Waken The Dead

Band file

Chris Tomlin quick facts

FromGrand Saline, Texas, United States
Years active1993–present
StatusActive
SoundCCMRockWorship
LabelsCapitol Christian Music GroupPassion ConferencesSixstepsrecordsSparrow Records
Past members (1)

Christopher Dwayne Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader from Grand Saline, Texas. He is signed to Universal's Capitol Christian Music Group. His best-known songs include "How Great Is Our God", "Our God", "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)" and "Holy Forever".

Early life

At the age of 13, Tomlin began singing at the Main Street Baptist church in Grand Saline. He wrote his first worship song at age 14. During high school, Tomlin learned to lead worship in his youth group. After graduating from Grand Saline High School in 1990, he entered Tyler Junior College (TJC) planning for a medical or physical therapy career. Tomlin graduated in 1992 and enrolled in Texas A&M University to study medicine. He grew active in a campus Christian group called Breakaway, where he became the worship leader. In 1994, Tomlin graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor's degree in psychology. After college Tomlin participated as a worship leader at various camps in Texas, including Dawson McAllister Youth Conferences. While at Breakaway, Tomlin participated in a Bible study led by Choice Ministries founder Louie Giglio. In 1997, Tomlin partnered with Giglio to found Passion Conferences.

Career

Tomlin performing in 2009

In 1995, Tomlin released Inside Your Love, which was released independently. In 1998, he released Authentic on Sparrow Records.

In 2000, Tomlin signed onto newly founded Sixstepsrecords, a subsidiary of Passion Conferences. His first nationally released solo project, titled The Noise We Make, was released in 2001, featuring the song "Forever". He released the live EP 545 and his second studio album Not to Us in 2002.

Since his signing onto Sixstepsrecords, Tomlin has released nine full-length studio albums. 2004's Arriving was the first to chart on Billboard's Hot Christian Albums chart and the Billboard 200. Tomlin has topped the Hot Christian Albums chart six times, and his 2013 album Burning Lights topped the Billboard 200, making the album only the fourth contemporary Christian album to do so.

Tomlin has also released one live album, recorded in Austin Music Hall, and two Christmas albums (2009, 2015), both of which topped the Holiday albums chart on Billboard.

Tomlin has toured with many contemporary Christian artists, such as Delirious?, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, and MercyMe. Tomlin has headlined several tours, and has also joined Passion Conferences for national and global tours and events. Tomlin has also participated in various other conferences festivals including Grand Saline's annual Salt Festival in Texas, Hillsong's 2007 conference, and the SoCal Harvest in Anaheim.

On June 14, 2007, Tomlin's version of the song "Indescribable" was used as the official wake-up call for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester on Space Shuttle mission STS-117. Chris Tomlin left Sixstepsrecords in 2015 and signed to Capitol Records CMG and River Music Holdings in 2016

On September 21, 2025, Tomlin led worship for the memorial service of Charlie Kirk held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The assassination of Charlie Kirk occurred in Utah on September 10, 2025.

On July 1, 2026, Tomlin's performance at the United States Semiquincentennial event in Washington, D.C. was met with widespread ridicule due to a lack of fans and a mostly-empty event established by the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday.

Personal life

Tomlin married Lauren Bricken on November 9, 2010. They have three daughters.

Awards and achievements

According to Christian Copyright Licensing International's list of the top 25 worship songs in the US in August 2007, Tomlin held five spots with songs he has either written, co-written or performed: "How Great Is Our God" (No. 1), "Forever" (No. 5), "Holy Is the Lord" (No. 7), "We Fall Down" (No. 12), and "Indescribable" (No. 22) (written by Laura Story). In 2008, Tomlin held 6 spots on 20 The Countdown Magazine's top 20 praise and worship songs: "We Fall Down" (No. 14), "Forever" (No. 10), "Holy Is the Lord" (No. 8), "Indescribable" (No. 6), "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" (No. 3), and "How Great Is our God" (No. 1). In 2012, CCLI reported that his songs were performed more than 3 million times in churches around the world. Time magazine has called him "most often sung artist anywhere" in 2006, and in 2013, he was also pronounced the most sung songwriter in the world. In 2017, he became only the fourth artist to receive the Sound Exchange Digital Radio Award for surpassing a billion digital radio streams, and in 2018, he became the first Christian artist to receive the Billionaire award from Pandora for reaching a billion Pandora streams.

Grammy Awards

2007

See the Morning

2009

Hello Love

2011

Best Gospel Song ("Our God")

2012

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance ("I Lift My Hands")

2012

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song ("I Lift My Hands")

2012

And If Our God Is For Us...

2014

Whom Shall I Fear

2014

Burning Lights

2016

Love Ran Red

2023

Holy Forever

2023

Always

GMA Dove Awards

Throughout his career, Chris Tomlin has been nominated for more than 50 Dove Awards (at least 6 of them collaborative efforts) and won 23 of them.

2005

Arriving

2006

Artist of the Year

2006

Male Vocalist of the Year

2006

Holy Is the Lord

2006

How Great Is Our God

2006

Worship Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")

2006

Worship Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")

2006

Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia

2006

Passion: How Great Is Our God

2006

WOW Christmas: Green

2007

Artist of the Year

2007

Male Vocalist of the Year

2007

Made to Worship

2007

Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")

2007

See The Morning

2007

Worship Song of the Year ("Holy Is the Lord")

2007

Worship Song of the Year ("Made to Worship")

2007

See The Morning

2007

Passion: Everything Glorious

2008

Artist of the Year

2008

Male Vocalist of the Year

2008

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

2008

Worship Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")

2008

Worship Song of the Year ("How Great Is Our God")

2008

Music Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing Grace

2009

Artist of the Year

2009

Male Vocalist of the Year

2009

Song of the Year ("Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)")

2009

Worship Song of the Year ("Jesus Messiah")

2009

Hello Love

2009

Passion: God of This City

2010

Song of the Year ("I Will Rise")

2010

Worship Song of the Year ("I Will Rise")

2010

Hello Love

2010

Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship

2011

Artist of the Year

2011

Male Vocalist of the Year

2011

Song of the Year ("Our God")

2011

Worship Song of the Year ("Our God")

2011

Passion: Awakening

2012

And If Our God Is For Us...

2013

Song of the Year ("Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)")

2013

Burning Lights

2013

Burning Lights

2013

Artist of the Year

2013

Passion: White Flag

2013

Passion: Let The Future Begin

2013

Passion: White Flag

2013

Passion: Let The Future Begin

2014

Songwriter of the Year

2015

Love Ran Red

2016

Songwriter of the Year

2017

Artist of the Year

2017

Songwriter of the Year

2017

Never Lose Sight

2017

Jesus

2018

Resurrection Power

2019

Holy Roar

2019

Long Form Video of the Year (Holy Roar: Live from Church)

2026

Worship Recorded Song of the Year ("How Good It Is")

Billboard Music Awards

2011

Top Christian Artist

2011

And If Our God Is for Us...

2011

Top Christian Song ("Our God")

K-Love Fan Awards

2026

Worship Song of the Year ("How Good It Is")

2026

Male Artist of the Year

We Love Awards

2025

How Good It Is

Others

Tomlin was nominated for two 2009 Visionary Award: Male Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year for "Jesus Messiah".

Bibliography

Filmography

2013

Grace Unplugged

2025

The Last Supper

2025

The First Hymn

See also

Latest

Latest video
Latest video

Discography

Albums

1995

Inside Your Love

1998

Authentic

1998

Too Much Free Time

2001

The Noise We Make

2002

Not to Us

2004

Arriving

2006

See the Morning

2008

Hello Love

2010

And If Our God Is for Us...

2013

Burning Lights

2014

Love Ran Red

2016

Never Lose Sight

2018

Holy Roar

2020

Chris Tomlin & Friends

2022

Always

2025

The King Is Still The King

Scene Atlas

Band Bloodlines

Follow the musicians who connect Chris Tomlin to other bands and projects. Confirmed release appearances are included when reliable source evidence is available.

Open Bloodlines Atlas
References
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