It is likely one of the most shocking music tales of the 12 months. While streams of recent music — releases from the final 18 months — have been down from final 12 months, one style is on the rise: Christian and gospel music, based on trade information and analytics firm Luminate’s 2025 Midyear Report.
Jaime Marconette, Luminate’s vp of music insights and trade relations, stated the shift is led by acts like Forrest Frank, Brandon Lake and Elevation Worship, who’re connecting with a “younger, streaming-forward fan base” that is 60% feminine and 30% millennial. In reality, for the primary time in 11 years, two modern Christian music songs — Frank’s “Your Way’s Better” and Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Jelly Roll — broke by means of the Billboard Hot 100’s all-genre Top 40, inserting them in direct competitors with mainstream artists.
It’s additionally why historically secular artists like Jelly Roll, Killer Mike and T.I. are nominated in Christian music classes on the forthcoming 2026 Grammys — the strains are blurring.
“Christian music (is) unlike any other genre that’s defined by a sonic component. Christian music is defined by its lyrical component,” says Holly Zabka, the president of Provident Entertainment, a Sony Christian music subsidiary. “It’s not limited to a narrow definition. It’s a lyrical component that can appeal to anyone’s musical preference.”
From a label perspective, she’s eager about pursuing artists that “don’t have to fit within that narrow lane of Christian bookstore and Christian radio. It can be rap, hip-hop, it can be rock, it can be country, and that’s appealing 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 a few years, CCM jas held a popularity for being unimaginative — what author John Jeremiah Sullivan infamously known as “excellence-proof” — for its tendency to imitate and water down common, modern mainstream sounds for a spiritual viewers.
“Absolutely there’s been an improvement in quality,” says Zabka. “When all the music has to live side by side on these streaming platforms, we can’t just be the cheap alternative. ‘Oh, you like Taylor Swift? You will like this lesser version offering in the Christian genre.’ We want to be the greatest art.”
“You have to imitate before you innovate,” Chris Brown, singer and worship chief at Elevation Worship, jokes. “There’s not as many rigid lines stylistically within Christian music as maybe there was 10 years ago or certainly like 20, 30 years ago.”
“There was a period of time where people idealized Christian music as like, ‘OK, we’re going to have this look, we’re going to sound like this,’” says two-time Grammy-winning Christian and pop musician Lauren Daigle. “There’s so much more artistry now. People are very expressive. They’re able to share their creativity. And that also comes with different types of people represented.”
Zabka says her style is experiencing “a special moment and … a perfect storm.” Streaming and the flexibility to attach on social media have democratized music discovery, she says, permitting CCM to compete with secular music. That, partnered with what she views as “a resurgence of faith” in younger individuals, is accountable for the curiosity.
The variety of Americans who establish as Christian has declined steadily for years, however that drop exhibits indicators of slowing, based on a 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center. A brand new class of millennial and Gen Z Christian influencers, too, are aiming to attach with younger individuals.
“Christian music has also shifted in its authenticity of the lyrics,” Zabka provides, making the music extra relatable than earlier iterations of the style, which regularly featured a neat message of “everything is going to be OK, just follow Jesus” in 3 ½ minutes. Now, she says, “their songs are much more authentic and real and honest. ‘Life is hard. Breakups are hard. Bad things happen,’ and that provides a level of hope that other music doesn’t provide for the listener.”
Daigle factors out that artists like Lake are performing in big stadiums — categorical proof that Christian artists are rising in recognition.
“I think a lot of people are looking at the world and … they find fortitude in this music, and they find a sense of strength in this music, and they find truth in this music,” she says.
Daigle additionally theorizes that as a result of “Christian music points to something else” — to God — as an alternative of specializing in particular person points or the ego of the performer on stage, it evens the enjoying subject between listener and artist, whereas giving each a way of goal.
“In a world that has become so self-focused and self-centered, the freedom of saying ‘Wow, I can actually lean on someone else for a while,’ or ‘There’s something that is actually greater than me,’” she says. “And the purpose of Christian music, for me, is to bring hope to people.”
Brown theorizes that folks relate to his Charlotte, North Carolina-based CCM collective due to “how fundamentally we’re rooted” of their native church.
“It’s easy to connect because we’re just church people,” he says.
Lake, who’s nominated for 3 Grammys in 2026, together with “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” believes individuals are connecting with Christian music now as a result of that is merely the aim of spiritual music.
“The reason why people are turning their ear toward those kinds of songs right now is because that’s what they were made for,” Lake says. “People are finding in these songs — they’re finding themselves, their spirit, connecting with the spirit of God. … Those songs aren’t just entertainment; they tee up an encounter.”
“I love all kinds of music,” he continues, “but if you have a song that carries that kind of message, it’s just super charged, you know? It does something deeper.”
He additionally believes this can be the beginning of a crossover second, the place extra Christian artists might be welcomed into different genres and mainstream areas. “I pray it’s just the beginning,” he says. “And I pray that it takes over.”
Jelly Roll agrees. “I think there really is a revival happening in America right now where people are being re-presented the Gospel in a digestible way. And it doesn’t seem as finger-waggy and ‘You’re all going to hell,’ you know?” he says.
“I really don’t care when the organized religions wave their finger at me,” he continues. “I’m just glad to see the message, the Gospel getting presented.”
The 68th Grammy Awards might be held Feb. 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The present will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
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