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Recommended New Releases:

• Drea — Gentle (WA) #RnB
• Alzzy — TV (VIC) #Pop
• Emmie Li — Villian Soaked in Shame (VIC) #Pop
• Darliie — Love Now (WA) #Afrobeat

More local Christian releases on our Australian Christian Pop Spotify Playlists

UPCOMING SHOWS:

• We Are Messengers w/ Nathan Tasker, Jan 27-31 (WA, VIC, QLD, NSW)
• Taya, Jan 29, 30 (NSW, QLD)

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Australia’s Christian Music scene has seen a real resurgence in 2025, and there’s heaps more to come in 2026! Also, we share the nation’s top Christian songs by Australian artists for 2025.

Just last week, I was on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria ringing in the New Year with hundreds of people from around the country at the Seek Jesus Festival. It was an incredible experience with a community of Christian artists and bands sharing their messages and talents over the three days.

Musical highlights over the two stages included seasoned touring professionals River Movement, Sam Hornshaw, LILLI and Joseph Lim, as well as emerging artists like Victor Claye, Elifia, Meera, Emmie Li and many others, but the undoubted highlight for me was being a part of the praise and worship on the stroke of midnight. With Rory McKenna of TEKOA pouring his heart out to classic worship hymns, and all the festival-goers surrounding a hot tub in the adjacent Narnia-like forest clearing, we witnessed multiple baptisms and peoples’ lives touched. It truly felt like a little taste of heaven.

This was the realisation of a dream that I and many others have shared to bring back a Christian music scene active and alive for Christ — just like it was when, as a teenager, I and so many others travelled to festivals like Easterfest, and to share a good (and wholesome) time with our Christian peers. Such experiences revitalised our faith, brought people to the Lord and in my case connected me to a youth group that helped set a solid foundation for my faith journey since.

Australia’s Christian music scene still has a long way to go, though. Looking back at our monthly news features since we started last February, we have explored some of the challenges local Christian Australian artists face when compared with our peers over in Nashville and the USA, but we have seen so many encouraging grassroots poking through with initiatives like Aus Music Showcase from established players such as our Christian radio stations and CMAA, as well as independent artist collectives such as Paideia and our local Christian music festivals like Seek Jesus, Freedom Music Festival and Heartsong.

Seek Jesus Festival was a blast with midnight baptisms on New Year’s Eve and performances by some of Australia’s leading Christian artists. (L-R Your writer as a DJ with afrobeat/hiphop artist Victor Claye)

This publication, too, has made a real difference as a new focal point for the nation’s local Christian music scene. The co-publishing partnership we share with The Daily Declaration has significantly grown the exposure, reach and influence of the Australian Christian music scene and helped break new ground to shine the light on local Christian artists.

By interviewing international acts with a heart for Australia, such as Lecrae and We Are Messengers, we stay connected with what our brother and sister artists are doing overseas. At the same time, we have created an even playing field by shining the same spotlight in telling the stories of our own Christian artists from a wide range of genres like River Movement (folk rap), Ninan (hip hop), AndyG (EDM), Ethan Beer (acoustic pop), Navy Jones (hymns), Josh Halls (worship) and even the Australian Christian Orchestra.

Another successful initiative from 2025 has been the introduction of our Recommended Releases, which has seen songs featured from an incredible 33 different Australian Christian artists. There’s no way anyone can say we don’t have talent, and we have done the difficult work of discovery for you, highlighting these artists in our Spotify playlists.

Australia now also has a new way for local talent to be measured and recognised. In partnership with Today’s Christian Music (TCM), which has been running the national Christian radio airplay charts for 25 years, the OZ 5 Top Tunes national chart was introduced in May 2025. Focused exclusively on Australian artists, the OZ 5 has given local artists additional visibility and reach, as well as something special for emerging artists to aspire to.

From the same data, we have for the first time also compiled the end-of-year chart and are proud to present the OZ 10 Top Tunes for Australian Christian artists in 2025:

1. Steven Malcolm/For King & Country — Yes
2. For King & Country — World on Fire
3. Aodhan King — Without You
4. Aodhan King — Hallelujah (If Not For You)
5. Kate Westwood — Weight Of The World
6. Planetboom — Hold Onto You
7. Ethan Beer — Eyes For You
8. Planetboom — All Around The World
9. For King & Country — 40
10. Justin Michael — Cannot See Tomorrow

Looking to 2026 and the future looks brighter again.

Globally, Christian music has been experiencing a real momentum shift and impacting culture in a way it hasn’t in a long time. As we have covered before, Billboard has reported how faith-driven songs from artists like Forrest Frank and Brandon Lake are returning to major charts for the first time in over a decade, noting an incredible 60% surge in Christian music streaming worldwide over the past five years.

Australia should not be passively importing American Christian culture and their music role models. We can’t be left out, and need to take action to foster our own talent and associated Christian music scene.

One person taking action is the founder of 1606 Management, Cameron Gullo, who, together with APRA AMCOS — Australia’s national music royalty and rights management organisation — will host Australia’s first Christian Music Conference in Sydney on 6 March.

The Australian Christian Music Conference will be held at APRA AMCOS HQ.

According to Cameron,

Australia is home to extraordinary talent, and one of the largest exporters of the Christian music genre worldwide. The Christian Music Conference will be a catalyst for uniting artists, and industry leaders to grow the genre, advance the gospel, and establish Australia at the heart of a global movement redefining the sound of faith.

Activities are being announced very soon, but the day will include local and international speakers covering the fields of radio, touring, licensing and more, as well as giving conference-goers the chance to hear Australian artists like Ethan Beer, TEKOA, and Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding’s new worship group CXMMXNS.

Here at Australian Christian Records, we can’t wait to see what God has planned for 2026. We have heard many stories of how music has changed people’s lives, and have also begun seeing more and more artists boldly declare and share their faith through their music and on their growing social platforms.

So let’s join hands and work together to grow Australia’s Christian music scene and for His glory.

Follow:

Christian Music Conference

Sydney, 6 March 2026

Website:                      www.christianmusicconference.com

Instagram:                   @christianmusicconference