Phil Wickham is an American contemporary worship singer-songwriter, born in 1984 in San Diego. Active since 2003, he has written songs sung in churches around the world, such as This Is Amazing Grace, House of the Lord, and Battle Belongs. His album Hymn of Heaven received the Dove Award for Worship Album of the Year in 2022.
Phil Wickham was born on April 5, 1984, in San Diego, California, into a family steeped in Christian music: his father played in bands connected to the label Maranatha! Music, where his parents met. Surrounded by great worship songs from childhood, Phil began leading worship at his church at thirteen, before writing his own material. At eighteen, he recorded an independent debut project, Give You My World, released in 2003, which quickly caught the attention of American Christian record labels.
His career took off with Heaven & Earth (2009), followed by a string of albums that established Phil Wickham among the most sung songwriters in English-speaking churches, including This Is Amazing Grace, certified platinum. A vocal cord injury sidelined him in 2014, but he came back stronger with Children of God (2016) and then strung together Christian chart number ones: Living Hope (2018), Hymn of Heaven (2021, Dove Award for Worship Album of the Year), I Believe (2023), and Song of the Saints (2025).
- Origin
- San Diego, California, USA
- Style
- Contemporary worship (pop rock)
- Active since
- 2003
- Good to know
- This Is Amazing Grace, certified platinum by the RIAA
How did Phil Wickham get started?
Phil Wickham grew up in a family where worship was part of everyday life: his parents met in the band Parable, connected to the pioneering label Maranatha! Music. He learned the songs that shaped American churches from a very young age, before starting to write his own. At thirteen, he took charge of worship at his own church, a commitment he describes as the moment his faith truly became his own.
At eighteen, he independently recorded Give You My World. The album quickly circulated in Christian circles and caught the attention of specialized labels, opening the way to a professional career that officially began with the album Phil Wickham (2006) and then Cannons (2007).
What makes Phil Wickham stand out?
His music blends the polished melodies of pop rock with the simplicity of the great hymns, which explains why his songs are sung as widely in large arenas as in small congregations. In 2014, a vocal cord injury threatened to end his career: forced into silence, he went through a period of doubt before returning with Children of God (2016), an album shaped by that trial. That experience has fed the authenticity of his lyrics about grace and perseverance ever since.
Where should you start with Phil Wickham?
Start with Everyday Hallelujah, his most recent song, before working back to Praise The Lord Forever, co-written with Pat Barrett, then Flowers. To go further, his classics This Is Amazing Grace, House of the Lord, and Battle Belongs remain the songs most sung in French-speaking churches.
songs
Everyday Hallelujah
Title track of the album of the same name released in 2025, a song of thanksgiving that calls us to praise God day after day, in routine as much as in hardship.
Praise The Lord Forever
Co-written and performed with Pat Barrett, this song echoes the psalms' call to bless God in every season.
Flowers
A ballad performed with Jamie MacDonald about God's faithfulness, which brings life to bloom even in the driest ground.
Discography
- 2025Song of the Saints
- 2023I Believe
- 2021Hymn of Heaven
- 2018Living Hope
- 2016Children of God
- 2013The Ascension
- 2009Heaven & Earth
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Phil Wickham?
Phil Wickham is an American contemporary worship singer-songwriter, born in 1984 in San Diego. He has written and performed worship songs sung in churches around the world since the early 2000s, in a style that blends pop rock with classic hymns.
What is Phil Wickham's best known song?
This Is Amazing Grace, released in 2013, remains his most sung song: it was certified platinum by the RIAA and held the number one spot on American Christian charts for several weeks.
Where can you listen to Phil Wickham?
His albums are available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer, and his official music videos are posted on his YouTube channel, which has more than two million subscribers.
Is Phil Wickham a Christian artist?
Yes. Phil Wickham has led worship since his teenage years, and his entire catalog falls within contemporary Christian music, often sung during Sunday services around the world.
Has Phil Wickham been through hardship?
In 2014, a vocal cord injury forced him to pause his career for several months. He came back with the album Children of God (2016), which speaks directly to that experience.
Who has Phil Wickham collaborated with?
He has notably co-written and performed songs with Pat Barrett on Praise The Lord Forever and with Jamie MacDonald on Flowers, two current figures of American contemporary worship.