Maverick City Music is an American worship collective founded in 2018 in Atlanta by Tony Brown and Jonathan Jay. Bringing together dozens of songwriters through shared writing sessions, it won four Grammy Awards in 2023 with songs like Jireh and Promises.
Maverick City Music was born in 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia, out of an initiative by Tony Brown and Jonathan Jay: to bring together Christian songwriters from all walks of life at writing camps to create worship that reflects the diversity of the American church. After several years of shared sessions, the collective released its first two volumes, Maverick City Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, in 2019, before becoming one of the most followed worship projects in the United States.
The collective works on a rotating principle: each song features two or three different voices drawn from a large community of artists, including Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, Dante Bowe, and Brandon Lake, who have each been part of the project at different times. Distributed by the label Tribl, whose YouTube channel TRIBL hosts the collective's official videos, Maverick City Music won four Grammy Awards at the 2023 ceremony, a record total that year, tied with Beyoncé.
- Origin
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Style
- Collective worship, contemporary gospel
- Active since
- 2018
- Good to know
- The collective's vocal lineup changes with every song; its official channel is TRIBL, the label that distributes most of its videos and live albums, not the Spanish-language channel Maverick City Música.
How did Maverick City Music get started?
It all began with writing camps organized by Tony Brown and Jonathan Jay starting in the mid-2010s, bringing together Christian songwriters from different backgrounds to create worship music as a community rather than alone. Officially launched in 2018, the project took the name Maverick City Music and released its first two volumes in 2019, introducing the wider public to voices like Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine.
The momentum grew with the Maverick City Vol. 3 albums, released in 2020, which contained songs that became standards such as Man of Your Word and Promises. In 2021, the collaborative album Old Church Basement, recorded with Elevation Worship, firmly established the collective in the landscape of American worship with the song Jireh.
What makes Maverick City Music stand out?
Unlike a traditional band with a fixed lineup, Maverick City Music works as a rotating collective: the lead singers change from one song to the next, even within the same recording session. This community-driven approach, rooted in the traditions of gospel and African American worship while remaining open to other styles, earned the collective four Grammy Awards in 2023, a rare recognition for a church-based worship music project.
Where should you start with Maverick City Music?
Jireh, co-written with Elevation Worship and led by Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, is the song most closely identified with the collective and a great place to start. Promises and Man of Your Word, both from the 2020 Vol. 3 albums, round out the listening experience nicely by showing the vocal diversity that defines the project.
songs
Jireh
Co-written with Elevation Worship and led by Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, this is the song most closely identified with the collective.
Closer
Recorded with Brandon Lake, taken from the live sessions captured in Atlanta in 2020.
Promises
With Joe L Barnes and Naomi Raine, the second single from the album Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1 (2020).
Discography
- 2024The Maverick Way Reimagined
- 2023The Maverick Way Complete
- 2021Old Church Basement· Collaborative album with Elevation Worship.
- 2020Maverick City, Vol. 3 Pt. 2
- 2020Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1
- 2019Maverick City, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Maverick City Music?
Maverick City Music is an American worship collective founded in 2018 in Atlanta by Tony Brown and Jonathan Jay. It brings together a rotating group of Christian songwriters who write and perform worship songs together, distributed mainly through the label and YouTube channel TRIBL.
What is Maverick City Music's most famous song?
Jireh, co-written with Elevation Worship and led by Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, is the song most closely identified with the collective. Released in 2021 on the album Old Church Basement, it topped American Christian charts for several weeks.
Is Maverick City Music Christian?
Yes, it is an explicitly evangelical Christian collective, born from writing camps built around worship. Its songs are used in many churches, especially in African American and multicultural communities across the United States.
Where can you listen to Maverick City Music?
The collective releases its videos and live albums on its YouTube channel TRIBL, the label that distributes it, as well as on all streaming platforms such as Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music.
How many members does Maverick City Music have?
The collective has no fixed lineup: dozens of artists have taken part over the years, including Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, Dante Bowe, and Brandon Lake, each appearing on certain songs rather than across the whole catalog.
Has Maverick City Music won any awards?
Yes, the collective won four Grammy Awards at the 2023 ceremony, a record total that year, tied with Beyoncé.