Chris Tomlin is an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. Tomlin leads worship at many Passion events. Some of his most well-known songs are “How Great Is Our God”, “Jesus Messiah”, “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, “Our God”, which he co-wrote with Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves, and Jonas Myrin, and “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)”. He is currently a worship leader at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with Louie Giglio, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, and Brett Younker.
Born Christopher Dwayne Tomlin, on May 4, 1972, in Grand Saline, Texas, to Connie and Donna Tomlin, Chris Tomlin grew up listening to country music and learned to play guitar from his father. At the age of nine, Tomlin accepted Jesus Christ as his savior, and at 14 wrote his first song of praise.
‘I Threw Transgender Away To Follow Jesus’ – Ex-Trans Woman
He enrolled at Texas A&M in the early ’90s to study physical therapy, but as he heard the call to bring himself and others closer to God, he grew active in a campus Christian group called Breakaway. Tomlin was a worship leader with Breakaway when he began attending Bible study sessions with Louie Giglio, who led a Christian group at Baylor University in Waco called Choice. Tomlin and Giglio worked together at youth ministry camps, and Tomlin was soon performing praise songs regularly for Giglio’s events. In time, Giglio’s group evolved into Passion, a nationwide organization for young Christians on college campuses. Tomlin has been in that movement ever since.
Personal Life
Tomlin married Lauren Bricken, on November 9, 2010. on September 22, 2011, Chris and Lauren had their first child, Ashlyn Alexandra Tomlin, and their second daughter, Madison Amore Tomlin, was born on October 7, 2014.
Recommended: List Of Songs By Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin and Family
Awards
Grammy Awards
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album (Hello Love) | Nominated |
| 2011 | Best Gospel Song (“Our God”) | Nominated |
| 2012 | Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance (“I Lift My Hands”) | Nominated |
| Best Contemporary Christian Music Song (“I Lift My Hands”) | Nominated | |
| Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (And If Our God Is For Us…) | Won | |
| 2014 | Best Contemporary Christian Music Song (Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)) | Nominated |
| Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (Burning Lights) | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (Love Ran Red) | Nominated |
GMA Dove Awards
Throughout his career, Chris Tomlin has been nominated to 32 Dove Awards (6 of them, collaborative efforts) and won 19 of them.
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Arriving) | Won |
| 2006 | Artist of the Year | Won |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Won | |
| Song of the Year (“Holy Is the Lord”) | Nominated | |
| Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”) | Won | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“Holy Is the Lord”) | Nominated | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”) | Won | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“Indescribable”)1 | Nominated | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia)* | Won | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: How Great Is Our God)* | Nominated | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (WOW Christmas: Green)* | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Artist of the Year | Won |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Won | |
| Song of the Year (“Made to Worship”) | Nominated | |
| Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (“Made to Worship”) | Nominated | |
| Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (See The Morning) | Won | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“Holy Is the Lord”) | Won | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“Made to Worship”) | Nominated | |
| Praise & Worship Album of the Year (See The Morning) | Won | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Everything Glorious)* | Won | |
| 2008 | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Won | |
| Song of the Year (“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”) | Nominated | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”) | Nominated | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”) | Won | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Music Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing Grace)* | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Song of the Year (“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”) | Nominated | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“Jesus Messiah”) | Nominated | |
| Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Hello Love) | Nominated | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: God of This City)* | Won | |
| Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”)2 | Won | |
| 2010 | Song of the Year (“I Will Rise”) | Nominated |
| Worship Song of the Year (“I Will Rise”) | Nominated | |
| Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Hello Love) | Nominated | |
| Christmas Album of the Year (Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship) | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Song of the Year (“Our God”) | Nominated | |
| Worship Song of the Year (“Our God”) | Won | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Awakening)* | Won | |
| 2012 | Praise & Worship Album of the Year (And If Our God Is For Us…) | Won |
| 2013 | Song of the Year (“Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]”) | Nominated |
| Praise & Worship Album of the Year (“Burning Lights”) | Won | |
| Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (“Burning Lights”) | Nominated | |
| Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: White Flag)* | Nominated | |
| Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Let The Future Begin)* | Won | |
| Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Passion: White Flag)* | Nominated | |
| Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Passion: Let The Future Begin)* | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Songwriter of the Year | Won |
| 2016 | Songwriter of the Year | Nominated |
- *Denotes a collaborative effort or a song contribution to a “Various artists” album.
- 1 The song was performed by Tomlin, but written and produced by Laura Story.
- 2 The song was performed by LaRue Howard, but written by Tomlin.
Billboard Music Awards
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Top Christian Artist | Won |
| Top Christian Album (And If Our God Is for Us…) | Nominated | |
| Top Christian Song (“Our God”) | Won |