Matthew Guion Maher (born November 10, 1974) is a Canadian Catholic contemporary Christian music artist, songwriter, and worship leader based in the United States. Three of his nine albums have reached the Top 25 Christian Albums Billboard chart and four of his singles have reached the Top 25 Christian Songs chart. His notable writing credits include "Your Grace Is Enough", "I Will Rise", "Because He Lives (Amen)", "Christ Is Risen", and "Lord I Need You". Maher has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards in his career and was awarded the Songwriter of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards.
Early life Maher was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada. His parents recognized his musical talent, and he grew up taking piano lessons and immersing himself in a broad variety of music and playing in concert and jazz ensembles, singing in a choir, and playing in a garage rock band.Bio formerly at www.mattmahermusic.com (archived at the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine).
Maher started his post-secondary studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland and continued his studies in the Jazz Department at Arizona State University. He studied jazz piano and earned a music degree there. He paid for his first three years of college by playing piano in a hotel.
Career His first label was the Spirit and Song, a division of OCP Publications, where he released his first three collections. Early in 2007 Maher signed to Essential Records. He released his first big-label album (and his fourth album overall) Empty and Beautiful on April 8, 2008. His second album with Essential Records (and his fifth album overall), Alive Again, was released on September 22, 2009. In late 2009, Maher toured with Michael W. Smith, Meredith Andrews and Phil Stacey on the "New Hallelujah Tour". Alive Again peaked at No. 6 on Billboard magazine's Top Christian Albums chart in 2009.[ Alive Again review] at Allmusic. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States in April 2008, Maher was asked to lead worship for crowds of thousands at the Rally for Youth and Seminarians in Yonkers, New York, which also featured Kelly Clarkson, tobyMac and Third Day, among other musicians. He was subsequently interviewed on Fox News, where he played his title track from Empty and Beautiful.
Maher was a guest singer songwriter speaker at Crowder's Fantastical Church Music Conference at Baylor University in late 2010 put on by the David Crowder Band. In early 2011 he toured the United States on the Rock And Worship Roadshow headlined by MercyMe.
Maher played "Lord, I Need You" before a crowd of nearly four million, including Pope Francis, during Eucharistic adoration at World Youth Day 2013 in Rio, Brazil. Other youth activities he has participated in include the 2013, 2015, and 2017 National Catholic Youth Conferences, all held in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also sang at the 2014 March for Life.
On March 17, 2015, Maher released his eighth studio album, Saints and Sinners, through Essential Records. "Because He Lives (Amen)" was the first single release off of the album, and additional tracks on the album include songwriting collaborations with Needtobreathe members Bo and Bear Rinehart, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. In September 2017, Maher's ninth studio album, Echoes, released and earned Maher his ninth career Grammy Award nomination.
He is a two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year and in 2015 was named NSAI Songwriter of the Year. Along with his nine Grammy Award nominations, he has also been nominated for more than 20 GMA/Gospel Music Association Dove Awards in his career, including "Song of the Year", "Worship Song of the Year", "Pop Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year", and "Pop Contemporary Song of the Year".
On October 12, 2018, his song "Lord, I Need You" was certified Platinum by RIAA, his first certification.
His single "Alive and Breathing" reached top-5 in the Christian singles chart, in June 2020 the song started to chart on mainstream lists as well, hitting No. 3 on Rolling Stones trending 25 list as well as No. 25 on Billboard singles of the week.
Maher is featured in three Christmas special theatrical releases for Dallas Jenkins's The Chosen franchise. In 2020's Christmas with The Chosen: The Shepherd, Maher performed "Hope For Everyone". In 2021's Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, Maher sang his Celtic-themed version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". The video of Maher's "Hark..." was reprised for the 2023 special "Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night", released on December 12, 2023.
Personal life Maher is a practicing Catholic. He and his wife, Kristin Fisher, live in Nashville, Tennessee with their three children: a daughter and two sons.
Discography
Albums
Title Year Album details Peak chart positions US USChristian USHoliday The End and the Beginning 2001 Released: January 1, 2001 Label: Spirit and Song Format: CD, digital download — — — Welcome to Life 2003 Released: January 1, 2003 Label: Spirit and Song Format: CD, digital download — — — Overflow 2006 Released: March 22, 2006 Label: Spirit and Song Format: CD, digital download — — — Empty & Beautiful 2008 Released: April 8, 2008 Label: Essential Format: CD, digital download 168[ Empty & Beautiful at Billboard] 12 — Alive Again 2009 Released: September 22, 2009 Label: Essential Format: CD, digital download 128[ Alive Again at Billboard] 6 — The Love in Between 2011 Released: September 20, 2011 Label: Essential Format: CD, digital download 97 7 — All the People Said Amen 2013 Released: April 23, 2013 Label: Essential Format: CD, digital download 88 5 — Saints and Sinners 2015 Released: March 17, 2015 Label: Essential Format: CD, digital download 52 2 — Echoes 2017 Released: September 29, 2017 Label: Essential/Sony Format: CD, digital download — 5 — The Advent of Christmas 2018 Released: October 19, 2018 Label: Essence Records Format: CD — 27 12 Alive & Breathing 2020 Released: February 21, 2020 — 4 — The Stories I Tell Myself 2022 Released: October 21, 2022 — — —
Extended plays Title Year EP details Lord, I Need You 2015 Alive & Breathing Vol. I 2019 Alive & Breathing Vol. II Alive & Breathing Vol. 3 Alive & Breathing Vol. 4 2020
Singles Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Album USChrist. USChrist.Airplay USChrist. AC 2008"Your Grace Is Enough" 4 2Empty & Beautiful 2009"Empty & Beautiful" 47 —"Alive Again" 12 10Alive Again 2010"Hold Us Together" 6 8 RIAA: Gold"Christ Is Risen" 18 21 2011"Turn Around" 5 6The Love in Between"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" 23 7non-album single 2012"Rise Up" 23 18The Love in Between 2013"Lord, I Need You" 4 4 RIAA: 2× PlatinumAll the People Said Amen 2014"All the People Said Amen" 6 4 7 RIAA: Gold"Hope Can Change Everything" 14 21 — non-album single"Because He Lives (Amen)" 3 1 1 RIAA: GoldSaints and Sinners 2015"Deliverer" 18 18 15 2016"Abide with Me" — 34 22"Glory (Let There Be Peace)" 14 1 1 non-album single 2017"Your Love Defends Me" 12 8 3 Echoes"What a Friend" 10 2 3 2018"Born On That Day" 24 10 6 The Advent of Christmas"Jingle Bells" 48 34 21 2019 "Alive & Breathing" 5 1 1 Alive & Breathing 2020 "Run to the Father" 20 18 16 2021 "Joyful Noise" — 27 26 2022 "Leaning" 38 24 22 The Stories I Tell Myself "The Stories I Tell Myself" — — — 2023 "The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)" 9 1 1 "Take It Easy" — — — rowspan="11" "In the Room" — — — "Christ Is Closer Still" — — — "Go Tell It (Gloria)" — — — 2024 "Give Thanks to God" — — — 2025 "Wait" — — — "Praise the Giver" — — — "Who Jesus Is" — — — "Cling to the Cross" 50 — — 2025 "Taste and See (The Love of Christ)" — — — "Gonna Be Alright" 10 1 1
Other charted songs Year Title Peak chart positions Album USChrist. USChrist.Air USChrist. AC 2025"Our King Has Come" 32 14 10The Hope of Christmas EP
Awards and recognition Grammy Awards 2017 - nomination for the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Contemporary Christian album, ECHOES 2015 - four nominations for the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, Saints And Sinners Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, "Because He Lives (Amen)" from Saints And Sinners Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, as co-writer for "Soul On Fire" by Third Day Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, as co-writer "Come As You Are" by Crowder 2014 - two nominations for the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, All The People Said Amen Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, "Lord, I Need You" from All The People Said Amen 2013 - nomination for the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for "White Flag" from 2012 Passion compilation 2012 - nomination for 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song as co-writer for "I Lift My Hands" by Chris TomlinGMA Canada Covenant Awards 2008 Praise And Worship Album of the Year: Empty & BeautifulMaher received four other GMAC nominations in 2008: New Artist of the Year, Inspirational Song of the Year: "Empty And Beautiful", Praise And Worship Song of the Year: "Your Grace Is Enough", and Song of the Year: "Your Grace Is Enough" GMA Canada list of 2008 nominees 2009 nominee, Male Vocalist of the Year 2009 nominee, Song of the Year: "As It Is In Heaven" 2009 nominee, Praise and Worship Song of the Year: "As It Is In Heaven" 2010 Album of the Year: Alive Again 2010 Praise And Worship Album of the Year: Alive Again 2010 Song of the Year: "Hold Us Together" 2010 Praise And Worship Song of the Year: "Alive Again" 2011 Male Vocalist of the Year 2012 Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year: "The Love In Between"GMA Dove Awards 2010 nominee, Praise And Worship Song of the Year: Alive Again 2010 nominee, Song of the Year: "Alive Again" 2010 winner, Special Events Album of the Year: Glory Revealed II: The Word of God in Worship (Split win with Kari Jobe) 2015 winner, Songwriter of the Year 2019 winner, Christmas/Special Event Album of the Year: The Advent of ChristmasUnity Awards2003 winner, Best New Artist of the Year 2004 winner, Praise & Worship Song of the Year: "I Love You, Lord" 2008 winner, Best Artist of the YearOther''' 2008 Catholic Album of the Year: Empty & Beautiful''
References
External links