Brooke Ligertwood

Brooke Ligertwood, formerly known professionally as Brooke Fraser, is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, producer and worship leader whose career has moved between mainstream folk-pop and contemporary Christian music. Born on December 15, 1983, in Wellington, New Zealand, she first became known internationally under her maiden name, Brooke Fraser, with albums such as What to Do with Daylight, Albertine, Flags and Brutal Romantic. She later adopted her married name, Brooke Ligertwood, for her worship music and became one of the most influential songwriters in modern Christian music.

Ligertwood is particularly known for writing major worship songs including “What a Beautiful Name,” “King of Kings,” “A Thousand Hallelujahs,” “Hosanna,” “None But Jesus,” “New Wine” and “Honey in the Rock.” Her work has connected careful songwriting and theological depth with contemporary worship, making her songs widely used by churches around the world. Her official biography says her songs have been streamed more than 7 billion times and translated into more than 15 languages.

Her career has therefore developed along two closely connected paths. As Brooke Fraser, she became one of New Zealand’s successful singer-songwriters, earning multiple No. 1 albums and awards. As Brooke Ligertwood, she has focused increasingly on worship songwriting, recording and ministry, working with artists and collectives including Hillsong Worship, Bethel Music, Passion and other leading Christian music organisations.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Musical Background

Brooke Fraser was born in Wellington, New Zealand, as the eldest of three children. Her father, Bernie Fraser, was a professional rugby player who represented New Zealand at international level. Music became part of Brooke’s life early. She studied piano from the age of seven to 17 and wrote her first song when she was 12. She later taught herself to play guitar.

Her breakthrough as a young performer came at the Parachute Christian Music Festival in 2000. The performance helped establish her as an emerging singer-songwriter and led her to relocate to Auckland, where she signed a management agreement with producer Matty J. She subsequently secured a multi-album recording deal with Sony.

This early period established the foundation for a career that would initially look more like that of a mainstream singer-songwriter than a worship artist. Fraser’s songwriting was personal and reflective, while her musical style drew on folk, pop and alternative influences.

Mainstream Breakthrough as Brooke Fraser

Fraser’s debut album, What to Do with Daylight, was released in 2003. The album was an immediate success in New Zealand, debuting at No. 1 and eventually achieving seven-times-platinum certification in the country. It established Fraser as one of New Zealand’s leading young singer-songwriters.

She followed the album with Albertine in 2006. The project was influenced partly by Fraser’s experiences visiting Rwanda and other countries, and it continued to develop the thoughtful songwriting that had distinguished her debut. Albertine also debuted at No. 1 in New Zealand and achieved multi-platinum status there, while reaching audiences in Australia and the United States.

Her third studio album, Flags, arrived in 2010 and became another major success. It produced “Something in the Water,” Fraser’s first No. 1 single in New Zealand. The song became one of her best-known recordings and demonstrated her ability to combine accessible pop songwriting with a distinctive, understated musical style.

Hillsong Worship and the Shift Toward Worship Music

Fraser’s involvement with Christian worship developed alongside her mainstream career. She became part of Hillsong Church in Australia in 2005 and joined its worship team, Hillsong Worship. She appeared on the group’s 2006 album Mighty to Save and later contributed to its songwriting catalogue.

Among her important early contributions was “None But Jesus,” which she co-wrote for Hillsong Worship’s United We Stand in 2006. She later became one of the significant songwriters within the Hillsong worship movement, contributing songs that were adopted by churches internationally.

Fraser left the Hillsong Worship group after the release of A Beautiful Exchange in 2010, allowing her to concentrate more heavily on her own recording career. She subsequently returned to the collective for the 2016 live album Let There Be Light. That project included one of the songs that would become central to her later legacy, “What a Beautiful Name.”

“What a Beautiful Name” and Global Recognition

“What a Beautiful Name,” co-written by Brooke Ligertwood and Ben Fielding, became one of the defining worship songs of the 2010s. Released by Hillsong Worship on Let There Be Light, the song grew from a worship recording into a global church anthem.

The song earned Ligertwood and Fielding the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018. It remains her most significant individual recognition from the Recording Academy.

The success of “What a Beautiful Name” also demonstrated the scale of Ligertwood’s influence as a songwriter. Her contribution was not limited to her own recordings. Her songs were increasingly being sung and recorded by churches and Christian artists around the world, giving her an influence that extended far beyond the traditional boundaries of a solo recording career.

Other major worship songs from her songwriting catalogue include “King of Kings,” “Hosanna,” “Man of Sorrows,” “New Wine” and “None But Jesus.”

Musical Style and Songwriting

Ligertwood’s songwriting is marked by a strong interest in the relationship between theology and art. Her worship songs tend to use carefully constructed lyrics to express ideas about God’s character, faith, surrender, worship and Christian identity.

Her musical background also gives her work a different character from purely congregational songwriting. Before becoming widely known as a worship songwriter, she had already spent years writing and recording folk-pop music. That experience gave her a strong understanding of melody, structure and storytelling, elements that remain evident in her worship compositions.

Her later recordings combine contemporary worship with atmospheric pop, acoustic instrumentation and expansive live arrangements. Songs such as “A Thousand Hallelujahs” and “Honey in the Rock” demonstrate her ability to create melodies that work naturally in both personal listening and congregational worship.

Ligertwood has also worked extensively as a producer. Her official biography identifies her as a songwriter, producer and worship leader in addition to her work as a recording artist. This broader involvement has allowed her to shape not only the lyrics of worship songs but also their musical presentation.

Albums, Collaborations and Notable Songs

After several albums released as Brooke Fraser, Ligertwood began releasing worship music under her married name. Her first major album under the Brooke Ligertwood name was SEVEN, a live worship project released in 2022. The album included “A Thousand Hallelujahs,” “Honey in the Rock,” “Communion,” “Nineveh,” “Burn,” “I Belong to Jesus” and “King Jesus.”

“A Thousand Hallelujahs,” written by Ligertwood with Phil Wickham and Scott Ligertwood, became one of her most recognisable solo worship recordings. “Honey in the Rock,” co-written with Brandon Lake and Mitch Wong, further expanded her connection with the contemporary worship community.

She followed SEVEN with EIGHT in 2023. The album continued her emphasis on theology-driven songwriting and included songs such as “Bless God,” “Fear of God,” “Lead Me to the Cross,” “Desert Song,” “Authority,” “King of Kings” and “Soon.” A Spanish-language companion project, SIETE, also followed.

Ligertwood has continued collaborating with artists and worship organisations. Her official catalogue includes work with Bethel Music, Jenn Johnson, Gateway, Passion, Matt Crocker, Rita Springer and CAIN, among others.

Current Career and Legacy

Ligertwood has continued expanding her artistic work beyond the traditional boundaries of worship music. Her catalogue includes INFINITY, a live project connected to EIGHT, as well as other collaborative recordings and worship releases. In February 2026, she released EAT, her sixth full-length album, co-produced with Jason Ingram. The album features guest appearances from Ingram, Lauren Daigle and The New Respects and includes “Even Death on the Cross!” with Abbie Gamboa and “The Water” with Victory Boyd.

Her personal life has also remained relatively private. She is married to songwriter and creative director Scott Ligertwood, and they have two daughters. The family is based in Orange County, California.

Ligertwood’s legacy is unusual because it spans two distinct but connected areas of music. As Brooke Fraser, she became a successful New Zealand singer-songwriter whose albums and singles dominated the country’s charts. As Brooke Ligertwood, she became an internationally recognised worship songwriter whose compositions have become part of the modern church repertoire.

Her influence is particularly evident in the number of congregations and artists who have adopted her songs. “What a Beautiful Name,” “King of Kings,” “A Thousand Hallelujahs,” “New Wine” and “Honey in the Rock” have become familiar across contemporary Christian worship, while her work as a producer and songwriter has influenced the sound of modern worship beyond her own recordings.

With a career spanning more than two decades, Brooke Ligertwood has successfully connected mainstream songwriting craft with Christian worship and theology. Her ability to write songs that are musically accessible while remaining deeply rooted in faith has made her one of the most significant worship songwriters of her generation.