2025 Year in Review

Australia's Christian Music scene has seen a real resurgence in 2025 and there's heaps more to come in 2026! Also, we share the nation's top Christian songs by Australian artists for 2025.

Just last week, I was on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria bringing in the New Year with hundreds of people from around the country at the Seek Jesus Festival. It was an incredible experience with a community of Christian artists and bands sharing their messages and talents over the 3 days.

Musical highlights over the two stages included seasoned touring professionals River Movement, Sam Hornshaw, LILLI and Joseph Lim, as well as emerging artists like Victor Claye, Elifia, Meera, Emmie Li and many others, but the undoubted highlight for me was being a part of the praise and worship on the stroke of midnight. With Rory McKenna of TEKOA pouring his heart out to classic worship hymns, and all the festival-goers surrounding a hot tub in the adjacent Narnia-like forest clearing, we witnessed multiple baptisms and peoples' lives touched. It truly felt like a little taste of heaven.

This was the realisation of a dream that I and many others have shared to bring back a Christian music scene active and alive for Christ - just like it was when as a teenager I and so many others travelled to festivals like Easterfest, and to share a good (and wholesome) time with our Christian peers. Such experiences revitalised our faith, brought people to the Lord and in my case connected me into a youth group that helped set a solid foundation for my faith journey since.

Australia's Christian music scene still has a long way to go though. Looking back at our monthly news features since we started last February, we have explored some of the challenges local Christian Australian artists face when compared with our peers over in Nashville and the USA, but we have seen so many encouraging grassroots poking through with initiatives like Aus Music Showcase from established players such as our Christian radio stations and CMAA, as well as independent artist collectives such as Paideia and our local Christian music festivals like Seek Jesus, Freedom Music Festival and Heartsong.

This publication too has made a real difference as a new focal point for the nation's local Christian music scene. The co-publishing partnership we share with The Daily Declaration has significantly grown the exposure, reach and influence of the Australian Christian music scene and helped break new ground to shine the light on local Christian artists.

By interviewing international acts with a heart for Australia like Lecrae and We Are Messengers, we stay connected with what our brother and sister artists are doing overseas. At the same time have created an even playing field by shining the same spotlight in telling the stories of our own Christian artists from a wide range of genres like River Movement (folk rap), Ninan (hip hop), AndyG (EDM), Ethan Beer (acoustic pop), Navy Jones (hymns), Josh Halls (worship) and even the Australian Christian Orchestra.

Another successful initiative from 2025 has been the introduction of our Recommended Releases which has seen songs featured from an incredible 33 different Australian Christian artists. There's no way anyone can say we don't have talent, and we have done the difficult work of discovery for you, highlighting these artists in our Spotify playlists.

Australia now also has a new way for local talent to be measured and recognised. In partnership with Today's Christian Music (TCM) who have been running the national Christian radio airplay charts for 25 years, the OZ 5 Top Tunes national chart was introduced in May, 2025. Focused exclusively on Australian artists, the OZ 5 has given local artists additional visibility and reach, as well as something special for emerging artists to aspire to.

From the same data, we have for the first time also compiled the end-of-year chart and are proud to present the OZ 10 Top Tunes for Australian Christian artists in 2025: