Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Ep. 82 - MATTHEW WEST ("Grace Wins")

Episode Summary

Four-time Grammy nominee Matthew West’s major label debut album, Happy, brought him to national attention in 2004, earning him five Dove award nominations, including Pop/Contemporary  Album of the Year, Song of the Year for the single “More,” and New Artist of the Year. He has gone on to score nearly twenty Top 10 hits on Billboard’s US Christian chart, including Dove award Song of the Year nominee “Only Grace,” “You Are Everything,” “The Motions,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Song,  “Strong Enough,” “Forgiveness,” which was another Grammy nominee for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song,  “Hello My Name Is,” and “Grace Wins,” which reached  #1 status for a record-setting 17 weeks at Christian radio. He has written songs for other artists, including Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, and Casting Crowns, who earned Matthew yet another Best Contemporary Christian Music Song Grammy nomination for “Jesus, Friend of Sinners.” He has been named ASCAP’s Christian Music Songwriter  of the Year multiple times, earned the Best Contemporary Inspirational Artist honor from the American Music Awards in 2013, won a Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song in 2014, and was named Billboard’s Hot Christian Songwriter of the Year in 2016. Additionally, he received a Primetime Emmy award nomination for Original Music & Lyrics for “The Heart of Christmas” from the film of the same name. His latest studio album is All In on Sparrow Records.

Episode Notes

Four-time Grammy nominee Matthew West’s major label debut album, Happy, brought him to national attention in 2004, earning him five Dove award nominations, including Pop/Contemporary  Album of the Year, Song of the Year for the single “More,” and New Artist of the Year. He has gone on to score nearly twenty Top 10 hits on Billboard’s US Christian chart, including Dove award Song of the Year nominee “Only Grace,” “You Are Everything,” “The Motions,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Song,  “Strong Enough,” “Forgiveness,” which was another Grammy nominee for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song,  “Hello My Name Is,” and “Grace Wins,” which reached  #1 status for a record-setting 17 weeks at Christian radio. He has written songs for other artists, including Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, and Casting Crowns, who earned Matthew yet another Best Contemporary Christian Music Song Grammy nomination for “Jesus, Friend of Sinners.” He has been named ASCAP’s Christian Music Songwriter  of the Year multiple times, earned the Best Contemporary Inspirational Artist honor from the American Music Awards in 2013, won a Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song in 2014, and was named Billboard’s Hot Christian Songwriter of the Year in 2016. Additionally, he received a Primetime Emmy award nomination for Original Music & Lyrics for “The Heart of Christmas” from the film of the same name. His latest studio album is All In on Sparrow Records.