred Records artist Chosen Road, recently garnered the #14 position on Billboard’s 2023 Year-End Bluegrass Albums chart, representing year-to-date sales of all bluegrass albums in 2023.

The bestselling recording, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart last year, joins releases by such icons and genre leaders as Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart, Nickel Creek, and Robert Plant/Alison Krauss in the Top 15.

“Appalachian Christmas represents a milestone for our band,” said Jonathan Buckner, founding member, Chosen Road. “We had been performing our annual Appalachian Christmas Tour for eight years but had never recorded any of the music. Last year we decided to capture in the studio the songs we had been sharing on the road.

We love taking our listeners on a musical journey to our Appalachian home during the holiday season, and we pour our hearts and souls into every note. We are thrilled the album has been listed as one of the top bluegrass albums of 2023, alongside some of our musical heroes. It’s an honor we will never forget.”

“Our entire team at Thoroughbred/Billy Blue Records is so grateful for the opportunity to work with and represent the music of Chosen Road,” said Jerry Salley, A&R/Creative Director, Thoroughbred/Billy Blue Records.

“The first time I heard Appalachian Christmas, I knew it was a special project, created and recorded by a talented band of Christian brothers. We are blessed to count them as members of our label family and congratulate them on this wonderful accomplishment.”

Chosen Road recently performed selections from Appalachian Christmas on RFD-TV’s “Market Day Report” and WSM Radio/Circle Network’s “Coffee, Country & Cody.” The award-winning ensemble is currently bringing their Appalachian Christmas Tour to audiences across the country.

Housefires, the worship movement that is made up of hundreds of diverse performers from all over the country, partnered with The Recording Academy for its Positive Vibes Only series. Today (12.4), through the series, the music collective shares a video performance of its song “We Give You The Highest Praise.”

Housefires Featured In Recording Academy’s Positive Vibes Only Series

Stream & Enjoy

The song is a standout on Housefires’ recently released album, ‘How To Start A Housefire Part III,’ which is the third part of a multi-album series that reflects the group’s mission to create “an atmosphere of overwhelming unity” (Forbes).

‘How To Start A Housefire Part III’ was produced by GRAMMY-winning producers Jonathan Jay and Norman Gyamfi and features ten breathtaking tracks that uplift and inspire listeners. Listen here: housefires.lnk.to/howtopartiiiPR

Gospel Music Hall of Famers the Gaither Vocal Band have once again proven their excellence by securing a nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. The nomination is for their critically acclaimed album Shine: The Darker the Night the Brighter the Light (Gaither Music Group), available everywhere via Capitol Christian Music Group and Universal Music.

Founded by gospel music legend Bill Gaither, the Gaither Vocal Band has consistently delighted fans and critics alike with its dynamic performances and deeply meaningful lyrics for decades. Currently comprised of Gaither, Wes Hampton, Adam Crabb, Todd Suttles, and Reggie Smith, the quintet is known for its harmonious blends and spiritually uplifting music that resonates deeply with audiences worldwide.

The band’s newest album, Shine: The Darker the Night the Brighter the Light, produced by Gaither and Gordon Mote, offers new renditions of “The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference,” “Right Place, Right Time” and “Make Me an Instrument” and sees the Gaither Vocal Band joining forces with contemporary Christian hitmakers CAIN to deliver a new twist to the worship hit “Rise (Lazarus).”

Combining smooth blends and catchy melodies with messages of redemption and encouragement, the album is accompanied by a full-length, performance DVD (available for purchase here) and a TV special airing across multiple TV networks.

This honor marks the Gaither Vocal Band’s 13th GRAMMY nomination, with two previous wins. It comes on the heels of the group’s GMA DOVE Award nominations for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year (“Jesus, What a Lovely Name”) and Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (“There Is a Mountain”).

The quintet–a longtime benchmark vocal group–is known for its numerous radio hits, including the most recent Top 5 single “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.”

The group is releasing five new performance videos to celebrate the Christmas season, including “Gloria,” “Emmanuel/This Changes Everything,” “Come and See What’s Happenin’,” “Home for the Holidays” and “Fear Not.” They can be viewed on the Gaither Music TV YouTube channel (over three million subscribers) and all digital video platforms.

The Gaither Vocal Band continues to tour extensively and to share their music and message with fans around the globe via their recordings, LIVE performances, and TV specials. They are featured regularly on the Gaither Music TV YouTube channel, on the Gaither Facebook page (over two million subscribers), on Gaither Radio on Amazon, and on Gaither Radio on Pandora where fans can also access the Gaither Vocal Band Legacy mode. 

Their influence in the world of gospel music continues to inspire generations with their timeless melodies and messages of faith.

All recordings by the Gaither Vocal Band are distributed by Capitol Christian Music Group and Universal Music. For further information visit Gaither.com.

Shine: The Darker the Night the Brighter the Light Album Track Listing:

• Shine (The Darker The Night, The Brighter The Light)
• Grateful!
• Make The Morning Worth The Midnight
• Love ‘Em Where They Are
• Right Place, Right Time
• The Old Rugged Cross Made The Difference
• Revival Broke Out
• Rise Up (Lazarus) – featuring CAIN
• If The Lord Wasn’t Walking By My Side
• May The Words Of My Mouth
• Make Me An Instrument
• Fully Alive
• Lion Of Judah

Centricity Music’s Billboard Chartbreaker and 2023’s Gospel Music Association New Artist of the Year Katy Nichole performed for the first time on FOX & Friends this morning (Dec. 1) kicking off the celebrated morning show’s All American Christmas Concert Series this season. Singing her rendition of the classic “O Holy Night” on the show, Nichole sings more holiday favorites on a Christmas tour with Tauren Wells and Jordan Smith launching in Cincinnati tonight (Dec. 1) and before hitting the road Jan. 12 with Winter Jam ’24, Christian music’s biggest arena tour.

“A beautiful performance from Katy Nichole. How about that voice, she is unbelievable!” exclaims FOX & Friends Co-host Ainsley Earhardt following her performance, and calling Nichole “…a top-charting singer putting faith in the spotlight.”

After a clip of Nichole’s “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” video played to set up her appearance on the show, Earhardt lauded the single as “one of the best songs out there right now” and gave Nichole the opportunity to share the story of her path through anxiety and depression to health and wholeness.

“I mean it when I say, Jesus changed my life,” shared Nichole in response. “I’ve had two back surgeries and the first one didn’t do exactly what it was supposed to do, but the second one was where the miracle happened. I was very depressed after the first, so depressed that I hit a place where I wanted to end my life. Thankfully, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Hold on, I’m not done yet.’ And I believed that voice. If I hadn’t believed that voice, I would not be standing here right now.”

Following her national morning show debut, Nichole will be featured on an upcoming FOX & Friends Weekend show performing her RIAA Certified Platinum, BMI Christianand K-LOVE Fan Award-winning single “In Jesus Name (God of Possible).” The biggest song this decade after it held at No.1 for 20-weeks on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, the song is both featured on her Jesus Changed My Life album and the deluxe version of the recording that is set to release March 15, 2024. Along with all the original album’s songs, Jesus Changed My Life Deluxe contains seven additional tracks, including four never-before-released originals.

Nichole continues to release songs filled with the unabashed honesty and impeccable artistry that have made the 23-year-old one of Christian music’s fastest-rising talents. Realizing her second and third-straight No. 1 songs with “God Is In This Story” and the Recording Academy-featured “Hold On,” Katy has also been nominated for an American Music Award, performed twice on the Grand Ole Opry and shared the stage with Jeremy Camp, Matthew West, CAIN and more.