<p><strong>Forrest Frank's tour documentary, <em>The Jesus Generation</em>, is headed to theaters in 2027.</strong> The film follows his 2026 headlining tour of the same name and is being released through Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company. The first official teaser went live on his YouTube channel in the last week of October 2026. No exact release date, runtime or rating has been announced yet, so anything that gives you one is a guess.</p>
<p>Here is what has been confirmed, what the tour numbers actually say, and what is still unknown.</p>

<h2>The quick facts</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>What it is:</strong> a feature-length concert and tour documentary about the <em>Jesus Generation Tour</em> and the young fans who filled arenas and stadiums for it.</li>
<li><strong>When:</strong> "2027" in theaters. No date has been announced.</li>
<li><strong>Who is releasing it:</strong> Lionsgate with Kingdom Story Company, per Patheos' Reel Faith column. Kingdom Story Company is the faith-focused studio behind earlier theatrical releases that Lionsgate distributed.</li>
<li><strong>What has been shown:</strong> one official teaser, posted by Forrest Frank on YouTube (embedded below).</li>
<li><strong>Where updates will appear:</strong> Frank has pointed fans to <a href="https://forrestfrank.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">forrestfrank.com</a> for news and sign-ups.</li>
</ul>

<figure class="video-embed" style="margin:1.5rem 0"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6E3dQIAR-mE" title="Forrest Frank - THE JESUS GENERATION (Official Movie Teaser)" loading="lazy" allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;aspect-ratio:16/9;border:0"></iframe><figcaption>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E3dQIAR-mE" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Forrest Frank - THE JESUS GENERATION (Official Movie Teaser)</a> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hiforrest" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Forrest Frank</a> (YouTube)</figcaption></figure>

<h2>What the teaser shows</h2>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/reelfaith/2026/10/watch-forrest-franks-jesus-generation-concert-doc-teaser.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Patheos</a>, the teaser cuts between crowded arena footage, moments of worship and short personal testimonies. Packed venues sing back the title track, and Frank is shown leading prayer from the stage. Voices that appear include Chris Tomlin, Sadie Robertson Huff, Jelly Roll and Michael W. Smith, and the closing line is Frank's own: "I don't know a better name to call it than the Jesus generation."</p>
<p>The moment that spread fastest was a backstage embrace between Frank and Jelly Roll, with Jelly Roll saying it was "an overdue hug" that "is going to heal a lot of people, not just us." <a href="https://rapzilla.com/2026-10-forrest-frank-the-jesus-generation-tour-documentary-coming/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rapzilla</a> ties it to a public back-and-forth the two had the year before about money and Christian music, which ended in mutual respect rather than a split. Rapzilla also lists Rick Rubin and Philip Anthony Mitchell among the voices in the film.</p>

<h2>The tour numbers behind the film</h2>
<p>The documentary exists because the tour was unusually large for Christian music. Using the figures reported by Rapzilla and RELEVANT:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>29 cities</strong>, from June 1 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a finale at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.</li>
<li><strong>More than 519,000 fans</strong> over about two months, according to the tour's promoters. The Arlington finale drew more than 35,000.</li>
<li><strong>Pollstar's LIVE75 chart:</strong> RELEVANT reported the tour at No. 5, behind stadium names such as Bad Bunny, BTS, Luke Combs and Iron Maiden.</li>
<li><strong>Growth from earlier tours:</strong> the 2024 <em>Child of God Tour</em> drew 48,246 fans across 17 shows, and <em>Child of God Tour Part 2</em> drew 214,626 across 26 shows. The 2026 run more than doubled the second figure.</li>
</ul>
<p>Rapzilla calls it the largest-attended Christian music tour in history. That is the outlet's description, and we have not found an independent industry ranking that confirms the exact superlative, so treat it as a claim rather than a record book entry. The attendance figures themselves come from promoter and trade-reported numbers.</p>
<p>The chart side of the story is covered separately. Rapzilla reports that Frank has placed 70 songs on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart, the most of any artist, and that "Your Way's Better" was the No. 1 Hot Christian Song of 2025. If you want to understand how that chart is built, our explainer on the <a href="/blog/billboard-hot-christian-songs-chart-explained">Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart</a> walks through it.</p>

<h2>What we do not know yet</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>The release date.</strong> Only the year, 2027, has been given.</li>
<li><strong>The distribution plan.</strong> Whether it opens wide, plays a limited run, or uses fan-event screenings has not been stated.</li>
<li><strong>Ticketing.</strong> No presale or ticket links have been announced. Use the official site and the studio's channels, and be wary of third-party "early access" pages.</li>
<li><strong>Streaming.</strong> There is no announced streaming date or platform.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Why a concert documentary matters for Christian film</h2>
<p>Most Christian theatrical hits have been scripted dramas or biopics. A concert documentary is a different test: the audience is a music fanbase, not a church-group film audience, and the draw is a living artist rather than a story. How it performs will say something about whether a Christian artist's live following converts to ticket sales at the cinema. For context on how faith-based films have done in theaters so far, see our list of the <a href="/blog/highest-grossing-christian-movies">highest-grossing Christian movies</a>, and for how this year's major Christian music honors went, see the <a href="/blog/2026-dove-awards-winners-results">2026 Dove Awards winners</a>.</p>
<p>We will not guess at box office numbers before a release date exists. When there is a date and a distribution plan, that is when the comparison becomes worth making.</p>

<h2>FAQ</h2>
<h3>Is <em>The Jesus Generation</em> a scripted movie?</h3>
<p>No. It is a documentary about the tour and its fans, not a scripted drama.</p>
<h3>Who is in the film?</h3>
<p>Forrest Frank is the center of it. The teaser features Chris Tomlin, Sadie Robertson Huff, Jelly Roll and Michael W. Smith, and Rapzilla also names Rick Rubin and Philip Anthony Mitchell.</p>
<h3>When can I watch it?</h3>
<p>In theaters in 2027. A specific date has not been announced, and there is no streaming date.</p>
<h3>Where should I look for official news?</h3>
<p>Frank's own site, <a href="https://forrestfrank.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">forrestfrank.com</a>, and his official YouTube channel.</p>

<p><em>Sources: <a href="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/reelfaith/2026/10/watch-forrest-franks-jesus-generation-concert-doc-teaser.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Patheos Reel Faith</a>, <a href="https://rapzilla.com/2026-10-forrest-frank-the-jesus-generation-tour-documentary-coming/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rapzilla</a> (citing <a href="https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/movies/forrest-frank-announces-the-jesus-generation-tour-documentary-is-coming-to-theaters-next-year/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">RELEVANT</a>), and Forrest Frank's official YouTube teaser. Details were current on October 28, 2026 and may change as the studio shares more.</em></p>


Forrest Frank's tour documentary The Jesus Generation hits theaters in 2027. Teaser details, tour attendance figures, who is releasing it, and what is still unknown.

Forrest Frank's Tour Documentary in Theaters 2027: What We Know So Far

<p>The <strong>ECPA bestseller list</strong> is the main sales chart for Christian books in the United States. Each month the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) takes the previous month's point-of-sale data from <strong>Circana BookScan</strong>, keeps only books from ECPA member publishers, and ranks them: a Top 50 plus separate lists for fiction, nonfiction, children's books, Bibles, Spanish titles and more. It measures copies sold to readers at reporting retailers, not copies printed, shipped or given away.</p>
<p>The October 2026 lists, covering September sales, were released on October 13, 2026. Two new arrivals led the Top 50: <em>The Elijah Mandate</em> by Amir Tsarfati and Tolik Piflaks, and Lysa TerKeurst's <em>Making Peace With What I Can't Control</em>. Below is how the chart is built, what it leaves out, and how to read a "bestseller" claim on a Christian book.</p>

<h2>Who makes the ECPA list</h2>
<p>ECPA is a trade association of Christian publishers. It does not count sales itself. The numbers come from Circana BookScan (formerly NPD BookScan), the sales-tracking service that much of the US book trade uses. ECPA's job is to filter that data down to its own members' books and publish the rankings.</p>
<p>That filter matters. A Christian book from a publisher that is not an ECPA member will not appear, however well it sells. And a book from a member publisher can appear even if most shops would not shelve it in a Christian section, because membership, not subject, is the test.</p>

<h2>How the ranking is built, step by step</h2>
<p>ECPA describes its method in four steps:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Receive the previous month's BookScan data.</strong> The October list reflects September sales, so the chart always runs about a month behind.</li>
<li><strong>Keep only ECPA member publishers.</strong> Everything else is removed before ranking.</li>
<li><strong>Rank the Top 50.</strong> This headline list includes adult nonfiction, fiction and adult coloring books. It leaves out children's books, Bibles and books priced under $6, which have their own lists.</li>
<li><strong>Rank the category lists.</strong> Top 25 lists cover nonfiction, fiction, juvenile, young adult, books under $6, Bibles, Bibles under $10, new releases, Spanish titles, Spanish juvenile, Spanish under $6, Spanish Bibles and Spanish Bibles under $10. A separate Top 10 ranks Bible translations by adding up sales of complete Bibles in each translation.</li>
</ol>
<p>Because Bibles have their own chart, a study Bible that outsells every book in a month still will not top the Top 50. When you see a devotional or novel at No. 1, it is No. 1 among non-Bible adult titles from member publishers.</p>

<h2>Where the sales data comes from</h2>
<p>BookScan collects point-of-sale data each week from a panel of reporting retailers. The current list published with ECPA's methodology includes Amazon.com, Barnes &amp; Noble, Books-A-Million, Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, Christianbook.com, Bookshop.org, Mardel and Deseret Book, among many others. Independent Christian stores are added through a partnership with The Parable Group, and those sales are partially weighted.</p>
<p>Some big names have dropped out over the years, and that changes what the chart can see. The same retailer list notes that Lifeway's stores stopped reporting in 2019, when the chain closed its shops, and Lifeway.com stopped reporting in mid-2024. Family Christian, once a major Christian bookstore chain, stopped in 2017. If a book sells mostly through a channel that does not report, the ECPA chart will undercount it.</p>

<h3>What about book-signing and event sales?</h3>
<p>Christian authors often sell many books at conferences, church events and tours. For years those sales were left out. ECPA now says Circana has a procedure that lets qualifying event sales count, but only if the publisher notifies Circana at least 30 days ahead, the books are sold through an approved reporting retailer, and the sales are reported in the week of the event. Books bought in bulk by an author or church and then resold do not count, because that would double-count copies. Even when the rules are followed, Circana can exclude questionable data, and in a short review window doubtful sales usually stay out.</p>

<h2>What the ECPA list does not measure</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Bulk and church orders outside reporting stores.</strong> Copies a church buys straight from a publisher for a sermon series or small groups are a big part of Christian publishing, and they generally do not show up in point-of-sale data.</li>
<li><strong>All-time totals.</strong> The list is monthly. A book's lifetime sales come from publisher announcements, not from ECPA rankings. Our list of the <a href="/blog/best-selling-christian-books-of-all-time">best-selling Christian books of all time</a> explains where those big lifetime numbers come from.</li>
<li><strong>Non-member publishers.</strong> Strong-selling Christian books from publishers outside ECPA are invisible on this chart.</li>
<li><strong>Exact copy counts.</strong> ECPA publishes rank positions, not sales figures, because the underlying numbers belong to Circana.</li>
</ul>
<p>That last point is also why we do not reprint the full lists here. ECPA states that the lists contain Circana's proprietary information and should not be copied to other websites without Circana's written consent. The official place to read them is ECPA's consumer site, <a href="https://readgoodbooks.com/bestseller/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ReadGoodBooks.com</a>, with older months archived on <a href="https://christianbookexpo.com/bestseller/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ChristianBookExpo.com</a>.</p>

<h2>ECPA list vs. the New York Times and Amazon</h2>
<p>Christian books are often promoted with more than one "bestseller" label. They measure different things:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>ECPA bestseller list:</strong> monthly, ECPA member publishers only, ranked from Circana BookScan point-of-sale data. Best for comparing Christian titles with each other.</li>
<li><strong>The New York Times best sellers:</strong> weekly and open to all publishers. The Times says its rankings reflect unit sales reported confidentially by vendors, and it does not publish its full list of sources. A Christian title on the Times list is competing with every genre at once.</li>
<li><strong>Amazon Best Sellers Rank:</strong> based only on Amazon's own sales and updated hourly. A book can be "No. 1 in a category" on Amazon for a few hours after a launch or a promotion. That is a real signal of momentum, but it is not a chart position in the usual sense.</li>
</ul>
<p>A book described as a "Christian bestseller" without naming a list usually means it reached the ECPA chart. "National bestseller" or "New York Times bestseller" are stronger general-market claims. The pattern is the same in music, where the <a href="/blog/billboard-hot-christian-songs-chart-explained">Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart</a> mixes several data sources, and in film, where <a href="/blog/highest-grossing-christian-movies">box office rankings</a> depend on which grosses are counted.</p>

<h2>How to read a Christian bestseller claim</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Ask which list.</strong> ECPA, the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Amazon all use different data and time frames.</li>
<li><strong>Check the month or week.</strong> "ECPA bestseller" can mean one month on the Top 50 or years on the chart. Some titles stay for a long time: on the October 2026 lists, Sarah Young's 2004 devotional <em>Jesus Calling</em> was still in the nonfiction hardcover top five.</li>
<li><strong>Look at the category.</strong> No. 1 on the Spanish, children's or under-$6 list is real, but it is a smaller pool than the Top 50.</li>
<li><strong>Separate sales from awards.</strong> Sales lists count buyers. Awards are judged by panels.</li>
</ol>

<h2>ECPA's awards are separate from the sales chart</h2>
<p>ECPA also runs the <strong>Christian Book Award</strong>, presented since 1978 to the year's best Christian books across nonfiction categories plus an overall Christian Book of the Year, and the <strong>Christy Award</strong> for Christian fiction, which announced its 2026 finalists in nine categories on September 11, 2026. Entries for the next Christian Book Awards, for titles published between October 2025 and October 2026, closed at the end of September. A book can win an award without ever reaching the bestseller list, and many top sellers never win. If you follow faith-based awards in music too, see our guide to <a href="/blog/gospel-music-awards-explained">gospel and Christian music awards</a>.</p>

<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>
<h3>How often is the ECPA bestseller list updated?</h3>
<p>Monthly. Each list covers the previous calendar month's sales and is usually released around the middle of the following month. The October 2026 lists came out on October 13, 2026.</p>
<h3>Does the ECPA list include Bibles?</h3>
<p>Not in the Top 50. Bibles have their own Top 25 lists, including a list for Bibles under $10 and Spanish Bibles, and a Top 10 that ranks Bible translations by combined sales of complete Bibles.</p>
<h3>Why is a popular Christian book missing from the ECPA list?</h3>
<p>Usually for one of three reasons: its publisher is not an ECPA member, most copies were sold through channels that do not report to BookScan (such as direct church orders or non-qualifying event sales), or it sold well over a long period without having one strong month.</p>
<h3>Where can I see the full ECPA bestseller list?</h3>
<p>On ReadGoodBooks.com, ECPA's reader-facing site, which shows the current Top 50 and category lists. Past months are archived on ChristianBookExpo.com.</p>

<p>More rankings and chart explainers are on the <a href="/blog">ChristianRanks blog</a>.</p>
<p><em>Sources: ECPA, <a href="https://www.ecpa.org/page/BestsellersReporting" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bestseller Reporting</a> (methodology, proprietary-data notice and event-sales rules); ChristianBookExpo.com, <a href="https://christianbookexpo.com/bestseller/methodology/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">ECPA bestseller methodology and Circana BookScan reporting retailers</a>; ECPA, <a href="https://www.ecpa.org/news/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Industry News</a> (October 2026 lists released October 13, 2026; Christy Award 2026 finalists, September 11, 2026); ReadGoodBooks.com, <a href="https://readgoodbooks.com/bestseller/top-50/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Top 50 Bestsellers, October 2026</a>; ECPA, <a href="https://www.ecpa.org/page/cba_submissions" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Christian Book Award submission information</a>; <a href="https://christianbookawards.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Christian Book Award</a>. Checked October 27, 2026.</em></p>


How the ECPA Christian bestseller list works: monthly Circana BookScan data, member publishers only, Top 50 and category lists, and what it does not count.

ECPA Bestseller List Explained: How the Christian Book Chart Works

<p>Leave the Bible aside, which Guinness World Records puts at an estimated 5 to 7 billion copies, and the best-selling Christian books of all time are led by <strong>C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia</strong> (more than 100 million copies), the <strong>Left Behind</strong> novels (65 to 80 million) and two modern devotional giants, <strong>The Purpose Driven Life</strong> and <strong>Jesus Calling</strong>, each reported at more than 50 million. Jesus Calling is the newest name at that level: its publisher announced the 50 million milestone in January 2026.</p>
<p>Book sales are much harder to rank than box office or streaming, because nobody counts every copy. Below is our top 12, the source and caveat behind each number, the classics that are too old to measure, and how to read a sales claim before you repeat it.</p>

<h2>How we ranked these books</h2>
<p>There is no official chart for lifetime book sales. Publishers announce milestones, older figures come from historians and newspapers, and some numbers are copies <em>printed or distributed</em> rather than sold. So we used three rules:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Christian content or worldview.</strong> Books written to teach, encourage or tell a story from a Christian point of view. Tolkien's Middle-earth books are left out because they are not presented as Christian books, even though Tolkien was a devout Catholic.</li>
<li><strong>The most credible documented figure, not the most generous one.</strong> Where sources disagree we show the range and rank on the better-supported number.</li>
<li><strong>Series are marked as series.</strong> A seven-book set and a single title are not the same thing, so we say which is which.</li>
</ul>

<h2>The top 12 best-selling Christian books</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>The Chronicles of Narnia</strong> by C.S. Lewis (1950 to 1956, series of seven): more than 100 million copies in 47 languages, with some estimates near 120 million. It is Lewis's best-selling work and has been in print continuously since 1956. The first book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is the best known on its own.</li>
<li><strong>Left Behind</strong> by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (1995 to 2007, 16-book series): about 65 million copies by 2016 by one count, and more than 80 million including spin-offs according to its publisher, Tyndale House. Several volumes reached No. 1 on The New York Times list, and book 10 debuted there.</li>
<li><strong>The Purpose Driven Life</strong> by Rick Warren (2002): more than 50 million copies in all formats, according to Warren's ministry. It had sold over 18 million by 2008 and has long been promoted as one of the best-selling hardback books in US history.</li>
<li><strong>Jesus Calling</strong> by Sarah Young (2004): more than 50 million copies across the Jesus Calling brand in over 35 languages, HarperCollins Christian Publishing said on January 29, 2026. That total includes the children's and themed editions, so the single original title is lower, but it still sells millions of copies a year.</li>
<li><strong>In His Steps</strong> by Charles M. Sheldon (1896): estimates run from more than 8 million (Encyclopaedia Britannica) to over 30 million in other accounts. Its copyright was flawed from the start, so dozens of publishers printed it and nobody kept a total. The book's question, "What would Jesus do?", later became the WWJD bracelet slogan.</li>
<li><strong>Steps to Christ</strong> by Ellen G. White (1892): printed in about 160 languages. Totals of tens of millions are often quoted, but much of its circulation came through Seventh-day Adventist distribution rather than retail sales, which is why we rank it below the titles with clearer sales data.</li>
<li><strong>The Late Great Planet Earth</strong> by Hal Lindsey (1970): more than 28 million copies in 54 languages. It was the best-selling non-fiction book of the 1970s in the US and the first prophecy book from a mainstream publisher to sell on that scale.</li>
<li><strong>The Shack</strong> by William Paul Young (2007): more than 10 million copies by 2009, when it received the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Diamond award, and over 20 million in later reports. It began as a self-published novel printed for friends and family.</li>
<li><strong>The 5 Love Languages</strong> by Gary Chapman (1992): more than 20 million copies worldwide, translated into about 50 languages. Chapman is a Baptist pastor and the book grew out of his counselling work; it had spent 297 weeks on the New York Times list by 2013.</li>
<li><strong>Heaven Is for Real</strong> by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (2010): more than 10 million copies, reaching the ECPA Diamond award in 2014. The 2014 film version earned $91.4 million at the US box office.</li>
<li><strong>The Prayer of Jabez</strong> by Bruce Wilkinson (2000): about 8 million copies in its first year alone, which made it the best-selling non-fiction book of 2001, and past 10 million by 2008.</li>
<li><strong>More Than a Carpenter</strong> by Josh McDowell (1977): more than 10 million copies, according to a widely cited Christian literary agency list. The short apologetics book has been handed out by churches and campus groups for almost 50 years.</li>
</ol>

<h3>Honourable mentions</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ</strong> by Lew Wallace (1880): by many accounts the best-selling American novel of the 19th century, though lifetime totals are disputed.</li>
<li><strong>The Power of Positive Thinking</strong> by Norman Vincent Peale (1952): more than 5 million copies and 186 weeks on the New York Times list. Peale was a minister, but the book reads more like self-help than Christian teaching.</li>
<li><strong>The Divine Comedy</strong> by Dante Alighieri (early 1300s): a Christian epic that still sells steadily in many translations, but with no meaningful lifetime total.</li>
</ul>

<h2>The classics too old to count</h2>
<p>Several books have almost certainly outsold everything above, but no reliable total exists, so ranking them next to modern titles would be guesswork:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The Pilgrim's Progress</strong> by John Bunyan (1678). Translated into more than 200 languages and never out of print in nearly 350 years.</li>
<li><strong>The Imitation of Christ</strong> by Thomas à Kempis (around 1418). Often described as the most widely read Christian book after the Bible.</li>
<li><strong>Foxe's Book of Martyrs</strong> by John Foxe (1563) and the <strong>Book of Common Prayer</strong> (first edition 1549), both printed in countless editions for centuries.</li>
</ul>
<p>Any figure you see for these, from 100 million to 250 million, is an estimate built on other estimates.</p>

<h2>How to read a book sales claim</h2>
<p>Like the music and film charts, a book number is only as good as its source. Before quoting one, check four things:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Sold, printed or distributed?</strong> "Copies in print" counts what the publisher printed, not what readers bought. Church giveaway books can reach huge totals without being sold at all.</li>
<li><strong>One title or a brand?</strong> Jesus Calling and Left Behind totals include spin-offs, editions for children and study guides. That is fair to report, but it is not one book.</li>
<li><strong>Who measured it?</strong> Publisher announcements are usually rounded milestones. Point-of-sale data such as Circana BookScan only covers stores that report, and only since the early 2000s, so it misses older sales.</li>
<li><strong>Which awards back it up?</strong> The ECPA gives sales awards to Christian titles; its Diamond award marks 10 million copies, which is a useful independent checkpoint for books like The Shack and Heaven Is for Real.</li>
</ul>
<p>The same thinking helps with other rankings on this site. Our explainer on <a href="/blog/billboard-hot-christian-songs-chart-explained">how Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart works</a> covers song charts, and the list of <a href="/blog/highest-grossing-christian-movies">the highest-grossing Christian movies</a> shows how several of these books, including Narnia, Heaven Is for Real and The Shack, did when they reached the big screen.</p>

<h2>What the best sellers have in common</h2>
<h3>They are easy to give</h3>
<p>Devotionals like Jesus Calling, short apologetics like More Than a Carpenter and relationship books like The 5 Love Languages are bought in bulk by churches and given as gifts. A book that people buy for someone else can sell for decades.</p>
<h3>They work outside church walls</h3>
<p>Narnia, The Shack and Left Behind are stories first. Readers who would never pick up a theology book read them as novels, which is how they reached general bestseller lists and then film adaptations.</p>
<h3>They meet a moment</h3>
<p>The Late Great Planet Earth caught the 1970s interest in prophecy, The Prayer of Jabez spread through churches in 2000 and 2001, and The Purpose Driven Life arrived with a 40-day church campaign that turned whole congregations into buyers.</p>
<p>Awards are another way to follow which Christian books, songs and films are connecting right now: see our guide to <a href="/blog/gospel-music-awards-explained">the main gospel and Christian music awards</a> and the <a href="/blog/2026-dove-awards-winners-results">2026 Dove Award winners</a>.</p>

<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>
<h3>What is the best-selling Christian book of all time?</h3>
<p>The Bible, at an estimated 5 to 7 billion copies according to Guinness World Records. After the Bible, The Chronicles of Narnia is the best-documented best seller with more than 100 million copies, while The Purpose Driven Life is among the best-selling single non-fiction titles.</p>
<h3>Has Jesus Calling sold 50 million copies?</h3>
<p>The Jesus Calling brand passed 50 million copies worldwide, HarperCollins Christian Publishing announced in January 2026. That figure covers the whole family of Jesus Calling books, not only the original 2004 devotional.</p>
<h3>Is Pilgrim's Progress the second best-selling book after the Bible?</h3>
<p>It is often described that way, and it has been translated into more than 200 languages, but no reliable sales total exists for a book first published in 1678. Treat any exact figure with caution.</p>

<p>More rankings and explainers are on the <a href="/blog">ChristianRanks blog</a>.</p>
<p><em>Sources: Guinness World Records via Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books" rel="noopener" target="_blank">List of best-selling books</a>; HarperCollins Christian Publishing, <a href="https://www.harpercollinschristian.com/2026/01/29/jesus-calling-50-million-copies-milestone/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Jesus Calling brand surpasses 50 million copies</a> (January 29, 2026); <a href="https://www.purposedriven.com/about-pastor-rick" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Purpose Driven, About Pastor Rick</a>; NPR, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/25/487382209/tim-lahaye-evangelical-legend-behind-left-behind-series-dies-at-90" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Tim LaHaye obituary</a> (2016); Encyclopaedia Britannica, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/In-His-Steps" rel="noopener" target="_blank">In His Steps</a>; <a href="https://5lovelanguages.com/learn" rel="noopener" target="_blank">5 Love Languages</a>; Wikipedia entries for The Chronicles of Narnia, The Late Great Planet Earth, The Shack, Steps to Christ, The Prayer of Jabez and The Pilgrim's Progress; The Steve Laube Agency, <a href="https://stevelaube.com/best-selling-christian-books-time/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The best-selling Christian books of all time</a>. Checked October 26, 2026.</em></p>


The best-selling Christian books of all time, from Narnia and Left Behind to Jesus Calling (50 million in 2026): the top 12 ranked, with sources and caveats.

Best-Selling Christian Books of All Time: The Top 12 Ranked

<p>The biggest Christian movie ever at the North American box office is still <strong>The Passion of the Christ</strong>, with $370.3 million in the US and Canada after its 2004 release. Next come the first <strong>Chronicles of Narnia</strong> film ($291.7 million) and <strong>Sound of Freedom</strong> ($184.2 million). The newest name in the top ten is Angel's animated <strong>David</strong>, which opened in December 2025 and finished on $80.4 million, the best result for a faith film since 2023.</p>
<p>Those numbers come from Box Office Mojo's "Christian Theme" keyword list, the most widely used public chart for this question. Below is the top 15, what the list does and does not measure, the patterns behind the hits, and the two big releases that could reshuffle the ranking in 2027.</p>

<h2>The top 15 Christian movies at the domestic box office</h2>
<p>Lifetime gross in the US and Canada, as listed by Box Office Mojo under its Christian Theme keyword (checked October 25, 2026). Figures are not adjusted for inflation.</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>The Passion of the Christ</strong> (2004, Newmarket Films): $370.3 million. Opened to $83.8 million.</li>
<li><strong>The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</strong> (2005, Disney): $291.7 million.</li>
<li><strong>Sound of Freedom</strong> (2023, Angel): $184.2 million.</li>
<li><strong>The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian</strong> (2008, Disney): $141.6 million.</li>
<li><strong>The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</strong> (2010, 20th Century Fox): $104.4 million.</li>
<li><strong>Heaven Is for Real</strong> (2014, TriStar): $91.4 million.</li>
<li><strong>I Can Only Imagine</strong> (2018, Roadside Attractions): $83.5 million.</li>
<li><strong>David</strong> (2025, Angel): $80.4 million.</li>
<li><strong>War Room</strong> (2015, TriStar): $67.8 million.</li>
<li><strong>Miracles from Heaven</strong> (2016, TriStar): $61.7 million.</li>
<li><strong>God's Not Dead</strong> (2014, Freestyle Releasing): $60.8 million.</li>
<li><strong>The King of Kings</strong> (2025, Angel): $60.3 million.</li>
<li><strong>Son of God</strong> (2014, 20th Century Fox): $59.7 million.</li>
<li><strong>The Shack</strong> (2017, Lionsgate): $57.4 million.</li>
<li><strong>Jesus Revolution</strong> (2023, Lionsgate): $52.1 million.</li>
</ol>

<h2>How this chart works (and what it leaves out)</h2>
<p>Like any chart, this ranking is only as useful as its rules. Four things are worth knowing before you quote it.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>It is domestic only.</strong> "Lifetime gross" here means ticket sales in the US and Canada. Worldwide totals can be very different: David, for example, added about $10.7 million internationally for roughly $91.1 million worldwide.</li>
<li><strong>It is not adjusted for inflation.</strong> The 1953 Bible epic The Robe sits at $36 million on the list, which badly understates how big it was in its day. Recent films also get a lift simply from higher ticket prices.</li>
<li><strong>It depends on a keyword tag.</strong> A film is on the list because Box Office Mojo has tagged it "Christian Theme". That is why the Narnia films and Sound of Freedom appear next to Bible stories and church dramas, and why some faith-friendly films are missing. Treat it as a strong guide, not an official definition of a Christian movie.</li>
<li><strong>It counts theatre tickets, not streaming.</strong> A series released to cinemas for a few nights, or a film that goes straight to streaming, can reach far more viewers without ever ranking high here.</li>
</ul>
<p>The same caution applies to music charts: a ranking always reflects its data source and its rules. Our explainer on <a href="/blog/billboard-hot-christian-songs-chart-explained">how Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart works</a> walks through the same questions for songs.</p>

<h2>What the biggest Christian hits have in common</h2>
<h3>A story audiences already know</h3>
<p>Four of the top 15 retell the Bible directly: The Passion of the Christ, Son of God, The King of Kings and David. Three more are Narnia films, built on C.S. Lewis's Christian allegory. A familiar story is easy to explain to a church group, and it gives families a reason to go together.</p>
<h3>True stories with a personal hook</h3>
<p>Heaven Is for Real, Miracles from Heaven, I Can Only Imagine and Jesus Revolution are all based on real people. I Can Only Imagine, the story behind MercyMe's song, is the clearest example of what a well-known true story can do. It opened to $17.1 million in only 1,629 theatres in March 2018, far above expectations, and ran to $83.5 million.</p>
<h3>Church groups and long runs</h3>
<p>Faith films rarely open as big as studio blockbusters, but the best of them hold well week after week as churches book group outings. War Room opened to $11.4 million in 1,135 theatres and finished on $67.8 million. God's Not Dead opened to $9.2 million in just 780 theatres and reached $60.8 million. The Kendrick brothers' Fireproof (2008) made $33.5 million while never playing in more than 905 theatres.</p>
<h3>New distribution models</h3>
<p>Angel (Angel Studios) now has three of the top 12: Sound of Freedom, The King of Kings and David. Its releases are chosen with input from a paying member community, the Angel Guild, which also helps promote them. Whatever you think of the model, the results show up clearly on the chart.</p>

<h2>Recent results: 2024 to 2026</h2>
<p>The last two years show how uneven this market can be.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>David</strong> (December 2025) opened to $22.0 million in 3,118 theatres, the biggest opening for any film on the list since 2014, and finished on $80.4 million.</li>
<li><strong>The King of Kings</strong> (April 2025), an animated film based on Charles Dickens's telling of the life of Jesus, opened to $19.4 million and reached $60.3 million.</li>
<li><strong>The Best Christmas Pageant Ever</strong> (November 2024) took $40.0 million, and <strong>The Forge</strong> (August 2024) took $29.1 million.</li>
<li><strong>Homestead</strong> ($20.8 million), <strong>Unsung Hero</strong> ($20.3 million), <strong>Cabrini</strong> ($19.5 million) and <strong>Ordinary Angels</strong> ($19.2 million) all landed around the $20 million mark in 2024.</li>
<li><strong>Sarah's Oil</strong> (November 2025, Amazon MGM Studios) made $11.7 million.</li>
<li><strong>I Can Only Imagine 2</strong> (February 2026) is the cautionary tale. It opened wider than the original, in 3,105 theatres, but took $7.75 million in its first weekend and finished on $18.6 million in the US and Canada, against a reported $18 million budget. The 2018 original made more than four times as much.</li>
</ul>
<p>The lesson in the numbers: a sequel or a famous brand helps, but the films that climb this list are the ones church audiences recommend to each other for weeks after opening.</p>

<figure class="yt-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/uv9V3dk98PM" title="DAVID | Official Trailer | Now Streaming | Angel" loading="lazy" allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe><figcaption>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv9V3dk98PM" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">DAVID | Official Trailer | Now Streaming | Angel</a> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AngelStudiosInc" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Angel</a> (YouTube)</figcaption></figure>

<h2>What could change the ranking next</h2>
<p>Two 2027 releases have a realistic chance of moving into the upper half of the list.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Narnia: The Magician's Nephew</strong>, Greta Gerwig's Netflix adaptation of C.S. Lewis, moved from a Thanksgiving 2026 IMAX plan to a wide theatrical release on February 12, 2027, with IMAX sneak previews from February 10, before it reaches Netflix on April 2, 2027. The three earlier Narnia films already sit at #2, #4 and #5.</li>
<li><strong>The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One</strong>, Mel Gibson's follow-up to The Passion of the Christ, is dated for May 6, 2027 (Ascension Day) by Lionsgate. It is the most direct challenger to the #1 spot the genre has had in two decades.</li>
</ul>
<p>Whether either one counts on this particular chart will depend on how Box Office Mojo tags it, which is one more reason to read rankings with their rules in mind.</p>

<h2>How to check a film's box office yourself</h2>
<ol>
<li>Search the title on <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/genre/sg3923767553/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Box Office Mojo</a> or The Numbers. The title page shows the opening weekend, the widest release (most theatres) and domestic, international and worldwide totals.</li>
<li>Remember that weekend figures published on Sunday are studio estimates. Actual numbers usually follow on Monday and can move up or down.</li>
<li>Compare like with like: opening weekend against the number of theatres, and lifetime gross against the budget where it is reported.</li>
</ol>
<p>Awards are another way to see which faith films connect with audiences. Our guide to <a href="/blog/gospel-music-awards-explained">the main gospel and Christian music awards</a> explains how the Dove and K-LOVE Fan Awards also honour films, and the <a href="/blog/2026-dove-awards-winners-results">2026 Dove Award winners</a> list has this year's results.</p>

<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>
<h3>What is the highest-grossing Christian movie of all time?</h3>
<p>The Passion of the Christ (2004). It earned $370.3 million in the US and Canada, more than any other film on Box Office Mojo's Christian Theme list.</p>
<h3>What is the most successful Christian movie of the 2020s?</h3>
<p>Sound of Freedom (2023) at $184.2 million domestic, if you count it as a Christian film as Box Office Mojo does. Among Bible stories, David (2025) leads with $80.4 million.</p>
<h3>How much did I Can Only Imagine 2 make?</h3>
<p>About $18.6 million in the US and Canada and $18.7 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, compared with $83.5 million domestic for the 2018 original.</p>
<h3>Are these box office numbers adjusted for inflation?</h3>
<p>No. They are the actual ticket sales recorded at the time, so older films such as The Robe (1953) look much smaller than they really were.</p>

<p>More rankings and explainers are on the <a href="/blog">ChristianRanks blog</a>.</p>
<p><em>Sources: Box Office Mojo, <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/genre/sg3923767553/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Genre Keyword: Christian Theme</a>, <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt34888646/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">I Can Only Imagine 2</a> and <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1710063617/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">David</a>; Variety, <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/greta-gerwig-narnia-netflix-release-date-1236735796/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Greta Gerwig's Narnia moves to 2027</a> (May 1, 2026); IMDb, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5795232/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One</a>. Checked October 25, 2026.</em></p>


The highest-grossing Christian movies at the US box office, from The Passion of the Christ to David (2025): the top 15, how the chart works and 2027 contenders.

Highest-Grossing Christian Movies of All Time: Top 15

<p>The best-known gospel music awards are the <strong>GMA Dove Awards</strong>, the <strong>Stellar Gospel Music Awards</strong> (usually just called the Stellars) and the gospel and contemporary Christian categories at the <strong>GRAMMY Awards</strong>. Around those three sit fan-voted honours such as the <strong>K-LOVE Fan Awards</strong>, single gospel categories inside bigger shows such as the <strong>BET Awards</strong>, and chart-based awards built on Billboard data.</p>
<p>They are not interchangeable. Each one has a different organiser, a different set of voters and a different idea of what "best" means. This guide explains how they compare, who won the top prizes in 2026, and what is next on the calendar, starting with the 2027 GRAMMY nominations on November 16.</p>

<h2>The main gospel music awards at a glance</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>GMA Dove Awards:</strong> run by the Gospel Music Association. Covers Christian and gospel music in every style, plus film and TV. Winners are chosen by GMA professional members. Held each autumn in Nashville.</li>
<li><strong>Stellar Gospel Music Awards:</strong> founded in 1985 by Don Jackson and presented by the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy. Focused on gospel music. Billed as "The Greatest Night in Gospel Music".</li>
<li><strong>GRAMMY Awards:</strong> run by the Recording Academy. Five categories in the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music field, voted on by Academy members.</li>
<li><strong>K-LOVE Fan Awards:</strong> produced by the K-LOVE radio network since 2013. Voted by fans, and also honours books, films, podcasts and sport.</li>
<li><strong>BET Awards:</strong> one gospel category, the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award, inside a wider awards show.</li>
<li><strong>Billboard Music Awards:</strong> Christian and gospel categories decided by chart performance (streaming, sales and airplay) rather than a vote.</li>
</ul>

<h2>GMA Dove Awards: the Christian music industry's own honours</h2>
<p>The Dove Awards are presented by the Gospel Music Association in the United States, and they are the broadest of the group. Categories run from pop, rock, rap and worship to southern gospel, bluegrass and Spanish-language music, and even feature films and TV series. The ceremony has been held in Nashville every year except 2011 and 2012, when it moved to Atlanta, and it is broadcast on TBN.</p>
<p>Doves are a peer award. GMA professional members pick the nominees from submitted entries and then vote again to choose the winners, so a Dove tells you what people inside Christian and gospel music rate most highly.</p>
<p>At the 57th Dove Awards in October 2026, Phil Wickham was named Artist of the Year, Josiah Queen's "Dusty Bibles" won Song of the Year and Jamie MacDonald was named New Artist of the Year. Wickham, Queen and Brandon Lake tied with three Doves each. Our <a href="/blog/2026-dove-awards-winners-results">full list of 2026 Dove Award winners</a> has every category.</p>

<h2>Stellar Awards: gospel music's biggest night</h2>
<p>Where the Doves cover every style of Christian music, the Stellars concentrate on gospel. Don Jackson founded them in 1985, and they are presented by the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy (SAGMA). The show is a fixture for gospel choirs, praise and worship leaders and contemporary gospel artists, and it reaches a national audience through cable and syndicated TV.</p>
<p>The 41st Stellar Awards were held on August 15, 2026, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Kirk Franklin hosting. Darrel Walls was named Artist of the Year for <em>Heart of Mine</em>. Tasha Cobbs Leonard received the Aretha Franklin Icon Award, and Pastor Mike Jr. received the Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award. The ceremony premiered on The Stellar Network on August 29 and on BET on August 30, before rolling out to syndicated TV through September.</p>

<h2>GRAMMY Awards: the gospel and Christian music field</h2>
<p>The GRAMMYs are not a gospel show, but they are the award most people outside the genre recognise. The Recording Academy has five categories in its Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music field:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Best Gospel Performance/Song</strong> (traditional, roots or contemporary gospel singles)</li>
<li><strong>Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song</strong> (CCM singles, including pop, rap/hip-hop, Latin and rock)</li>
<li><strong>Best Gospel Album</strong></li>
<li><strong>Best Contemporary Christian Music Album</strong></li>
<li><strong>Best Roots Gospel Album</strong> (country, Southern gospel, bluegrass and Americana)</li>
</ul>
<p>For the album categories, more than 75% of the playing time has to be newly recorded music in that style. These are the 2026 winners, from the 68th GRAMMY Awards on February 1, 2026:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Best Gospel Performance/Song:</strong> "Come Jesus Come", CeCe Winans featuring Shirley Caesar</li>
<li><strong>Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song:</strong> "Hard Fought Hallelujah", Brandon Lake with Jelly Roll</li>
<li><strong>Best Gospel Album:</strong> <em>Heart of Mine</em>, Darrel Walls and PJ Morton</li>
<li><strong>Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:</strong> <em>Coritos Vol. 1</em>, Israel &amp; New Breed</li>
<li><strong>Best Roots Gospel Album:</strong> <em>I Will Not Be Moved (Live)</em>, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir</li>
</ul>
<p>The next cycle is already moving. For the 2027 GRAMMYs, recordings released between August 31, 2025 and August 28, 2026 are eligible. First-round voting closed on October 22, nominations will be announced on <strong>Monday, November 16, 2026</strong>, and the ceremony is on <strong>Sunday, February 7, 2027</strong>, live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu.</p>

<h2>K-LOVE Fan Awards: what listeners voted for</h2>
<p>The K-LOVE Fan Awards work differently: fans vote, not industry members. That makes them a good read on which artists contemporary Christian radio listeners connect with most, and they include non-music categories for books, films, TV, podcasts and sport.</p>
<p>The 13th K-LOVE Fan Awards were held on May 24, 2026, at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Brandon Lake won Artist of the Year for the second year running, along with Male Artist of the Year. MercyMe won Group of the Year, CeCe Winans won Female Artist of the Year, Jamie MacDonald's "Left It In The River" won Song of the Year, and Phil Wickham's "Homesick For Heaven" won Worship Song of the Year.</p>

<h2>Gospel inside the bigger shows: BET and Billboard</h2>
<p>The <strong>BET Awards</strong> include one gospel category, the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award, named after the gospel TV host. At the 2026 show, which aired on June 28, it went to Lecrae, Killer Mike and T.I. for "Headphones". It was Lecrae's fourth BET Award, and Kirk Franklin has won the category more times than anyone else.</p>
<p>The <strong>Billboard Music Awards</strong> have included categories such as Top Christian Artist and Top Gospel Artist, and they work on data, not votes. Winners come from chart performance across streaming, sales and radio, the same inputs behind the weekly charts. Our explainer on <a href="/blog/billboard-hot-christian-songs-chart-explained">how the Hot Christian Songs chart is calculated</a> shows how that data is combined.</p>

<h2>Peer, fan or chart: which award tells you what?</h2>
<p>The quickest way to read any of these awards is to ask who decided it:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Peer awards</strong> (Doves, Stellars, GRAMMYs) reflect what artists, writers, producers and industry professionals rate highly. They often reward craft and influence over raw popularity.</li>
<li><strong>Fan awards</strong> (K-LOVE Fan Awards) reflect who listeners feel most connected to right now.</li>
<li><strong>Chart awards</strong> (Billboard) reflect what people actually streamed, bought and heard on the radio.</li>
</ul>
<p>When all three agree, the signal is strong. In 2026 Darrel Walls won both the GRAMMY for Best Gospel Album and Stellar Artist of the Year for <em>Heart of Mine</em>. Brandon Lake won a GRAMMY, three Doves and two K-LOVE Fan Awards. And Jamie MacDonald was the Doves' New Artist of the Year while "Left It In The River" took the fan-voted Song of the Year. When the awards disagree, it usually means a record is loved by one audience more than another, not that one list is wrong.</p>

<h2>Gospel and Christian music awards calendar, 2026–27</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>February 1, 2026:</strong> 68th GRAMMY Awards</li>
<li><strong>May 24, 2026:</strong> 13th K-LOVE Fan Awards, Nashville</li>
<li><strong>June 28, 2026:</strong> BET Awards</li>
<li><strong>August 15, 2026:</strong> 41st Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Charlotte</li>
<li><strong>October 2026:</strong> 57th GMA Dove Awards, Nashville (broadcast on TBN on October 9)</li>
<li><strong>November 16, 2026:</strong> 2027 GRAMMY nominations announced</li>
<li><strong>February 7, 2027:</strong> 2027 GRAMMY Awards, Los Angeles</li>
</ul>

<h2>Watch: Brandon Lake's GRAMMY win</h2>
<p>The Recording Academy's official channel posted Brandon Lake's acceptance speech for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.</p>
<figure class="video-embed" style="margin:1.5rem 0"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/PV1Z46FdvDU" title="BRANDON LAKE Wins BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN SONG | 2026 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech" loading="lazy" allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;aspect-ratio:16/9;border:0"></iframe><figcaption>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV1Z46FdvDU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">BRANDON LAKE Wins BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN SONG | 2026 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech</a> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Grammys" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">GRAMMYS</a> (YouTube)</figcaption></figure>

<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>
<h3>What are the gospel music awards called?</h3>
<p>The main ones are the GMA Dove Awards, the Stellar Gospel Music Awards (the Stellars) and the GRAMMY Awards' gospel and contemporary Christian music categories. The K-LOVE Fan Awards and the BET Awards' Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award are also widely followed.</p>
<h3>What is the difference between the Dove Awards and the Stellar Awards?</h3>
<p>The Doves are run by the Gospel Music Association and cover every style of Christian and gospel music, plus film and TV. The Stellars are presented by the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy and focus on gospel music.</p>
<h3>Is there a GRAMMY for gospel music?</h3>
<p>Yes. The GRAMMYs have five categories in the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music field, including Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song.</p>
<h3>When are the 2027 GRAMMY nominations announced?</h3>
<p>Monday, November 16, 2026. The 2027 GRAMMY Awards follow on Sunday, February 7, 2027.</p>
<h3>Can fans vote for gospel music awards?</h3>
<p>For the K-LOVE Fan Awards, yes. The Doves, Stellars and GRAMMYs are decided by industry or academy members, not public votes.</p>

<p>More rankings and explainers are on the <a href="/blog">ChristianRanks blog</a>, and the latest lists are on the <a href="/">ChristianRanks home page</a>.</p>
<p><em>Sources: Recording Academy, <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/2027-grammys-show-air-date-nominations-announced/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">2027 GRAMMYs key dates</a> (May 12, 2026); Gospel Music Association news: <a href="https://gospelmusic.org/news/2026-grammy-winners-in-christian-and-gospel-music" rel="noopener" target="_blank">2026 GRAMMY winners in Christian and gospel music</a>, <a href="https://gospelmusic.org/news/41st-annual-stellar-gospel-award-winners-revealed" rel="noopener" target="_blank">41st Stellar Award winners</a> and <a href="https://gospelmusic.org/news/lecrae-wins-dr.-bobby-jones-award-at-2026-bet-awards" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Lecrae wins the Dr. Bobby Jones Award</a>; K-LOVE, <a href="https://www.klove.com/music/blog/music-news/brandon-lake-and-mercyme-top-leaderboard-at-2026-k-love-fan-awards-see-the-full-winners-list-14994" rel="noopener" target="_blank">2026 K-LOVE Fan Awards winners</a>; Stellar Awards 2026 press kit; doveawards.com. Checked October 24, 2026.</em></p>


The main gospel music awards are the Dove Awards, the Stellars and the GRAMMY gospel categories. Who runs each, who votes, and the 2026 winners.

Gospel Music Awards Explained: Doves, Stellars, GRAMMYs

<p>The 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards ended in a three-way tie at the top. Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake and Josiah Queen each won three Doves. Wickham was named Artist of the Year, Queen's "Dusty Bibles" won Song of the Year, and Jamie MacDonald was named New Artist of the Year.</p>
<p>The show was held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in early October and broadcast on TBN on October 9, 2026, with Tauren Wells hosting for the fourth year in a row. This guide covers every winner by category, the numbers behind the night, and what a Dove Award does and does not tell you about a song's popularity.</p>

<h2>The headline winners at a glance</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Artist of the Year:</strong> Phil Wickham</li>
<li><strong>Song of the Year:</strong> "Dusty Bibles" (writers Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson, Dylan Thomas and John Michael Howell)</li>
<li><strong>New Artist of the Year:</strong> Jamie MacDonald</li>
<li><strong>Songwriter of the Year (Artist):</strong> Brandon Lake</li>
<li><strong>Songwriter of the Year (Non-Artist):</strong> Jacob Sooter</li>
<li><strong>Producer of the Year:</strong> Jonathan Smith</li>
</ul>

<h2>Who won the most: the scoreboard</h2>
<p>Three artists finished level on three Doves each:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Phil Wickham (3):</strong> Artist of the Year; Worship Album of the Year for <em>Song Of The Saints</em>; Children's Recorded Song of the Year for "Follow The Light" with Brandon Engman and Angel.</li>
<li><strong>Brandon Lake (3):</strong> Songwriter of the Year (Artist); Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for <em>King Of Hearts</em>; Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year for "The Jesus I Know Now" with Lainey Wilson.</li>
<li><strong>Josiah Queen (3):</strong> Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for "Dusty Bibles"; Recorded Music Packaging of the Year for <em>Mt. Zion</em>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Tasha Cobbs Leonard won two: Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year for <em>TASHA</em> and Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for "Church", her collaboration with John Legend. The animated film <em>DAVID</em> also won twice: Feature Film of the Year, and Christmas/Special Event Album of the Year for its soundtrack.</p>

<h2>Nominations versus wins</h2>
<p>When the nominations were announced at the end of July, producer Jonathan Smith led the whole field with 14, followed by Jacob Sooter with 12 and Steven Furtick with 11. Among artists, Phil Wickham led with nine and CeCe Winans led the female artists with seven.</p>
<p>How those nominations turned into trophies is the interesting part:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Phil Wickham</strong> turned nine nominations into three wins, including the biggest one of the night.</li>
<li><strong>Jonathan Smith</strong> won Producer of the Year, and his name also appears in the producer credits of two winning albums: <em>Song Of The Saints</em> and the <em>DAVID</em> soundtrack.</li>
<li><strong>Jacob Sooter</strong> won Songwriter of the Year (Non-Artist) and is a credited producer on Brandon Lake's winning album <em>King Of Hearts</em>.</li>
<li><strong>Steven Furtick</strong> is a credited writer on two winning songs, "The Blessing" and "God I'm Just Grateful".</li>
<li><strong>CeCe Winans</strong> won Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year for "More Than This" with Todd Dulaney. According to the Gospel Music Association, it is the second year in a row she has won that category.</li>
</ul>
<p>The pattern is worth noticing. The most-nominated names are often the people behind the records, not the artists on the cover, because one producer or writer can be credited on many nominated songs and albums at once.</p>

<h2>Full list of 2026 Dove Award winners by genre</h2>
<p>The Gospel Music Association lists 39 winning entries this year, including the six general awards above. Here are the rest, grouped by genre.</p>
<h3>Pop, rock, rap, worship and inspirational</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song:</strong> "Dusty Bibles", Josiah Queen</li>
<li><strong>Pop/Contemporary Album:</strong> <em>King Of Hearts</em>, Brandon Lake</li>
<li><strong>Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song:</strong> "No Survivors", Jeremy Camp (ft. Skillet)</li>
<li><strong>Rock/Contemporary Album:</strong> <em>Plastic Wine</em>, Strings &amp; Heart</li>
<li><strong>Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song:</strong> "ROB HELL", indie tribe, nobigdyl. and Torey D'Shaun (ft. Jon Keith)</li>
<li><strong>Rap/Hip Hop Album:</strong> <em>COULD BE TONIGHT</em>, Hulvey</li>
<li><strong>Worship Recorded Song:</strong> "God I'm Just Grateful", Elevation Worship and Chandler Moore</li>
<li><strong>Worship Album:</strong> <em>Song Of The Saints</em>, Phil Wickham</li>
<li><strong>Inspirational Recorded Song:</strong> "The Blessing", Andrea Bocelli, Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe</li>
<li><strong>Children's Recorded Song:</strong> "Follow The Light", Brandon Engman, Phil Wickham and Angel</li>
<li><strong>Christmas Recorded Song:</strong> "We Three Kings", We Are Messengers</li>
</ul>
<h3>Gospel</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song:</strong> "Still (Live)", Jonathan McReynolds and Jamal Roberts</li>
<li><strong>Traditional Gospel Recorded Song:</strong> "Church", Tasha Cobbs Leonard and John Legend</li>
<li><strong>Gospel Worship Recorded Song:</strong> "More Than This [Radio Edit]", CeCe Winans (ft. Todd Dulaney)</li>
<li><strong>Contemporary Gospel Album:</strong> <em>TASHA</em>, Tasha Cobbs Leonard</li>
<li><strong>Traditional Gospel Album:</strong> <em>Revival: Live in Dallas</em>, Lisa Knowles-Smith &amp; The Brown Singers</li>
<li><strong>Gospel Worship Album:</strong> <em>Live at Redemption Church</em>, Red Worship</li>
</ul>
<h3>Southern gospel, bluegrass and country</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Southern Gospel Recorded Song:</strong> "No Rock", Jeff &amp; Sheri Easter</li>
<li><strong>Southern Gospel Album:</strong> <em>Good Answers</em>, Karen Peck &amp; New River</li>
<li><strong>Bluegrass Recorded Song:</strong> "Broken Angels", The Grascals and Dolly Parton</li>
<li><strong>Country/Roots Recorded Song:</strong> "The Jesus I Know Now", Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson</li>
<li><strong>Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album:</strong> <em>American Morning: Side A - EP</em>, Chosen Road</li>
</ul>
<h3>Spanish language</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Spanish Language Recorded Song:</strong> "Tu Voz", Sarai Rivera</li>
<li><strong>Spanish Language Worship Recorded Song:</strong> "Solo Hay Uno", Joel Rocco and Enoc Parra</li>
<li><strong>Spanish Language Album:</strong> <em>Lamento en Baile</em>, Daddy Yankee</li>
</ul>
<h3>Film, television, video and special projects</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Feature Film:</strong> <em>DAVID</em></li>
<li><strong>Television Series:</strong> <em>The Chosen</em></li>
<li><strong>Christmas/Special Event Album:</strong> <em>DAVID (Soundtrack from the Angel Original Film)</em>, Various Artists</li>
<li><strong>Long Form Music Video:</strong> <em>The Resurrection Of A King</em>, Tommee Profitt</li>
<li><strong>Short Form Music Video (Concept):</strong> "World On Fire", for KING &amp; COUNTRY and Taylor Hill</li>
<li><strong>Short Form Music Video (Performance):</strong> "Have Your Way", Katy Nichole</li>
<li><strong>Musical/Choral Collection:</strong> <em>We Shall Behold Him: A Tribute to Dottie Rambo</em></li>
<li><strong>Recorded Music Packaging:</strong> <em>Mt. Zion</em>, Josiah Queen</li>
</ul>

<h2>Five takeaways from the results</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>A new generation reached the top.</strong> Josiah Queen won Song of the Year with "Dusty Bibles", and Jamie MacDonald, whose "Left It in the River" was also a Song of the Year nominee, took New Artist of the Year.</li>
<li><strong>Country and Christian music keep meeting.</strong> Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson's "The Jesus I Know Now" won Country/Roots Recorded Song and was performed on the show. Dolly Parton appears on the bluegrass winner "Broken Angels" with The Grascals, and Amy Grant and Natalie Grant performed a tribute to her.</li>
<li><strong>Producers and writers shape the field.</strong> Jonathan Smith, Jacob Sooter and Steven Furtick were the three most-nominated people of the year, and their credits run through several winning records.</li>
<li><strong>Gospel spread its wins widely.</strong> The six gospel categories went to five different acts; Tasha Cobbs Leonard was the only one to win twice.</li>
<li><strong>Faith-based screen work is part of the story.</strong> <em>DAVID</em> won two Doves, and <em>The Chosen</em> was named Television Series of the Year for its fifth season.</li>
</ol>

<h2>Dove Awards vs. the charts: what a win measures</h2>
<p>A Dove is a peer award, not a popularity ranking. Nominees are chosen by Gospel Music Association professional members from submitted entries (more than 2,800 this year), and members vote again in a final round, which in 2026 ran from August 7 to 14.</p>
<p>Billboard's Christian charts work the other way round. They are built from data: radio audience, streaming and sales. Our explainer on <a href="/blog/billboard-hot-christian-songs-chart-explained">how the Hot Christian Songs chart is calculated</a> walks through that formula.</p>
<p>That difference is why the two lists don't always agree. A song can lead the streaming numbers and still lose a Dove to a track that industry voters rate more highly, and an album can win its genre category without ever reaching the top of an all-genre chart. The charts tell you what listeners played; the Doves tell you what the people who make Christian and gospel music chose to honour.</p>
<p>Use both. For a playlist of the year's most-played songs, start with the charts. For the records the industry rated best, start with the Dove winners above.</p>

<h2>Watch the highlights</h2>
<p>TBN, which broadcast the ceremony, has posted highlights including performances from CeCe Winans, Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard.</p>
<figure class="video-embed" style="margin:1.5rem 0"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/pD0FVq3rcPQ" title="GMA Dove Awards 2026: CeCe Winans, Brandon Lake, Lainey Wilson, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and More! | TBN" loading="lazy" allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;aspect-ratio:16/9;border:0"></iframe><figcaption>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD0FVq3rcPQ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">GMA Dove Awards 2026: CeCe Winans, Brandon Lake, Lainey Wilson, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and More! | TBN</a> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TBN" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">TBN</a> (YouTube)</figcaption></figure>

<h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>
<h3>Who won Artist of the Year at the 2026 Dove Awards?</h3>
<p>Phil Wickham.</p>
<h3>What won Song of the Year?</h3>
<p>"Dusty Bibles", recorded by Josiah Queen and written by Josiah Queen, Zac Lawson, Dylan Thomas and John Michael Howell.</p>
<h3>Who won the most Dove Awards in 2026?</h3>
<p>Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake and Josiah Queen tied with three each. Tasha Cobbs Leonard won two, the most of any female artist.</p>
<h3>Who votes for the Dove Awards?</h3>
<p>Professional members of the Gospel Music Association select the nominees and vote on the winners. It is not a public fan vote, so the results reflect the industry's view rather than streaming or sales.</p>

<p>More rankings and explainers are on the <a href="/blog">ChristianRanks blog</a>, and the latest lists are on the <a href="/">ChristianRanks home page</a>.</p>
<p><em>Sources: Gospel Music Association, <a href="https://gospelmusic.org/news/57th-annual-gma-dove-awards-see-full-list-of-winners" rel="noopener" target="_blank">"57th Annual GMA Dove Awards: See Full List of Winners"</a> (October 9, 2026); the official <a href="https://doveawards.com/awards/2026-winners" rel="noopener" target="_blank">2026 winners</a> and nominees pages on doveawards.com; GMA's nominations announcement as reported by Patheos (August 1, 2026). Checked October 23, 2026.</em></p>

All 2026 Dove Awards winners: Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake and Josiah Queen won three each, Dusty Bibles took Song of the Year. Full list and key takeaways.

2026 Dove Awards Winners: Who Won the Most and What the Results Show

<p>Every week, Christian music fans check where their favourite worship song or CCM single sits on Billboard. But what does a song's position on the Hot Christian Songs chart actually measure? Radio play? Streams? Sales? The answer is all three, and the mix matters, because it explains why some songs debut high and fade fast while others sit near the top for years.</p>

<p>This explainer covers how the chart is built, how it differs from the Christian Airplay chart, why some songs stay at No. 1 for so long, and how to read the numbers without over-reading them.</p>

<h2>A short history: from radio-only to multi-metric</h2>
<p>Billboard launched Hot Christian Songs in June 2003. For its first decade it ranked songs only by audience impressions on contemporary Christian music radio stations; in effect it was a radio chart.</p>
<p>That changed with the chart dated December 7, 2013. From then on, Hot Christian Songs has used the same basic method as the Billboard Hot 100: it combines radio airplay, streaming and digital download sales into one ranking. At the same time Billboard created a separate <strong>Christian Airplay</strong> chart so that pure radio performance would still be tracked on its own.</p>
<p>That split is the single most useful thing to know when you read Christian charts. "No. 1 on Christian radio" and "No. 1 on Hot Christian Songs" are two different achievements.</p>

<h2>The three ingredients</h2>
<h3>1. Airplay</h3>
<p>For Hot Christian Songs, airplay counts across all monitored radio stations, not just Christian ones. A Christian song that crosses over to country or pop radio gets credit for those plays too. Airplay is measured in audience impressions, an estimate of how many people heard the song, so a play in a large market counts for more than a play on a small station.</p>
<h3>2. Streaming</h3>
<p>On-demand audio streams (such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music) and video streams (including official YouTube videos) are counted. Billboard weights streams from paid subscriptions more heavily than ad-supported or free streams, in line with its Hot 100 rules. Billboard does not publish the exact weighting for each genre chart, so be careful with any claim that "X streams equal one sale."</p>
<h3>3. Digital sales</h3>
<p>Paid downloads of individual songs from stores such as iTunes and Amazon still count, even though download volumes are far smaller than they were a decade ago. Because sales are now a small market, a release-week sales push by an artist's fans can still nudge a song up for a week or two.</p>

<h2>Where the data comes from and when the chart updates</h2>
<p>Billboard's sales and streaming numbers come from its data partner Luminate. The tracking week runs from Friday to Thursday, matching the global Friday release day for new music, and Billboard publishes the new charts the following week. That is why a song released on a Friday has a full tracking week to make its debut.</p>

<h2>Hot Christian Songs vs Christian Airplay: why the rankings differ</h2>
<table>
<thead><tr><th></th><th>Hot Christian Songs</th><th>Christian Airplay</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td>What it measures</td><td>Airplay + streaming + digital sales</td><td>Radio airplay on Christian stations only</td></tr>
<tr><td>Typical fast risers</td><td>Big releases, viral worship moments, crossover hits</td><td>Songs promoted to Christian radio, which build slowly</td></tr>
<tr><td>Typical long runs</td><td>Songs that keep streaming in churches and playlists</td><td>Radio favourites in heavy rotation</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>A new single from a well-known worship collective can debut high on Hot Christian Songs because fans stream it heavily in week one, while the same song may take months to climb Christian Airplay as stations add it gradually. The reverse also happens: a radio-friendly single can top Christian Airplay without dominating streaming.</p>

<h2>Why some songs stay at No. 1 for years</h2>
<p>Under the multi-metric method, a song that becomes part of everyday church life keeps generating streams long after its release. Congregations learn it, worship leaders add it to setlists, and listeners return to it on playlists. Radio keeps playing it because listeners keep asking for it.</p>
<p>The clearest example is Lauren Daigle's "You Say," which spent a record 132 weeks at No. 1 on Hot Christian Songs between 2018 and 2021. Long runs at the top by songs such as Hillsong United's "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" and Brandon Lake's "Hard Fought Hallelujah" follow the same pattern: steady streaming plus steady radio, week after week.</p>

<h2>Crossover songs and surprise debuts</h2>
<p>Because the chart counts all streaming and all monitored radio, songs from artists outside the Christian music industry can appear when they release openly faith-themed material. Big TV singing competitions have also produced No. 1 debuts in the past, when contestants' performances of hymns sold heavily as downloads in a single week. These entries are real chart achievements, but they usually do not last, because they lack the radio and church-streaming base that keeps worship songs on the chart.</p>

<h2>How to read the chart sensibly</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Check which chart you are looking at.</strong> Hot Christian Songs, Christian Airplay, Christian Streaming Songs and Christian Digital Song Sales each measure something different.</li>
<li><strong>Look at weeks on chart, not only the position.</strong> A song at No. 12 in its 60th week often has more lasting impact than a one-week No. 3 debut.</li>
<li><strong>Remember timing.</strong> Christmas songs, Easter releases and album weeks create predictable seasonal jumps.</li>
<li><strong>Do not treat the chart as a quality ranking.</strong> It measures listening and buying in the United States. Many beloved songs, including most non-English worship music, never appear on it.</li>
<li><strong>Use the official source.</strong> The current positions are on Billboard's own chart pages; secondary sites, including this one, may be a week behind.</li>
</ul>

<h2>The bottom line</h2>
<p>Hot Christian Songs is no longer a radio chart. Since December 2013 it has blended airplay, streaming and downloads, which rewards songs that people keep coming back to, in church and at home. If you want to know what Christian radio is playing, read Christian Airplay. If you want the broadest single measure of what Christian music listeners in the US are engaging with each week, read Hot Christian Songs, and read the weeks-on-chart column too.</p>
<p><em>Sources: Billboard chart pages and chart methodology announcements; Wikipedia's Hot Christian Songs article for chart history and records (checked October 18, 2026).</em></p>

How Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart is calculated: airplay, streaming and sales since 2013, the Christian Airplay difference, record runs and how to read it.