Contemporary gospel vocalist Koryn Hawthorne possesses a deeply resonant, soul-stirring voice that merges traditional gospel with contemporary R&B. Finishing fourth on season eight of NBC’s The Voice propelled her into the spotlight, where her 2018 debut album Unstoppable ascended to the top of the gospel charts and secured a Grammy nomination for the track “Won’t He Do It.” She has sustained her prominence in the genre, earning a Dove Award nomination for “Speak to Me” while placing both her 2020 release I AM and her 2024 project On God inside the Top Ten of Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart.
Born in Abbeville, Louisiana, as the child of a minister, Hawthorne first encountered music through church services. Throughout high school she performed at local festivals, nursing homes, and charity functions. At sixteen she earned a spot on the 2015 edition of The Voice by delivering Emeli Sandé’s “My Kind of Love.” Though initially selected for Christina Aguilera’s team, she was later claimed by Pharrell Williams. Guest mentor Gwen Stefani worked with her during the competition, and her performance of Ed Sheeran’s “Make It Rain” carried her beyond the Top Ten while entering the iTunes songs chart at number three that week.
In 2016 Hawthorne finalized a management agreement with Maximum Artist Group and contributed the theme song to Bounce TV’s Saints & Sinners. The following year she issued her self-titled debut EP. Her first full-length project, Unstoppable, arrived in 2018, topped Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart, and brought another Grammy nomination for “Won’t He Do It.”
The lead single “Pray” from her sophomore album I AM became another success in 2020; the project also featured “Speak to Me,” which received nominations for Song of the Year and Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards. Her third studio album, On God, followed in February 2024 and contained the Munson Steed co-written and co-produced single “Look at God,” which helped the set open at number six on the Top Gospel Albums chart.
