Amy Grant, a contemporary Christian music icon, is among Kennedy Center Honors' awardees for 2022.
With it, Grant will cement her status as the Queen of Christian Pop music, a title she has worked hard to achieve for more than 40 years.
She will join past Gospel music honorees Mavis Staples (2016) and Marion Williams (1993).
2022 Kennedy Center Honorees
Grant will be feted with four other honorees on Dec. 4 at the Kennedy Center Opera House, a Christianity Today report revealed.
The center's 45th honorees class includes Grant, U2, George Clooney, Tania Leon, and Gladys Knight.
Leon is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, while Clooney is a Hollywood A-list actor. Meanwhile, Knight is also a singer like Grant.
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Stellar Musical Career
Amy Grant's decades-spanning career as a contemporary Christian musician is stellar by industry standards.
The report noted that Grant's album sales alone are worth over $30 million.
Her digital music streams, meanwhile, have also hit the billion mark, while her award-winning albums have earned her multiple Grammys.
Grant has four gold records, six platinum albums, and three multiplatinum records.
The article added that she had earned a total of six Grammy awards to date.
Among Grant's biggest hits were 1991's "Baby, Baby" album and 1986's "Next Time I Fall" which she performed with Chicago's Peter Cetera.
'Bringing Contemporary Christian Music To American Culture'
David M. Rubenstein, chairperson of the Kennedy Center, said that Grant successfully made contemporary Christian music a part of the country's culture.
Grant, he said, succeeded in 'bringing contemporary Christian music to American culture.'
Rubenstein added that the multi-awarded Christian artist did not lose her touch even as she jumped over to mainstream pop music.
Ultimately, Grant's accomplishments as a musical act earned her the title "Queen of Christian Pop," the same article quoted Rubenstein saying.
Grant's Reaction
For her part, Grant said the news brought her much excitement.
"I cannot wait to celebrate with my fellow honorees, friends, and family," she said.
She likewise explained that being named among 2022's Kennedy Center honorees is a complete surprise.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine ever receiving this prestigious Kennedy Center Honors," Grant said.
About Amy Grant
According to her website, Grant's 40-year musical career saw her starting as a Gospel singer before transcending into pop music.
She also writes songs, does philanthropical works, and dabbles in television, her profile revealed.
Grant's musical accomplishments included six No. 1 hits, 26 Dove Awards, 10 Top 40 pop chart singles, and several chart-topping Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) creations.
Her website said she had also been inducted into the Hall of Fame of Nashville Songwriters, has a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and a Music City Walk of Fame.
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual award given to artists who have shown exceptional achievements and contributions to the performing arts.
The center's website revealed that it is currently in its 50th year and continues to serve as a venue to showcase 'world-class art' aside from serving as a memorial to former US President John F. Kennedy.
Its past honorees include music luminaries Aretha Franklin, Lionel Ritchie, James Taylor, Eagles, and Paul McCartney.
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