Francesca Battistelli Performs with Andrea Bocelli for Worldwide TV Christmas Special

Grammy Award winning artist Francesca Battistelli will appear on the holiday special, "Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas," which is set to air on TBN December 20 at 8 pm. The holiday program will feature Battistelli singing a duet with the world-renowned classical music icon, along with a duet between Bocelli and his son, Matteo, select Christmas songs and more. "Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas" was filmed in Bocelli's hometown, Lajatico, in the Italian region Tuscany.

"It was the deepest honor to be given the opportunity to sing alongside such an iconic artist," exclaims Battistelli. "It was truly a dream come true to perform with Andrea Bocelli and in his home country. This was an experience I will certainly never, ever forget!"

TBN's foreign partners in Italy, UK, Canada, Germany, Central America, South America and other regions around the world will air the special on the 20th as well. "Andrea Bocelli: The Heart of Christmas," will also re-air on December 24.

"It's been an absolute joy to welcome TBN viewers into the little church in my beloved birthplace, Lajatico--the exact spot where I discovered, as a child, the power of music as an instrument of prayer," said Bocelli.

'Amy Grant's Tennessee Christmas - Presented By Hallmark Channel' to Air December 3

"Amy Grant's Tennessee Christmas -- Presented by Hallmark Channel," a one-hour musical special helmed by the multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter will air Monday, December 3 (8 pm ET). Grant will be joined by husband and fellow Grammy winner Vince Gill, country music and Emmy nominated television star Kellie Pickler and long-time friend, Grammy winner Michael W. Smith for an evening filled with rich performances. Grant will be sharing family Christmas memories and beloved traditions alongside shining a light on the charities that are close to her heart. Among those featured will be Song for Veterans, Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation, Appalachian Relief Fund, World Relief and Barefoot Republic, Grant's own camp for kids. The special is a part of the network's #1-rated programming event, Countdown To Christmas.  

Grant recently stopped by the daytime "go-to" destination Pickler & Ben where she performed "To Be Together" from her most recent Christmas album, Tennessee Christmas. Grant will also appear on CMA Country Christmas (Dec. 10 8 PM ABC) and NPR's Tiny Desk Concert alongside being Woman's World December cover girl.
 
Grant and Gill are soon returning to the famed Ryman Auditorium for an unprecedented twelve-night stand of their beloved Christmas at the Ryman. The resonating holiday tradition is annually sold out and only a few tickets remain for this year's run. Tennessee Christmas (2016) marked her first all-new Christmas album in nearly twenty years and includes original offerings like "To Be Together," "December," "Another Merry Christmas" and "Melancholy Christmas."                 

A Present for Casting Crowns as a Fifth Album Goes Platinum

Casting Crowns has been awarded RIAA Platinum certification for their Christmas album "Peace On Earth." This marks their fifth career Platinum certification in addition to their 2x multi-Platinum album, two RIAA Platinum DVDs, seven RIAA Gold albums, four Gold DVDs, one RIAA Platinum single and five RIAA Gold certified digital singles. The group continues to hold the position as Billboard's top-selling act in Christian music since 2007 with more than 10 million album sales.

Christmas in Action - the Other Present

UP has released its latest 'viral' video that poses a dilemma for kids: a present they desire or a gift for a family member.  Which will they choose?

Jordan Smith Performs "Mary, Did You Know" in The Voice Finale

Even the Grinch might shed a tear when listening to Jordan Smith's take on a Christmas classic.

The Voice singer, 22, belted out "Mary, Did You Know?" with raw emotion during Monday night's episode of the singing competition.

True to form, Smith's performance built to a goosebumps-worthy crescendo that had the audience applauding with gusto.

UP Features Maggie Eckford for Christmas

You can also see her performing with Phil Keaggy

MercyMe To Appear On 89th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade On NBC

MercyMe will appear on the 89th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, live from New York City on NBC. With an expected 3.5 million spectators along the route and 50 million viewers tuning in, the parade will air from 9am-NOON on Thanksgiving Day.

Just prior to heading to NYC, MercyMe will perform during Atlanta's Annual Great Tree Lighting at Macy's Buckhead Lenox Store before a crowd of nearly 45,000. The event will be broadcast live on WSB Atlanta (ABC).

The Christmas season started early for MercyMe this year when MercyMe, It's Christmas!, the band's sophomore Christmas offering, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Holiday Albums chart, just following the RIAA Gold certification of their 2011 project, The Generous Mr. Lovewell.

Mark Schultz’s “Different Kind of Christmas” Single Goes Viral

Mark Schultz's new Christmas single - "Different Kind of Christmas" - has reached viral status on Facebook. The live music video has received nearly 4.5 million views, 142,000 shares, and 18,000 likes, all within less than a week. "Different Kind of Christmas" also shot up to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Christian & Gospel Songs chart. The song was originally inspired by the life of Schultz's father-in-law and his recent passing.

"We tried to write the lyrics that would reflect the honesty of the emotions we were feeling - that Christmas was still hard, even though we have faith that Kate's dad is with Jesus," said Schultz in a message to his fans. "We had no idea how many lives this song would touch, but it only makes sense because there are very few people that haven't experienced a loss that makes life a lot different. There are few times in the year when that difference is felt more powerfully than around the holidays." Tomorrow, CBN's The 700 Club will be airing the live performance.

Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas Surges in Album Sales Following CMA Country Christmas Performance

Michael W. Smith knew something special had happened following his performance with Carrie Underwood on the CMA Country Christmas special. "What a moment - it made my hair stand up a little bit!" he said to PEOPLE Magazine backstage at the taping of the show in Nashville. The performance, along with a showering of media praise, led to nearly a 150% increase in album sales this week for his new Christmas project - Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas.

Smith's live performances with Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town helped solidify a Top 4 position on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. The Spirit of Christmas will remain there this week in the peak of Christmas shopping season amongst Michael Buble, Idina Menzel and Pentatonix. The Christmas project - which also features Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald - broke into the Top 10 Overall Albums on iTunes, helping secure a No. 16 spot on the Billboard 200 and a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Christian/Gospel Albums charts this week.

"Britain's Got Talent" Winner Paul Potts To Release Christmas Single In Support of Syrian Refugees

What began as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the famous Christmas truce of World War I, has become a global campaign resulting in an album (Silent Night Carols), soccer stadiums filled with hundreds of thousands of carolers and now a new single from "Britain's Got Talent" winner Paul Potts with sales from the single supporting Syrian refugees.

Commemorating the Christmas truce and remarkable period of peace, Integrity Music released the album Silent Night Carols, which features "Silent Night (Christ The Savior Is Born)," a new version of the classic carol penned by Franz Gruber in 1818, that prompted the 1914 event. It was hearing this familiar carol sung in English and German - - - "Silent Night" / "Stille Nacht" - - that induced the soldiers to leave their trenches and meet their adversaries in peace amidst the chaos and ruin of the Western Front. During this brief truce, the soldiers celebrated Christmas together, exchanged gifts, played football (soccer) and buried their dead before returning to the horrors of war.

Integrity's UK office has been working with Sports Chaplaincy UK and HOPE Together, coordinating national caroling events to commemorate the truce and the anniversary of "The Great War," which devastated Europe. Most recently, the label partnered with platinum-selling tenor Paul Potts to record the new version of the song as a single in support of Syrian refugees. Profits from the sale of "Silent Night (Christ The Savior Is Born"), available globally through iTunes, support TearFund.org's efforts to aid women and children fleeing the war-torn nation.

"It's fantastic to be invited to record such an iconic Christmas carol for such a worthwhile cause," says Potts. "I hope that people will enjoy it as much as I do and it becomes part of their Christmas."

The Most Reverend and Right Honorable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury adds: "On Christmas Day 1914, the guns fell silent on the Western Front as German and British soldiers laid down their weapons… this Christmas 2014, we are invited to leave our defended positions and meet those we might consider to be our enemies, exchange greetings, make peace and sing carols. We do this not because of the actions of those soldiers 100 years ago but because of the actions of God over 2,000 years ago, as He came to us, at great cost, to bring reconciliation and peace, joy and hope, life and light. And he came to us not just to bring change for one day, but for the whole of our lives."

For more information on Silent Night Carols, the "Sing Silent Night" caroling events in the UK, and the Paul Potts "Silent Night (Christ The Savior Is Born)" single, visit http://singsilentnight.com.

Hollywood Museum Celebrates Amy Grant and other Christmas Icons

Amy Grant will be honored at Lights, Cameras...Stars! Holidays Hollywood Style, a holiday exhibition at The Hollywood Museum honoring iconic celebrities who have made Christmas a significant part of their careers.

The exhibit opens on Thursday, November 13, with a special ceremony. Amy Grant's 'Christmas Career' will be one of the highlights. She has recorded four Christmas albums, hosted two christmas television specials and toured with the Nashville Symphony on several holiday tours.

Other stars to be showcased at this year's holiday extravaganza include Karen Carpenter, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Vera Ellen and Mel Torme, all of whom have become synonymous with Christmas.

Bob Pranga, better known as ‘Dr. Christmas...Tree Stylist to the Stars’ is decorating for both the museum and this event said, “because all of these stars have been at the very heart of our Christmas experience, this provides a great opportunity for families to come and experience the magic of Christmas with a little Hollywood glitter, because everyone loves the holidays, and everyone loves Hollywood, it’s a perfect combination.”

The Hollywood Museum, the official museum of Hollywood, has the most extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world. The museum, featuring four floors of breathtaking exhibits, is home to more than 10,000 authentic show biz treasures– one of a kind costumes, props, photographs, scripts, stars’ car collections and personal artifacts, posters, and vintage memorabilia from favorite films and TV shows. The museum also showcases the history of Hollywood and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bono and Other A-List Stars Join Michael W. Smith on New Christmas Record

Three-time Grammy winner Michael W. Smith announced the September 30 release of Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, featuring an all-star lineup of guests - Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald.

Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas is Smith's fourth Christmas project, following the successful releases of Michael W. Smith Christmas (1989), Christmastime (1998) and It's A Wonderful Christmas (2007).

"This is the most unique and unusual record I've ever done in my 31-year career. The entire record was sequenced together before we recorded one song," recalls Smith. "Sonically you're hearing me in a way that you've probably never heard me before. At one point it's like Smitty meets Bublé. There's my granddaughter's voice singing the song from 'Home Alone,' plus the whole orchestral and symphonic feeling of Christmas, mixed together with all these amazing voices and guests - yet it all fits together in a remarkable way."

Eager to create a one-of-a-kind project to be played at Christmastime for years to come, Smith and co-producer Robert Deaton were inspired by the original Carpenters Christmas album, wanting nostalgia to hit listeners right at the top of the record. Thematically, the album is uniquely divided into three sections, creating an overall arc to the recording. Beginning with the childlike and wintry aspects of the start of the Christmas season, the collection evolves with songs and instrumentation reflecting the true meaning of Christmas with the celebration of family and faith, concluding with what Christmas brought to the world, the birth of Jesus.

Music for Your Holiday Season: Don't Miss These Best Ever Albums

Amended and expanded list based on new releases and continued consumption:

25 Best Christmas CDs of All Time

25. Bryan Duncan - A Nehosoul Christmas
24. Harry Connick Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas
23. Michael McDonald - In the Spirit
22. Relient K - Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer
21. Jewel - Joy: A Holiday Collection
20. Faith Hill - Joy to the World
19. BarlowGirl - Home for Christmas
18. MercyMe - The Christmas Sessions
17. Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs
16. Amy Grant - A Christmas Album
15. Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
14. Michael W. Smith - Christmas
13. Bing Crosby - White Christmas
12. Ginny Owens - Bring Us Peace
11. Elvis Presley - It's Christmas Time
10. Russ Taff - A Christmas Song
9. Avalon - Joy
8. Downhere - How Many Kings? Songs for Christmas
7. Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas
6. Steven Curtis Chapman - The Music of Christmas
5. Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas
4. Amy Grant - Home for Christmas
3. Jaci Valesquez - Christmas
2. Michael W. Smith - Christmastime
1. Bryan Duncan - Christmas is Jesus

Honorable mentions:
Various - Christmas (1988 Sparrow compilation)
Matthew West - The Heart of Christmas

UP Lists the 25 Best Christmas Albums... and Gets It Mostly Right

UP has published their list of the 25 best Christmas albums and gets it mostly right.  Here's a better list.

'Duck Dynasty' Christmas Album Tops Billboard Country Music Chart

The new Christmas album from the "Duck Dynasty" clan debuted at the top of Billboard's Top Country Albums chart this week.

"Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas" took over the top spot and also ranked second on the publication's list of Top Holiday Albums behind Kelly Clarkson's "Wrapped in Red."

"Duck the Halls" is currently fourth on the Billboard 200, which ranks top-selling albums for the week across all genres. The Christmas record is situated behind new albums from Arcade Fire, Katy Perry and Clarkson.

The Robertsons are joined on the album by country music stars like Luke Bryan, Alison Krauss, Josh Turner and George Strait.

The Robertsons also share their Christian faith through the album by singing songs like "Away in a Manger," which features a reading from the Gospel of Luke, and "Silent Night." The album concludes with a prayer from Phil Robertson, the family patriarch, and a closing message from Willie Robertson, Phil's son and the president of Duck Commander.

The album was released on Oct. 29, and sold 69,000 copies in a week's time.

'Duck Dynasty' Family to Appear in 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Robertson family of A&E's hit reality television show "Duck Dynasty" will make an appearance at the 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade later this month.

The Robertsons will be joined at the parade by a host of other celebrities, including Jimmy Fallon, Kristin Chenoweth, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri and many more.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, whose motto is "A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere," was first held in 1924 and was made up of only about a dozen different attractions. This year's spectacle will include, among other things, 30 floats, 11 marching bands, 1,600 dancers and cheerleaders, 15 character balloons and, of course, Santa Clause.

The parrade is expected to be watched by more than 3.5 million people in person and by more than 50 million people nationwide.

The parade doesn't commence until Nov. 28 at 9 a.m. ET, though the Robertsons have already been busy preparing for the holiday season.

Last week the family's Christmas album, "Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas," was released. In addition to performances by members of the Robertson clan, country stars like Alison Krauss, Josh Turner and Luke Bryan also performed on the record.

Willie Robertson, president of Duck Commander, told Reuters last week that his family is proud of the album.

"It is definitely from our perspective of a down-home middle-America Christmas," Robertson told the news wire. "There is some funny stuff and then there is some serious stuff."

Between 55,000 and 60,000 copies of the Christmas album may have been sold in its first week, according to Billboard, and it may land in the top five of the Billboard 200 chart this week. The Billboard 200's top 10 list will be released on Wednesday.

Susan Boyle's First Solo Performance in US to be at Joel Osteen's Church

Susan Boyle, the U.K. singer who in wowed judges on "Britain's Got Talent" and eventually the world with her powerful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream," is set to put on her biggest U.S. performance yet with a show this month at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.

"Victoria and I, like all of America, fell in love with Susan Boyle the first time we saw her," Pastor Osteen said, according to Broadwayworld.com. "We are delighted and honored that she chose Lakewood Church for her first solo performance in this country."

Boyle, who will be singing tracks from her new holiday-themed album, Home for Christmas, said she was looking forward to performing at Lakewood Church.

One of the singles Boyle will perform is her newly-released cover of the Christmas classic "O Come, All Ye Faithful," as a duet with the late Elvis Presley. Boyle, an ambassador for the charity Save The Children, has said proceeds from sales of the holiday single will benefit the U.K. organization.

Lakewood is reportedly Boyle's first stop on her U.S. tour, a promotional effort for Home for Christmas, her fifth studio album. The former church worker will also be making her film debut in "The Christmas Candle" motion picture, based on author Max Lucado's book of the same name.

It was her rendition of the Les Misérables track "I Dreamed a Dream" on "Britain's Got Talent" four years ago that catapulted Boyle onto the world stage. That same year, in November, Boyle released her debut album, titled I Dreamed a Dream, which topped charts all over the world

Michael W. Smith Announces Christmas Tour with American Idol's Angie Miller

Multi-platinum recording artist Michael W. Smith has announced the dates for his annual holiday tour. Titled "Celebrate Christmas," the festive tour will run for ten dates, kicking off Dec. 1 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and wrapping up Dec. 15 in Detroit, Michigan.

Each stop on the tour will also feature American Idol finalist Angie Miller, whom this past spring placed top three on the popular show. "I have looked up to Michael forever and have been singing his songs in church my whole life," Miller shares about the tour. "I am incredibly honored to be on this tour with him now!"

In addition to Miller on the tour, for the Dec 5, 6 and 7 shows Smith will be sharing the stage with his good friends Third Day.

Third Day's Golden Christmas Offerings

Third Day has earned another Gold record with its 2006 Holiday album, Christmas Offerings. This marks the band's ninth career RIAA Gold Album Award.

Released in 2006, Christmas Offerings was the third project in Third Day's successful Offerings series, also comprising Offerings I, Offerings II, and the Christmas Offerings DVD.

TobyMac To Perfom on ABC's Annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade

TobyMac is capping off his whirlwind year with a performance on ABC's 29th annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. He will perform his Christmas song "Christmas This Year" while being featured along with performers including Lady Antebellum, Backstreet Boys, Colbie Caillat, Brad Paisley and American Idol Season 11 champion Phillip Phillips. Hosts Nick Cannon and Mario Lopez, along with co-host Maria Menounos, will lead the two-hour telecast, which is scheduled to air on ABC on Christmas Day beginning at 9:00 AM CST (check local listings).