Maverick City Music

Maverick City Music is an American contemporary worship and gospel music collective formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018. Founded by Tony Brown and Jonathan Jay, the group emerges from a songwriting community created to provide space for artists and writers who were often underrepresented in mainstream contemporary Christian music. From its beginning, Maverick City Music develops a sound that brings together contemporary worship, gospel, R&B and elements of soul, creating music that is both congregational and rooted in the musical traditions of Black gospel.

Rather than functioning like a traditional band with a fixed lineup, Maverick City Music operates as a collective of worship leaders, singers, musicians, producers and songwriters. Its recordings have featured artists including Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, Dante Bowe, Brandon Lake and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, among many others. The collective gains international attention through songs such as “Promises,” “Man of Your Word,” “Jireh,” “Million Little Miracles,” “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” and “In the Room,” while collaborations with Elevation Worship and Kirk Franklin further establish its place within contemporary Christian and gospel music.

Quick Facts

Formation and Early Beginnings

Maverick City Music begins in 2018 with a songwriting camp created by Tony Brown and Jonathan Jay, who at the time are both involved with Housefires. The idea behind the project is to create a different kind of environment for Christian musicians and songwriters, particularly those whose cultural and musical backgrounds have historically been less represented within contemporary worship. Rather than starting with a conventional band structure, the founders focus on bringing different voices into the same creative room.

That approach becomes central to Maverick City Music’s identity. The collective’s early sessions bring together worship leaders, gospel musicians and contemporary Christian writers from different backgrounds. These gatherings eventually produce a large body of songs and recordings, establishing Maverick City Music as a creative movement as much as a performing group.

Rise to Prominence

The collective releases its first projects in 2019, followed by Maverick City, Vol. 3 in 2020. The project introduces a growing audience to songs such as “Promises” and “Man of Your Word,” both of which become important early examples of the group’s distinctive approach to worship music.

Maverick City Music’s rapid growth is closely connected to the accessibility of its music. The recordings often preserve the spontaneity and emotional atmosphere of live worship rather than presenting highly polished studio performances. This helps the collective appeal simultaneously to church audiences, gospel listeners and younger Christian music fans who are drawn to contemporary production and collaborative songwriting.

Musical Style and Identity

Maverick City Music’s music sits at the intersection of contemporary Christian worship and gospel. The collective draws heavily from the vocal traditions, harmonies and musical vocabulary of Black gospel while incorporating modern worship arrangements, R&B influences and contemporary songwriting. Its songs frequently focus on themes of God’s faithfulness, identity, grace, surrender and hope.

The collective’s inclusive creative model is equally important to its sound. Instead of relying on one permanent lead vocalist, different singers and songwriters take prominent roles from project to project. This gives the music a varied vocal character while reinforcing Maverick City Music’s original purpose of creating space for a broader range of voices within Christian music. The group’s official history continues to emphasize the idea of building a room where Black creatives can have greater freedom and resources to create.

Notable Songs and Albums

Maverick City Music’s catalogue develops quickly after its first releases. Among its important projects are Maverick City, Vol. 3, Old Church Basement, Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition, A Very Maverick Christmas, Kingdom: Book One, The Maverick Way Complete and The Maverick Way Reimagined.

“Promises” and “Man of Your Word” help establish the collective during its early period, while “Jireh” becomes one of its most recognizable songs through the collaboration with Elevation Worship. Other widely recognized songs include “Million Little Miracles,” “Firm Foundation (He Won’t),” “Worthy of My Song (Worthy of It All)” and “In the Room.” The latter features Naomi Raine, Chandler Moore and Tasha Cobbs Leonard and becomes part of the collective’s continuing catalogue of major worship collaborations.

Major Collaborations

Collaboration is one of the defining characteristics of Maverick City Music. One of its most significant partnerships is with Elevation Worship on the 2021 album Old Church Basement. The project combines the two worship collectives and includes “Jireh,” which becomes a major contemporary Christian worship song. The album reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart.

In 2022, Maverick City Music collaborates with Kirk Franklin on Kingdom, a live project that brings the collective’s contemporary worship approach together with Franklin’s gospel and choir-driven sound. The partnership produces the Grammy-winning “Kingdom” and leads to the deluxe project Kingdom Book One Deluxe. Other collaborators associated with Maverick City Music include Upperroom, Tribl, Housefires, Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, Cody Carnes and numerous gospel and Christian artists.

Awards and Recognition

Maverick City Music becomes one of the most decorated contemporary worship collectives of its generation in a relatively short period. The Recording Academy currently credits the collective with five Grammy wins from fourteen nominations. Its Grammy victories include Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Breathe, Best Gospel Performance/Song for “Kingdom,” Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Fear Is Not My Future,” and Best Gospel Album for Kingdom Book One Deluxe.

The collective also receives major recognition for Old Church Basement, its collaboration with Elevation Worship, which wins the 2022 Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. The Maverick Way Complete later receives a Grammy nomination in the same category, demonstrating the group’s continued presence among leading contemporary Christian recordings.

Current Work and Legacy

Maverick City Music remains active and continues to release new music. Its recent catalogue includes projects such as MAVHOUSE, The Maverick Way Reimagined, Live at Maverick City, Love Made a Way and I Was Made to Glorify Your Name, the latter released in February 2026. The collective’s official platform continues to present new music, stories and creative work connected to its wider community.

The group’s influence extends beyond its recordings. Maverick City Music helps reshape the contemporary worship landscape by bringing gospel musicians, worship leaders and songwriters from different backgrounds into the same creative environment. Its emphasis on collaboration, cultural representation and spontaneous worship has influenced the sound of modern Christian music while giving a new generation of artists greater visibility. In only a few years, the collective moves from an Atlanta songwriting experiment to a Grammy-winning global worship movement whose songs are now sung in churches and Christian communities around the world.