Koryn Hawthorne

Contemporary gospel singer Koryn Hawthorne is blessed with a soulful, highly resonant timbre and a style the straddles both gospel and R&B. The fourth-place finisher on season eight of NBC's The Voice, she shot to fame, topping the gospel charts with her 2018 debut, Unstoppable and earned a Grammy nomination for the song "Won't He Do It." She has remained a gospel star, picking up a Dove Award nomination for "Speak to Me" and hitting the Top Ten of Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart with both 2020's I AM and 2024's On God.

A native of Abbeville, Louisiana, Hawthorne is the daughter of a minister and was first introduced to music while singing in church. During high school, Hawthorne sang locally at festivals, nursing homes, and charity events. In 2015, though only 16 years old, she was accepted onto the NBC reality vocal competition The Voice with her rendition of Emeli Sandé's "My Kind of Love." Initially picked as a member of judge Christina Aguilera's team, Hawthorne was eventually "stolen" by judge Pharrell Williams. During her time on the show, Hawthorne received mentoring from guest Gwen Stefani and made it past the Top Ten with her rendition of Ed Sheeran's "Make It Rain," which debuted at number three on the iTunes songs chart the week of her performance.

In 2016, Hawthorne signed a management deal with Maximum Artist Group and recorded the theme song for the Bounce TV series Saints & Sinners. She released an eponymous debut EP the following year. In 2018, she returned with her full-length debut album, Unstoppable, which topped Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart and earned Hawthorne a Grammy Award nomination for her song "Won't He Do It."

She landed another hit with "Pray," the lead single from her second album, 2020's I AM. Along with "Pray," the album included "Speak to Me," which was nominated for both Song of the Year and Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards. In February 2024, she returned with her third studio LP, On God. Included on the album was the Munson Steed co-written and co-produced single "Look at God." The set debuted at number six on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart. ~ Matt Collar