2023 Grammy Awards: Maverick City Music gives God the glory after tying Beyoncé for most wins
Maverick City Music gave all the glory to God after sweeping the Grammy Awards in nearly every Christian music category on Sunday night, tying Beyoncé with the most wins of the night.
At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, Maverick City Music and gospel legend Kirk Franklin took home four Grammy Awards: Best Gospel Performance/Song (“Kingdom” feat. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore), Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance (“Fear is Not My Future” feat. Brandon Lake & Chandler Moore), Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (“Breathe”) and Best Gospel Album (“Kingdom Book One” Deluxe).
“I’m super grateful to God and what He’s able to do when you just decide to give your life to serve other people and to uplift voices that are not normally heard,” Maverick City Music member Naomi Raine said after accepting the award for Best Gospel Album.
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“This album for us was one where we were able to go into Everglades Correctional Facility and minister to incarcerated people and let them know that God still loves them and still sees them no matter what. And so we're just honored that it's making an impact,” she continued.
Franklin added that the album’s success is evidence that gospel music is still “alive and well,” adding: “This is the future.”
With four trophies, the Atlanta-based gospel music collective tied with Beyoncé for the most awards for the night. The group beat out other CCM heavy hitters, including Erica Campbell, for King & Country, TobyMac, Anne Wilson, Keith and Kristyn Getty and Chris Tomlin.
Chandler Moore said the album "Breathe" aims to encourage those struggling to remember God's faithfulness.
"We did this album in the middle of the pandemic when it was so hard for many people to breathe and just catch a breath," he said after accepting the trophy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. "God gave us a song and an album just encouraging people as deep as a breath as you need to take, take that breath because God gave you a breath, and God gave us a breath for one reason, to praise the Lord. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
Maverick City Music also performed on this year’s Grammy Award broadcast as part of a tribute to late Migos member Kirsnick's “Takeoff” Ball. The group joined fellow Migos representative Quavo for the emotional set.
In the performance, Maverick City Music aimed "to raise awareness around gun violence and keeping the faith during troubled times," a press release announcing the performance read.
Moore, Raine, Tony Brown, Jonathan Jay, Brandon Lake, MJ George, Joe L. Barnes, Harold Brown, Lizzie Morgan and Aaron Moses make up the multicultural group.
On social media, the group celebrated the win: “Wow!! Fam!! We are incredibly honored and grateful to our Father for using us in this space and to YOU for always supporting us,” they wrote.
Tennessee State University Marching Band also made history, becoming the first HBCU band to win a Grammy, winning the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album ("The Urban Hymnal").
Raine previously credited the “honesty” of Maverick City Music's lyrics and commitment to honoring God for its crossover success.
“It’s about [God’s] consistency, His goodness, His faithfulness. I think, really, that’s something we can all agree on,” Raine told CP.
The 2023 Grammy Awards aired live on CBS and Paramount+ Sunday night from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
