Top 10 Christian Worship Artists Shaping Music Today

Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia spawned a worship music empire that has shaped the sound of evangelical Christianity globally since the 1990s. Songs like "Shout to the Lord," "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)," "What a Beautiful Name," and "Cornerstone" have accumulated billions of streams and become fixtures in churches across every denomination. Hillsong Worship has won multiple Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Despite significant institutional controversies in recent years, the music's reach and congregational staying power remain unparalleled.

Elevation Worship is the music ministry of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, led by Pastor Steven Furtick. They burst into mainstream Christian consciousness with "O Come to the Altar" in 2016 and have not slowed down since, scoring massive hits with "Graves into Gardens," "Do It Again," and "Million Little Miracles" (with Maverick City Music). The band is known for its polished production, cinematic arrangements, and music that works equally well in an arena and a living room. They are currently one of the most-streamed Christian artists in the world.

Bethel Music emerged from Bethel Church in Redding, California in 2001 and has become one of the most prolific and influential worship collectives in Christianity, producing artists including Cory Asbury, Amanda Cook, Steffany Gretzinger, and Brian and Jenn Johnson. Songs like "Reckless Love," "Goodness of God," and "Raise a Hallelujah" have permeated evangelical worship culture globally. The collective's sound — spacious, atmospheric, and emotionally intense — pushed contemporary worship toward a more intimate, spontaneous aesthetic that has since been widely imitated.

Lauren Daigle broke through every barrier Christian music had built around itself, crossing over into mainstream pop charts and media with a voice that drew comparisons to Adele. Her 2018 album Look Up Child debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 — a rarity for any Christian artist — and "You Say" became the longest-running number-one Christian song in Billboard history. She has won two Grammy Awards, appeared on Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, and The Voice, and has made no apologies for bringing explicitly Christian music to secular audiences. She is the biggest solo crossover in Christian music since Amy Grant.

Maverick City Music formed in Atlanta in 2018 with a deliberate ethos: create worship from the margins, not the center, centering diverse voices and unconventional song structures. Their rise has been meteoric — Grammy wins, a collaboration album with Kirk Franklin, and sold-out tours — while their sound deliberately resists the polished sheen of mainstream Christian pop in favor of raw, unresolved gospel emotion. Songs like "Promises," "Man of Your Word," and "Jireh" (with Elevation Worship) have become worship staples. They are the most exciting development in Christian music in a decade.

CeCe Winans is the best-selling female gospel artist of all time, with a recording career stretching back to 1984 and a Grammy count of twelve — the most of any gospel artist. Born into the legendary Winans family of Detroit, she has maintained extraordinary vocal and artistic relevance across four decades, with her 2017 album Let Them Fall in Love winning the Grammy for Best Gospel Album and her 2022 album Believe for It doing the same. She is a living bridge between the golden age of gospel and the contemporary worship movement, and her voice remains one of the greatest in any genre.

Kari Jobe emerged from the Gateway Church community in Southlake, Texas in the mid-2000s and has since become one of the most beloved voices in contemporary Christian worship. Her 2014 song "Forever (We Sing Hallelujah)" became a landmark of the modern worship movement, and her album The Hymn is widely regarded as one of the finest worship records of the past decade. Jobe's voice carries a transparent vulnerability that makes her performances feel like genuine prayer rather than performance — a quality that has earned her deep loyalty from millions of listeners across multiple denominations.

Phil Wickham has built one of the most consistent songwriting careers in Christian music over twenty years, producing worship anthems like "This Is Amazing Grace," "Living Hope," and "Battle Belongs" that have become staples of evangelical worship worldwide. His 2018 recording of "Living Hope" won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song and was named one of the most-performed Christian songs of the year. Unlike many worship artists who require major church backing, Wickham has cultivated an independent, grassroots following that trusts him deeply — his songs feel personally written even when sung by thousands.

TobyMac has been a defining force in Christian music since his days as a founding member of DC Talk in the late 1980s, and his solo career since 2001 has shown an artist who refuses to stand still — fusing hip-hop, pop, EDM, and gospel into a signature sound that has produced seven number-one Christian albums. He was the first Christian artist to have four solo albums debut at number one on the Christian charts and has accumulated over 11 million album sales. His 2019 album "The Elements" was written in the aftermath of his son Truett's death, making it one of the most personally raw documents in Christian pop.

Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia spawned a worship music empire that has shaped the sound of evangelical Christianity globally since the 1990s. Songs like "Shout to the Lord," "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)," "What a Beautiful Name," and "Cornerstone" have accumulated billions of streams and become fixtures in churches across every denomination. Hillsong Worship has won multiple Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Despite significant institutional controversies in recent years, the music's reach and congregational staying power remain unparalleled.

Elevation Worship is the music ministry of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, led by Pastor Steven Furtick. They burst into mainstream Christian consciousness with "O Come to the Altar" in 2016 and have not slowed down since, scoring massive hits with "Graves into Gardens," "Do It Again," and "Million Little Miracles" (with Maverick City Music). The band is known for its polished production, cinematic arrangements, and music that works equally well in an arena and a living room. They are currently one of the most-streamed Christian artists in the world.

Bethel Music emerged from Bethel Church in Redding, California in 2001 and has become one of the most prolific and influential worship collectives in Christianity, producing artists including Cory Asbury, Amanda Cook, Steffany Gretzinger, and Brian and Jenn Johnson. Songs like "Reckless Love," "Goodness of God," and "Raise a Hallelujah" have permeated evangelical worship culture globally. The collective's sound — spacious, atmospheric, and emotionally intense — pushed contemporary worship toward a more intimate, spontaneous aesthetic that has since been widely imitated.

Lauren Daigle broke through every barrier Christian music had built around itself, crossing over into mainstream pop charts and media with a voice that drew comparisons to Adele. Her 2018 album Look Up Child debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 — a rarity for any Christian artist — and "You Say" became the longest-running number-one Christian song in Billboard history. She has won two Grammy Awards, appeared on Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, and The Voice, and has made no apologies for bringing explicitly Christian music to secular audiences. She is the biggest solo crossover in Christian music since Amy Grant.

Maverick City Music formed in Atlanta in 2018 with a deliberate ethos: create worship from the margins, not the center, centering diverse voices and unconventional song structures. Their rise has been meteoric — Grammy wins, a collaboration album with Kirk Franklin, and sold-out tours — while their sound deliberately resists the polished sheen of mainstream Christian pop in favor of raw, unresolved gospel emotion. Songs like "Promises," "Man of Your Word," and "Jireh" (with Elevation Worship) have become worship staples. They are the most exciting development in Christian music in a decade.

CeCe Winans is the best-selling female gospel artist of all time, with a recording career stretching back to 1984 and a Grammy count of twelve — the most of any gospel artist. Born into the legendary Winans family of Detroit, she has maintained extraordinary vocal and artistic relevance across four decades, with her 2017 album Let Them Fall in Love winning the Grammy for Best Gospel Album and her 2022 album Believe for It doing the same. She is a living bridge between the golden age of gospel and the contemporary worship movement, and her voice remains one of the greatest in any genre.

Kari Jobe emerged from the Gateway Church community in Southlake, Texas in the mid-2000s and has since become one of the most beloved voices in contemporary Christian worship. Her 2014 song "Forever (We Sing Hallelujah)" became a landmark of the modern worship movement, and her album The Hymn is widely regarded as one of the finest worship records of the past decade. Jobe's voice carries a transparent vulnerability that makes her performances feel like genuine prayer rather than performance — a quality that has earned her deep loyalty from millions of listeners across multiple denominations.

Phil Wickham has built one of the most consistent songwriting careers in Christian music over twenty years, producing worship anthems like "This Is Amazing Grace," "Living Hope," and "Battle Belongs" that have become staples of evangelical worship worldwide. His 2018 recording of "Living Hope" won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song and was named one of the most-performed Christian songs of the year. Unlike many worship artists who require major church backing, Wickham has cultivated an independent, grassroots following that trusts him deeply — his songs feel personally written even when sung by thousands.

TobyMac has been a defining force in Christian music since his days as a founding member of DC Talk in the late 1980s, and his solo career since 2001 has shown an artist who refuses to stand still — fusing hip-hop, pop, EDM, and gospel into a signature sound that has produced seven number-one Christian albums. He was the first Christian artist to have four solo albums debut at number one on the Christian charts and has accumulated over 11 million album sales. His 2019 album "The Elements" was written in the aftermath of his son Truett's death, making it one of the most personally raw documents in Christian pop.