Maverick City Music made history Sunday night by winning its first Grammy and also becoming the first Christian or Gospel group in 20 years to perform live on the broadcast.
The group won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Old Church Basement, a live LP recorded with Elevation Worship. The group also received nominations for Best Gospel Performance/Song (Wait on You), Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (Jireh) and Best Gospel Album (Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition).
Maverick City Music’s performance of Jireh during Sunday’s broadcast on CBS attracted plenty of new fans, if social media is any indication. A news release called it the “first time in over 20 years that a Gospel or Christian artist has been televised at the ceremony.” The last such performance was in 2002.
FAM! It brings us so much joy to share that we’re taking the stage for the first time at the @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs this Sunday, April 3rd on @CBS !
This is the first time 20 years that a Gospel or Christian artist has been televised! All the glory and praise goes to Jireh!🗣🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/RKurYOx59P
— Maverick City Music (@MavCityMusic) March 30, 2022
“THANK YOU JESUS!” the group’s Twitter account said after the Grammy win. “Everything we do belongs to God! We’re so honored to be a part of what He is doing in the Kingdom! Thank you to YOU our community, our family for the love and support, this wouldn’t be possible without you!”
OLD CHURCH BASEMENT won a #GRAMMY
THANK YOU JESUS!🎉Everything we do belongs to God! We’re so honored to be a part of what He is doing in the Kingdom!
Thank you to YOU our community, our family for the love and support, this wouldn’t be possible without you! @RecordingAcad pic.twitter.com/aIMdcbL8vg
— Maverick City Music (@MavCityMusic) April 3, 2022
Maverick City Music’s Chandler Moore accepted the award on stage at the Grammys, with members of the two groups – Maverick City and Elevation Worship – standing behind him.
“We just want to thank God,” he said before adding that the group was created “for those who are marginalized, unheard [and] rejected in this space to be heard.”
“All of us on this stage represent that,” he said.
Plenty of fans on social media enjoyed the performance even if it was – as some noted – cut short and spanned less than one minute.
“Actually have tears in my eyes looking at the videos of @MavCityMusic at the #GRAMMYs,” one person tweeted. “Praising and worshipping Jesus on the rooftop above the Vegas lights.”
Actually have tears in my eyes looking at the videos of @MavCityMusic at the #GRAMMYs last night 😭😭♥️♥️
Praising and worshipping Jesus on the rooftop above the Vegas lights 😭😭😭
Don’t tell me you’re missing out on ANYTHING by giving everything for Jesus 😭
— Jade (@Jade19N) April 4, 2022
“I don’t care if it was 20 seconds or 20 hours, seeing @MavCityMusic performing #Jireh live at the #GRAMMYs is a HUGE win,” another person tweeted. “The Lord is moving, even when we think he’s not.”
I don’t care if it was 20 seconds or 20 hours, seeing @MavCityMusic preforming #Jireh live at the #GRAMMYs is a HUGE win. The Lord is moving, even when we think he’s not.
— Pedro Heizer (@pedroheizer) April 4, 2022
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Denzel Washington Offered Will Smith Scripture-Inspired Advice after Oscars Slap
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/David Becker/Stringer
Video courtesy: ©Recording Academy/Grammys
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.