Conventional wisdom has it that Amy Grant put Contemporary Christian music on the map. She surely did that, achieving such breakthroughs as being the first Contemporary Christian artist to have a platinum record, the first to hit #1 pop and the first to perform at the Grammys. Yet perhaps her greatest accomplishment was to open the door for a flood of other artists in pop as well as rock to sing about faith and soul and family and still grasp stardom. With that, her legacy as one of the most influential artists of the past couple of decades is assured.

Nearly 30 years ago Grant began embracing fans with a heartfelt singer-songwriter style mixing elements of pop, folk and country. Contemporary Christian music’s first major crossover success, she has to date earned three multiplatinum albums, six other platinum albums and four more gold albums; scored 10 Top 40 pop singles and 17 Top 40 Adult Contemporary tracks as well as a string of Contemporary Christian chart-toppers, and won six Grammy Awards plus numerous Dove Awards.

Born in Augusta, Georgia in 1960 during the residency of her doctor father, Grant was still a baby when her family (she’s the youngest of four daughters) moved back to its native Nashville. Her unlikely rise to icon status was sparked while she was working part-time sweeping floors and demagnetizing tapes in a Nashville studio. She had been singing in church and school for years and a friend, producer Brown Bannister, allowed her to use the studio to duplicate a tape of her original songs that she wanted to give to her family. But a Word Records producer heard the tape and played it over the phone for company executives. The 15-year-old was signed almost immediately.

Her self-titled 1977 debut album introduced a fresh-faced young woman with a fresh voice. A series of albums followed, including 1979’s Father’s Eyes which eventually went gold.

In 1982, Amy Grant was the first Contemporary Christian artist to reach platinum status with the release of her album, Age to Age, which also secured her a Grammy for Best Pop Gospel Performance.

Though Contemporary Christian music was clearly a growing force in the mid-’80s, no artist had yet crossed over to mainstream success. Then came Grant’s 1985 album Unguarded. Cracking the pop Top 40, earning platinum and winning a Grammy, Unguarded was a challenge within her gospel audience for its secular nature but it proved a watershed for the genre. The track “Find A Way” reached both Top 30 pop and Top 10 Adult Contemporary and its video even aired on MTV.

Now signed to major label A&M Records, another sign of her crossover appeal, her platinum 1988 album Lead Me On won the fifth of her Grammys and spun off the Top 40 AC hit “Saved By Love.” 1991’s Heart In Motion, her first Top 10 pop album and at five times platinum her biggest seller, brought together “Baby Baby” (#1 pop/#1 AC), “Every Heartbeat” (#2 pop/#2 AC), “That’s What Love Is For” (#7 pop/#1 AC), “Good For Me” (#8 pop/#4 AC) and “I Will Remember You” (#20 pop/#2 AC). The double platinum, House Of Love (1994) yielded several more top 10 pop hits.

Amy has continued to write and record music about life and love; faith and heartbreak; hope and healing. Her music continues to be part of the fabric of life for long time listeners and brand new fans.

In 2005, Amy hosted the NBC prime time series “Three Wishes” which brought her into millions of living rooms across the U.S. each Friday night.

In 2006, Amy added a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to her list of accolades. With friends, family, industry VIPs and fans in attendance, Grant’s husband/country music star Vince Gill and founder of A&M Records Jerry Moss spoke at the September 19th ceremony, along with Johnny Grant, Honorary Mayor of Hollywood and Walk of Fame Chairman.

On October 16, 2007, Amy published her first book, Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far (Flying Dolphin Press/Doubleday), a collection of her favorite memories from her life and her career. Also in 2007, Grant released her first-ever career spanning hits collection, Greatest Hits. Released around the world in CD and Special Edition CD/DVD packages, Greatest Hits features 19 tracks culled from all of Grant’s studio albums.

In the fall of 2008, Amy embarked on a 20 city “Lead Me On” reunion tour to celebrate the 20 years that had passed since that landmark recording was released. To coincide with the tour, EMI released a special “20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” of the original Lead Me On album, which includes a bonus disc of previously unreleased live tracks and new acoustic recordings of a few songs.

After the “Lead Me On” tour finished, Amy joined her husband, Vince Gill, for a Christmas tour that featured many of the classic songs they have both recorded as well as several new songs from Amy’s newest release, The Christmas Collection.

Amy Grant has done more than simply be successful in two different music worlds; in her music, in fact thanks to her music, she has brought those two worlds together.

Awards and achievements:

Grammy Awards:

Wins
1982 – Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational Age to Age
1983 – Best Gospel Performance, Female "Ageless Medley"
1984 – Best Gospel Performance, Female "Angels"
1985 – Best Gospel Performance, Female Unguarded
1988 – Best Gospel Performance, Female Lead Me On
2006 – Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album Rock of Ages…Hymns & Faith

Nominations
1992 – Album of the Year Heart in Motion
1992 – Song of the Year "Baby Baby"
1992 – Record of the Year "Baby Baby"
1992 – Pop Performance Female "Baby Baby"
1994 – Children Spoken Word Lion & the Lamb

GMA Dove Awards:

*Inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2003
1983 Artist of the Year
1983 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year Age to Age
1983 Recorded Music Packaging Age to Age
1984 Recorded Music Packaging A Christmas Album
1985 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year Straight Ahead
1986 Artist of the Year
1986 Recorded Music Packaging Unguarded
1988 Short Form Music Video of the Year "Stay For a While"
1989 Artist of the Year
1989 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year Lead Me On
1989 Short Form Music Video of the Year "Lead Me On"
1990 Country Song of the Year "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
1992 Song of the Year "Place in This World"
1992 Artist of the Year
1994 Praise and Worship Album of the Year Songs from the Loft
1996 Special Event Album of the Year My Utmost for His Highest
1998 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year Behind the Eyes
2000 Special Event Album of the Year Streams
2003 Inspirational Album of the Year Legacy...Hymns & Faith
2003 Song of the Year "The River's Gonna Keep On Rolling"
2006 Inspirational Album of the Year Rock of Ages...Hymns & Faith
2007 Long Form Music Video of the Year Time Again...Amy Grant Live

Special Awards and Recognitions:

1992 Young Tennessean of the Year — Junior Chamber of Commerce
1994 Pax Christi Award — St. John University
1994 Harmony Award – Nashville Symphony
1996 Sarah Cannon Humanitarian Award – TNN Awards
1996 Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award – Columbia Hospital
1996 Voice of America Award – ASCAP
1996 Golden Plate Award – Academy of Achievement
1999 “An Evening with the Arts” Honor — The Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Symphony and Tennessee Performing Arts Center
1999 The Amy Grant Room for Music and Entertainment — The Target House at St. Jude's Children's Hospital
2001 Nashvillian of the Year — Easter Seals
2003 Summit Award — Seminar in the Rockies
2005 Inducted in the Hollywood walk of fame
2006 Amy Grant Performance Platform — Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Center
2007 Charter member of Tiffany Circle — Red Cross
2007 Inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame