"This Is Winter Jam" Provides Unprecedented Access In One Night Only Event

This spring, Christian music fans will get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the world’s largest annual Christian concert tour with “This Is Winter Jam,” in theaters Tuesday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. local time.

This one-night event captures the blockbuster tour as never seen before. “This Is Winter Jam” showcases performances from Skillet, Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, for KING & COUNTRY, NewSong, Family Force 5, Building 429 and many more, and gives moviegoers unprecedented backstage access. The event also features interviews with Winter Jam artists past and present, along with an exclusive premiere of for KING & COUNTRY's "Priceless" music video, which features a first look at scenes from the group’s own upcoming feature film.

It’s a Fathom Events production and you can purchase tickets and watch a trailer here.

Phil Wickham's "This Is Amazing Grace" Goes Gold

Phil Wickham's "This Is Amazing Grace" was honored with RIAA Gold Certification for both sales and streams of the song off of his 2013 project, The Ascension. The hit single was the most played song on Christian radio for 2014, topping Billboard's 2014 Christian Airplay Song Year End Chart at No. 1. In addition to sales and radio success, the song is No. 2 on the US chart of CCLI, recognizing it as one of the most-often-sung worship songs in the church today.

"I am blown away with how the Lord has used 'This Is Amazing Grace'," says Wickham. "For the song to reach this achievement is such an honor and I'm so grateful."

His project Children of God is expected to release in April 2016.

Wickham is set to tour alongside Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, Mandisa and more on The Rock and Worship Roadshow 2016, presented by Compassion International.

MLB Will Move You with Audio Adrenaline

'Move,' the album-opener from Audio Adrenaline’s May 4 release, Sound of the Saints, has been selected as the opening theme for “MLB Now,” which airs daily on the MLB Network.

A one-hour panel discussion hosted by Brian Kenny, covering breaking news and the game's most recent trends, “MLB Now” features perspectives from baseball journalists, current and former players, managers, sabermetricians and broadcasters. The MLB Network reaches nearly 70 million television households in the United States.

Written by Audio Adrenaline’s Adam Agee along with Seth Mosley, “Move”—an audience favorite in concert—was also featured during the NFL Network’s coverage of the Scouting Combine earlier this year.

Produced by Seth Mosley (Jeremy Camp, for KING & COUNTRY) and Joshua Silverberg (Newsboys, Michael W. Smith), Sound of the Saints builds on the pop/rock foundation and lyrical themes which have hallmarked Audio Adrenaline’s iconic repertoire for nearly three decades.

Jeremy Camp's Latest in Billboard's Top 25

Jeremy Camp's latest release, "I Will Follow" debuted at No. 17 on Billboard's Top Albums chart as well as in the Top 25 on the Billboard 200 chart.

I Will Follow, Camp's eighth studio album, has also produced his 37th No. 1 radio single with the song "He Knows," topping the AC Indicator charts this week. While "Reckless" was a more avant garde rock detour, "I Will Follow" is more a mainstream pop-rock affair.  Partly responsible for the album's direction is producer Seth Mosley (for King and Country, Stellar Kart & Michael W. Smith).

Camp has sold more than four million albums including four RIAA Gold-certified albums, a RIAA Multi-Platinum long-form video and a Gold-certified digital single ("There Will Be A Day"). At radio, Camp is recognized as a staple artist with 37 No. 1 radio hits across all formats spending more than 175 weeks at No. 1 at radio in his career.

Can Maker of God's Not Dead Recreate Success?

Do You Believe? arrives in theatres March 20 from Pure Flix, the studio behind last year’s big-screen hit, God’s Not Dead. The drama features an ensemble cast of Oscar winner Mira Sorvino, Golden Globe award winning actress Cybill Shepherd, Lord of the Ring's Sean Astin, 70s' icon Lee Majors, Alexa PenaVega (Spy Kids), sitcom staple Ted McGinley, Brian Bosworth and Delroy Lindo.

“Do You Believe?” tells the story of diverse lives that intersect on the streets of Chicago – rich lives, poor lives, and desperate lives. A dozen different souls—all moving in different directions, all longing for something more. As their lives unexpectedly intersect, they each discover the power in the Cross of Christ … even if they don’t believe in it. When a local pastor (McGinley) is shaken to the core by the visible faith of an old street-corner preacher (Lindo), he is reminded that authentic belief always requires action. His response ignites a faith-fueled journey that powerfully impacts everyone and touches their lives in ways that only God could orchestrate. More than a movie, it is the question we all must answer (confront) in our lives: “Do You Believe?”

Accompanying the feature film will be the soundtrack of the same name that features the hit single, “We Believe”, by the award winning contemporary Christian group, The Newsboys.

Michael Scott, producer, God's Not Dead and partner, Pure Flix credits some of the success to Winter Jam.  "There's no question the momentum we generated from our sponsorship at Winter Jam created a massive awareness for our movie.”

This year Winter Jam is also spotlighting NBC’s upcoming "A.D. The Bible Continues" from the producing team of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. Downey and Burnett will make appearances at multiple tour dates, including the Winter Jam Dome Spectacular in Atlanta (Burnett only).

Continuing where History Channel’s hit mini-series "The Bible" left off,  “A.D. The Bible Continues" starts with the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, telling its story through the eyes of the Apostles, Pilate, Caiaphas, the Jewish Zealots and the Herod family. With the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters as its foundation, the series chronicles what would become the most powerful global movement in history—the epic rise of the early Church. The 12-week Television event premieres Easter Sunday, April 5th on NBC.

The Winter Jam 2015 Tour Spectacular kicked-off January 2 in Charleston, West Virginia, and continues through March. Featuring headliners Skillet, along with Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, Building 429, NewSong, for King & Country and Family Force 5 .

Winter Jam in Atlanta Adds Sadie Robertson

Winter Jam 2015 Dome Spectacular added Duck Dynasty star and Dancing with the Stars contestant Sadie Robertson to the lineup for Atlanta on February 7. Winter Jam is a 47-city, three month tour.

Sadie is no stranger to the spotlight. She was cast into the limelight as a star on A&E's reality show, Duck Dynasty. Known for her dimples and engaging smile, this 17-year-old high-schooler is more than a pretty face. A popular motivational speaker, Sadie spends her summers on mission trips and speaks at Christian youth camps sharing her message "to live original" as a Christian young person today. She recently competed on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, collaborated on a formal dress line in time for spring prom, and has written a book called "Live Original: How the Duck Commander Teen Keeps It Real and Stays True to Her Values."

"Our very first Dome Spectacular in Atlanta last year was such a phenomenal success with nearly 30,0000 fans and the addition of quality guest artists and celebrities, that it created a daunting task for us to try to top," said Troy VanLiere, tour producer. "But with the announcement of Sadie Robertson being added to our already stellar line-up, we are well on our way! Her character, integrity and the way she lives out her faith for the entire world to see on both Duck Dynasty and Dancing with the Stars is a perfect "heart-match" for Winter Jam. She'll be a big hit on the Winter Jam stage and something people won't want to miss. Plus there is more to come..."

In addition to Sadie Robertson making a guest appearance in Atlanta, the Winter Jam Dome Spectacular lineup will include Skillet, Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, Building 429, Family Force 5, NewSong, for King & Country, and evangelist Tony Nolan. The LifeWay Christian Stores Pre-Jam Party will also showcase performances by Blanca, About A Mile, and VERIDIA.
Winter Jam Tour Spectacular is a $10 at the door concert and no tickets are required. The Winter Jam event in Atlanta - hosted at the Georgia Dome for the first time in 2014 - has been aptly dubbed Winter Jam Dome Spectacular for the day. In 2014, the Atlanta event set a Winter Jam attendance record by attracting nearly 30,000 people.

Albums on Our Radar

Upcoming releases the first half of the year that are currently on our radar.

January 13
Blanca Who I Am EP

February 3
Jeremy Camp I Will Follow
Aaron Gillespie Grace Through The Wandering

February 10
Brandon Heath No Turning Back
The Vespers Sisters & Brothers

February 24
Mat Kearney JUST KIDS
RED Of Beauty and Rage

February ??
Pillar One Love Revolution

March 3
Third Day Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship

March 10
Kevin Max Broken Temples

March 17
Hawk Nelson Diamonds

April 7
1 Girl Nation Cinema
Chris August The Maker
Point of Grace Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know)

May 2015
Decyfer Down untitled new album
TobyMac untitled new album

May 5
Fireflight Innova

Dancing With the Stars Finalist Candace Cameron Bure and Matthew West to Host K-LOVE Fan Awards at Grand Ole Opry

TV star and current Dancing With the Stars finalist Candace Cameron Bure and Grammy-nominated Matthew West will host the K-LOVE Fan Awards on Sunday, June 1 at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Voting for the K-LOVE Fan Awards is open now until Midnight ET on Saturday, May 31. Partnering with World Hope to aid in revival efforts for the city of Detroit, MI., every half a million votes cast for the Fan Awards will unlock a newly remodeled home for a family in need in Detroit, with a goal of two million votes and four homes total. The first week of voting alone eclipsed 500,000 votes, unlocking the first home.

Winners will be announced live at the awards show in the categories of music, sports, books and movies.

Last week, K-LOVE announced key performers for the award show includingy Chris Tomlin, Hillsong UNITED, Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe, Francesca Battistelli and many more.

This year, fans will have more opportunities than ever to see and interact with their favorite Christian music artists at the K-LOVE Fan Awards Weekend. Starting Friday night, May 30, the weekend will start with a bang at the official Weekend Kickoff Concert, featuring performances by Tenth Avenue North, Switchfoot, for KING & COUNTRY, Rend Collective and a surprise headlining artist.

All weekend, fans will be able to participate in the first ever K-LOVE Fan Zone, which will feature a variety of fan-focused events including tours of Jeremy Camp's tour bus, celebrity basketball games, autograph sessions and more. Saturday night will end with the new Songwriters Spotlight, hosted by Steven Curtis Chapman. On Sunday, Michael W. Smith will start the day off with a special Worship Service at the Opryland Resort. The events of the day will lead to the official K-LOVE Fan Awards Show nearby at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Notable 2013 Releases

Below are the announced CDs we just can't wait to play:

January 8

.Capital Kings Capital Kings

.VOTA Love Found Me

January 15

.Jason Castro Only A Mountain

January 22

.Love and Death Between Here and Lost

January 29

.Colton Dixon A Messenger

.Fiction Family Fiction Family Reunion

February 5

.Tal & Acacia Black & White

.RED Release The Panic

.Sanctus Real Run

February 12

.Jeremy Camp Reckless

February 26

.NewSong Swallow The Ocean

.Britt Nicole Gold (Mainstream Re-Issue) [Capitol]

.Plumb Need You Now

.Salvador Make Some Noise

March 12

.Steven Curtis Chapman Deep Roots

March 12

.Audio Adrenaline Kings & Queens

.Seventh Day Slumber Love & Worship [BEC]

March 26

.Stryper Second Coming

April 2

.Hawk Nelson Made

April 9

.The Almost Fear Inside Our Bones

.Josh Wilson Carry Me

April 16

.The Afters Life Is Beautiful

May 2013

.Skillet Rise

Unknown 2013

.Amy Grant untitled new studio album

.Guardian Almost Home

.Jars of Clay untitled

.NEEDTOBREATHE untitled

.Newsboys untitled new album

.Relient K untitled

.Seabird untitle

.The Waiting Mysteriet

Building 429 Has Top Song of 2012

Building 429's breakout single "Where I Belong" is Christian Song of the Year, according to the Billboard 2012 year-end charts.  Earlier this year, "Where I Belong" set precedent as the first song to maintain No. 1 on the Billboard National Christian Audience chart for 15 consecutive weeks. "Where I Belong" surpassed singles by tobyMac as well as Phillips, Craig & Dean, who each held the top spot on the Billboard NCA chart for 11 straight weeks. Furthermore, the song also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard CHR chart.

Complete Top 10 is as follows:

1. "Where I Belong" Building 429

2. "Overcome" Jeremy Camp

3. "God's Not Dead (Like a Lion)" newsboys

4. "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" Matt Redman

5. "The Hurt & The Healer" MercyMe

6. "Live Like That" Sidewalk Prophets

7. "Me Without You" TobyMac

8. "My Hope Is In You" Aaron Shust

9. "Losing" Tenth Avenue North

10. "When the Stars Burn Down" Phillips, Craig & Dean

Best Male Christian Vocalists of All Time

Below is our list for the best male Christian vocalists of all time.

This list is not just based on vocal prowess, criteria also include song quality, impact on industry, ability to play an instrument and/or craft a song, and of course my personal bias...

10.  Matthew West
9. Ken Tamplin
8. Michael Tait (also of dc Talk & Newsboys) & Kevin Max (also of dc Talk and Audio A)
7. John Elefante
6. Michael Sweet (also of Stryper fame)

5. Michael W. Smith

4. Jeremy Camp
3. Bryan Duncan

2. Steven Curtis Chapman

1. Russ Taff

Honorable Mentions:

Brandon Heath

Charlie Peacock

Chris Tomlin

Mark Schultz
Phil Keaggy
Todd Agnew
Warren Barfield

On the way to establishing post-band career:
Peter Furler (of Newsboys)
John Schlitt (of Petra fame)
Martin Smith (of delirious?)

To make the list manageable, we've also excluded vocalists who are primarily fronting a band without a body of solo work.  That list is here.

Thoughts?

Christian Music Overheard in MLB Telecasts

We've written in the past about Christian music being used promotionally by Major League Baseball, as 'at bat' songs in the Playoffs and World Series, and stars promoting Christian music, but it's still refreshing to hear during the season.  It was noted last night that Milwaukee Brewers' players Jonathan Lucroy (Red's "Let Go"), Travis Ishikawa (TobyMac's "Ignition") and Jeff Bianchi (Jeremy Camp's "Tonight") had Christian songs as their 'at bat'/'walk up' songs.  According to the Brewers' site, Corey Hart has Newsboys' "Born Again" and Mark Rogers' pitching entrance music is P.O.D.' "Lights Out."

Fourth Gold Album for Jeremy Camp

Jeremy Camp was awarded his fourth RIAA Gold Certified album for Beyond Measure last week in Nashville, TN. In addition to his Gold Record, BEC Recordings’ General Manager Tyson Paoletti presented Jeremy Camp with a commemorative plaque honoring over three million albums sold in his career.

"It is an overwhelming joy to see how the Lord has been faithful even though I am undeserving of it,” shared Camp on this career milestone. “I just want to continue to seek Him in all that I do, and want to always remember that it’s the Lord doing the work...not me! I'm so thankful for those who have stood by my side with much prayer and encouragement."

Who has had the most #1s?

Which artist has had the most #1 Christian singles? It's a bit tricky because Billboard has only been tracking for 7 years, but the order is:

No. 1 Songs, Artist
8 - MercyMe
7 - Casting Crowns
4 - Jeremy Camp
4 - Third Day
4 - Matthew West

What about albums? The answer may surprise you, I know the Top 7 certainly did for me because of some notable absences:

No. 1 Albums, Artist
19 - Michael W. Smith
9 - Steven Curtis Chapman
8 - Amy Grant
5 - Carman
5 - Kirk Franklin
5 - MercyMe
5 - P.O.D.

MercyMe Most Played Artist on Christian Radio in 2008

Here are the most played artists on Christian radio in 2008 according to Radio & Records. MercyMe is the most played artist and the rest of the top 10 contain no real surprises except for Robbie Seay Band.

Top 10 Christian AC artists:
1. MercyMe
2. Matthew West
3. Chris Tomlin
4. Casting Crowns
5. Jeremy Camp
6. Third Day
7. Natalie Grant
8. Brandon Heath
9. Steven Curtis Chapman
10. Robbie Seay Band

No surprises in the CHR list except for Skillet at #1.

Top 10 Christian CHR artists:
1. Skillet
2. Addison Road
3. The Afters
4. Needtobreathe
5. Sanctus Real
6. Hawk Nelson
7. Jeremy Camp
8. TobyMac
9. Relient K
10. Brandon Heath

No real surprises in the Top 10 except for The Wedding and Ivoryline.

Top 10 Christian Rock artists:
1. Pillar
2. The Wedding
3. Skillet
4. Family Force 5
5. Fireflight
6. Relient K
7. Wavorly
8. Ivoryline
9. Project 86
10. The Almost

"You Are Everything" was Most Played Song on Christian Radio

Here are the most played songs on Christian radio in 2008 according to Radio & Records.

Top 5 Christian AC songs:
1) You Are Everything, Matthew West
2) Let It Fade, Jeremy Camp
3) Call My Name, Third Day
4) God With us, MercyMe
5) You Reign, Mercy Me

Top 5 Christian CHR songs:
1) Never Going Back To OK, The Afters
2) Give Me Your Eyes, Brandon Heath
3) Those Nights, Skillet
4) No Matter What It Takes, Jeremy Camp
5) Call My Name, Third Day

Top 5 Christian Rock songs:
1) Whispers In The Dark, Skillet
2) Hello Alone, Anberlin
3) Crash, Decyfer Down
4) Devastation And Reform, Relient K
5) The Flame In All Of Us, Thousand Foot Krutch

Top 5 Soft AC/Inspirational songs:
1) Jesus Messiah, Chris Tomlin
2) You Reign, MercyMe
3) You're Not Along, Meredith Andrews
4) What Life Would Be Like, Big Daddy Weave
5) Mighty To Save, Laura Story

To put some of this into perspective, Matthew West's "You Are Everything" had 47,006 plays in 2008. In contrast, Skillet's "Whispers In The Dark" had 4,505 plays.

All of the Radio & Records year end charts are here.

Jeremy Camp Is "Speaking Louder Than Words"

Jeremy Camp's "Speaking Louder Than Words" premieres at only #38 with 32,000 in sales. You would think and hope such a stellar artist would generate more sales the first week.