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This is one of the most surprising music stories of the year. While streams of new music – released over the past 18 months – were down from last year, one genre is on the rise: Christian and gospel music, according to a 2025 midyear report from industry data and analytics company Luminate.
Jaime Marconet, Luminate’s vice president of music insights and industry relations, said this shift is being led by acts like Forrest Frank, Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship, who are connecting with a “young, streaming-forward fan base” that is 60% women and 30% millennials. In fact, for the first time in 11 years, two contemporary Christian music songs – Frank’s “Your Ways Better” and Lake’s “Hard Fight Hallelujah” with Jelly Roll – cracked the all-genre top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, putting them in direct competition with mainstream artists.
That’s why traditionally secular artists like Jelly Roll, Killer Mike and TI are nominated in Christian music categories in the upcoming 2026. grammy – The lines are blurring.
An evolving Christian music sound
Holly Zabka, president of Sony Christian music subsidiary Provident Entertainment, says, “Christian music is unlike any other genre in that it is defined by the sonic component. Christian music is defined by its lyrical component.” “It’s not limited to a narrow definition. It’s a lyrical component that can appeal to anyone’s musical tastes.”
From a label perspective, she’s interested in pushing artists who “don’t have to fit into that narrow alley of the Christian bookstore and Christian radio. It could be rap, hip-hop, it could be rock, it could be country, and it’s attractive to a broader audience because it’s what they’re already listening to,” she says. “Very few people listen in a vacuum and only listen to one genre.”
But for many years, CCM jas was known for being unimaginative—what author John Jeremiah Sullivan infamously referred to as “excellence-proof”—for its tendency to imitate and dilute popular, contemporary mainstream sounds for religious audiences.
“The quality has definitely improved,” says Zabka. “When all music has to live together on these streaming platforms, we can’t just be the cheaper option. ‘Oh, you like Taylor Swift? You’ll like this stripped-down version presented in a Christian style.’ We want to be the greatest art.”
“Before you can do something new, you have to imitate” Chris BrownSinger and worship leader at Elevation Worship, jokes. “There are not as rigid lines stylistically within Christian music as there were maybe 10 years ago or certainly 20, 30 years ago.”
“There was a time when people idealized Christian music as, ‘Okay, we’re supposed to look like this, we’re supposed to sound like this,'” says Lauren Daigle, a two-time Grammy-winning Christian and pop musician. “There is a lot more artistry now. People Are very expressive. They are able to share their creativity. “And that includes representing a variety of people.”
Why is Christian music catching on now?
Zabka says his style is experiencing “a special moment and… a perfect storm”. Streaming and the ability to connect on social media have democratized music discovery, she says, allowing CCM to compete with secular music. She is responsible for the interest, by partnering with what she sees as a “resurgence of confidence” among young people.
number of Americans The number of people identifying as Christian has been declining steadily for years, but the decline shows signs of slowing, according to a 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center. A new class of Millennial and Gen Z Christian influencers are also aiming to connect with young people.
Zabka says, “Christian music has also turned to lyrical authenticity, making the music more relevant than previous iterations of the genre, which often featured a sanitized message of “everything will be okay, just follow Jesus” in three and a half minutes. Now, she says, “their songs are far more authentic, real, and honest. ‘Life is difficult. Breakups are hard. Bad things happen,’ and it provides a level of hope that other music doesn’t provide the listener.”
Daigle points out that artists like Lake are performing in huge stadiums – clear evidence that the popularity of Christian artists is growing.
She says, “I think a lot of people are looking at the world and…they find strength in this music, and they find a sense of power in this music, and they find truth in this music.”
Daigle also believes that because “Christian music points toward something else” – toward God – rather than focusing on personal issues or the ego of the performer on stage, it balances the playing field between listener and performer, while giving both a sense of purpose.
“In a world that has become so self-centered and self-centered, it’s a freedom to say, ‘Wow, I can actually depend on someone else for a while,’ or ‘There’s something that’s really greater than me,'” she says. “And to me the purpose of Christian music is to bring hope to people.”
Brown’s theory is that people relate to his Charlotte, North Carolina-based CCM group because of “how rooted we are in their local church, basically.”
“It’s easy to connect because we’re just church people,” he says.
a crossover moment
Lake, who is nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2026 including “Hard Fight Hallelujah”, believes that people are now connecting with Christian music because it is solely the purpose of religious music.
“The reason people are turning to these types of songs right now is because that’s what they were made for,” says Lake. “People are finding in these songs – they are connecting to themselves, to their spirit, to the spirit of God. … Those songs are not just entertainment; they connect an encounter.”
“I love all kinds of music,” he adds, “but if you have a song that has that kind of message, it’s awesome, you know? It taps into something deeper.”
He also believes this could be the beginning of a crossover moment, where more Christian artists will be welcomed into other genres and mainstream venues. “I pray this is just the beginning,” he says, “and I pray it takes charge.”
Jelly Roll agrees. “I think there’s really a revival happening in America right now where the gospel is being presented to people again in a digestible way. And it doesn’t feel like finger-wagging and ‘You’re all going to hell,’ you know?” He says.
He adds, “I don’t really mind when organized religion points the finger at me.” “I’m very happy to see the message, the gospel, being presented.”
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The 68th GRAMMY Awards will be held on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The show will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. For more coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards.