We Speak Entertainment
MULTI-PLATINUM SELLING HILLSONG WORSHIP WINS FIRST-EVER GRAMMY® AWARD FOR POWERHO– USE SONG “WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME”
Hillsong Worship won its first GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for their genre-smashing single, “What A Beautiful Name” that continues to be the fastest growing song in modern church history (112 million views on YouTube). The category, created in 2015, recognizes both songwriters and performers. “What A Beautiful Name,” recorded in 2016, was written by the worship collective‘s Brooke Ligertwood (formerly Brooke Fraser) and Ben Fielding who represented the group in accepting the award, which was among those handed out on-stage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. The song won out over competing selections from Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, and MercyMe.
“We are so thrilled that a song about the Name who is most dear to us was honored with a GRAMMY award this year!,” Ligertwood, who accepted the award with Fielding on stage inside Madison Square Garden, New York, ahead of the main ceremony, said.
“We feel humbled by the opportunity to represent our wider team and church at such a prestigious occasion that rightly celebrates all music. The reach and impact of ‘What a Beautiful Name‘ has been encouraging and truly and honor. We seek to write songs that can genuinely connect the hearts of people with the heart of God through worship, and the connection this song seems to have made can only be by the grace of God.”
“No matter how far or close you feel to God or no matter how great the distance His love is greater, His name is more powerful, more wonderful, more beautiful than any other,” Fielding said.
“With a 25+ year legacy of writing and recording songs for believers everywhere, we recognize that we are walking on a path foraged by the dedicated and devoted songwriters and worship leaders building our team, church and this legacy before us, which began with our pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston, and their fearless commitment to the new song and the next generation,” Ligertwood added.
With more than 20 million career album sales and over 1.5 billion career streams, Australia-based Hillsong Worship has helped shape praise & worship over the last two decades through its catalog of songs that continue to be sung by an estimated 50 million churchgoers worldwide each week. Their award-winning single “What A Beautiful Name” spent nine consecutive weeks at#1 atop the National Christian Audience radio chart and remains the #1 most consumed track in Christian music. Concurrently, the single was named Billboard’s No. 1 Hot Christian Song of the Year topping its Hot Christian Songs chart (which blends airplay, streaming and sales data) on Feb. 25, holding strong in the No. 1 position for 34 weeks (through the chart dated Feb. 3, 2018).
“From the early days of Hillsong Church, having an environment that encourages the new song has been part of our DNA,” adds Brian Houston, global senior pastor of Hillsong Church. “It is humbling that these songs frequently resonate across the globe and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a song that is all about the name which is above every other name, the name of Jesus, is the song that has been honored this year with a GRAMMY Award win. Congratulations to Brooke and Ben for writing such a beautiful and heartfelt song.”
With unprecedented record sales and numerous award accolades, Hillsong Worship continues to impact millions worldwide with its chart-topping catalog of songs.
Their recent GRAMMY Award win accompanies a host of other honors bestowed this past year including being named Billboard’s Top Christian Artist of 2017 as well as its Top Christian Duo/Group.
About Hillsong Worship:
With a catalog sung by an estimated 50 million people worldwide each week, Hillsong Worship is passionate about equipping and mobilizing believers everywhere with Christ-centered songs of God-glorifying worship for the building of the Church. For almost three decades, Hillsong Worship has served people across nations and generations, travelling the world leading diverse expressions of the Church in the worship of Jesus. By God’s grace its “local church” worship songs such as “Shout To The Lord,” “Mighty To Save,” “Hosanna,” “Cornerstone,” “Forever Reign,” “Broken Vessels” and “This I Believe (The Creed)” have become the songs of churches all over the globe, in addition to finding a place in the personal devotion of individual believers everywhere. Their latest projects, “Let There Be Light,” “What A Beautiful Name EP,” and “Christmas: The Peace Project” are available now.
For more information, please visit:
Website: hillsong.com/worship
Facebook: facebook.com/hillsongworship
Twitter: twitter.com/hillsongworship
Instagram: instagram.com/hillsongworship
Acclaimed performer, advocate, television host, and community leader Wendy Stuart, also known to many as Wendy Darling, was honored with the Activism Award at the 2026 Catskills Pride Awards Night held at The Eldred Preserve in New York.
The event celebrated individuals whose work has made a lasting impact on the LGBTQ+ community through advocacy, leadership, artistic achievement, and public service. Among a distinguished group of honorees, Stuart was recognized for decades of unwavering commitment to visibility, inclusion, and support for LGBTQ+ causes.
For many in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Wendy Stuart has long been a familiar and respected voice in the LGBTQ+ community. Her activism dates back decades, including participation in the historic New York City Pride March and service as an original board member of Triversity, The Pride Center serving communities throughout the tri-state region.
Beyond her advocacy work, Stuart has used her talents in entertainment and media to amplify LGBTQ+ voices. As host of Triversity Talk and co-host of If These Walls Could Talk, she has provided a platform for activists, artists, community leaders, and changemakers whose stories might otherwise go unheard.
During the awards ceremony, attendees celebrated Stuart’s remarkable ability to combine entertainment with purpose. Her efforts as a member of the Imperial Court of New York have also helped raise awareness and funding for countless LGBTQ+ organizations and initiatives over the years.
Standing before an audience of supporters, fellow honorees, and community leaders, Stuart accepted the recognition with the same passion that has defined her career. The honor reflects not only her decades of activism but also her continuing commitment to education, advocacy, and community engagement.
The Activism Award serves as a fitting tribute to a woman whose influence extends far beyond the stage and television screen. Through her work as a performer, advocate, and media personality, Wendy Stuart has consistently demonstrated that visibility matters and that one voice can inspire meaningful change.
Her personal mission remains as powerful today as it has throughout her career:
“I advocate, I educate, I entertain. I’m blessed to do so.”
As Catskills Pride recognized its 2026 honorees, Wendy Stuart’s award stood as a celebration of a lifetime devoted to uplifting others, strengthening communities, and ensuring that LGBTQ+ voices continue to be heard, respected, and celebrated.
Other honorees at the event included actress Melissa Gilbert, community leader Paula Campbell, artists Barry Becker and Tony Coscia, and artistic achievement recipient Nonna Hall, making the evening a memorable celebration of leadership, service, and pride throughout the region.
Watch Wendy Stuart’s speech at the Catskills Pride Awards on Youtube here:
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