Natalie Grant

Natalie Grant, a Grammy nominee whose warm and earnest vocal delivery propelled her to the summit of the Billboard Christian charts, first performed as part of the contemporary Christian group the Truth. She later relocated to Nashville to launch a solo career and introduced her soulful voice on the pop-oriented self-titled debut issued in 1999. Her fourth album, the 2005 release Awaken, marked her initial entry on the Billboard 200. The 2011 track “Alive,” taken from Music Inspired by The Story, earned her first Grammy nomination, while her eighth studio album, Hurricane, arrived in 2013 and delivered both a Top 20 debut on the Billboard 200 and her first Christian chart-topper. Grant reached a career-best position of number 13 on the Billboard 200 with her tenth full-length, the 2020 set No Stranger, before returning in October 2023 with the more gospel-infused Seasons, her third project to lead the Christian albums chart.

Born in Seattle as Natalie Diane Grant, she enrolled at Northwest College in Kirkland, Washington, intending to become a teacher. She soon redirected her focus toward music as a full-time pursuit instead of a church-based activity and auditioned successfully for the Alabama-based traveling ensemble the Truth. After moving to Nashville she secured a solo contract with Benson Records in 1997.

The self-titled debut Natalie Grant appeared in 1999. The following year she departed the label and aligned with Pamplin Music, which issued her sophomore effort Stronger in 2001. When that company ceased operations, Grant began an enduring association with Curb Records. Deeper Life arrived on the imprint in 2003 and became her first recording to reach the Top 30 of the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. She penned numerous songs on the album, among them “Live for Today,” which received a Dove Award nomination, while “No Sign of It” gained broader exposure after its inclusion on the soundtrack to the Gwyneth Paltrow film View from the Top.

Awaken, her fourth studio album, was released in March 2005 and was followed later that year by the Christmas project Believe. Awaken climbed to number 141 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Three of the Christian albums chart, whereas Believe peaked at number 29 on the latter tally. Both recordings contributed to Grant receiving the 2006 Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, an honor she claimed for three successive years afterward. During that period her sixth album, Relentless, rose to number two on the Christian albums chart, a position matched by the 2010 follow-up Love Revolution. In 2012 the single “Alive” from the Bible-themed compilation Music Inspired by The Story garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance.

Hurricane, released in 2013, topped the Christian albums chart and reached number 17 on the Billboard 200, securing three additional Grammy nominations, one of which was for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Another nomination in that category accompanied the 2015 release Be One, which also ascended to number one on the Christian chart. Remaining with Curb Records, Grant issued her tenth studio album, the Grammy-nominated No Stranger, in 2020; although it peaked at number two on the Christian tally, it achieved her highest placement on the Billboard 200 at number 13. Seasons, her next full-length, emphasized gospel influences and featured collaborations with CeCe Winans, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and additional artists. Upon its October 2023 release the project returned her to the top of the Billboard Christian album chart.