| Hillsong Worship | |
| Origin: | Sydney, Australia |
| Genre: | Praise and worship |
| Years Active: | –present |
| Associated Acts: | Hillsong United, Hillsong Young & Free |
| Current Members: |
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| Past Members: | |
Hillsong Worship (formerly Hillsong Live) is a praise and worship collective from Sydney, Australia. They started making music in 1983 at Hillsong Church. Fifteen of their songs have appeared on the Billboard magazine charts in the US, with "What a Beautiful Name" (2016) representing their greatest success, reaching platinum in the US. The band has some notable members, including Darlene Zschech, Marty Sampson, Brooke Fraser, Reuben Morgan, and Joel Houston.
The group was formed in 1983 out of Sydney, Australia, where they were located at Hillsong Church, while now they are spread across the globe.[1] [2] Their members have gone on to individually successful careers, the likes of Darlene Zschech, Marty Sampson, Brooke Fraser, Reuben Morgan, and Joel Houston.[2] The group was called Hillsong Live until June 2014, when they took the name Hillsong Worship.
Hillsong Worship released its first album, Spirit and Truth, in 1988.[3] In 1996, Shout to the Lord was their first album in partnership with Integrity Music as part of the Hosanna! Music series.
All of the group's albums since 2004 have been charted in Australia and two albums, For All You've Done and Open Heaven / River Wild, have reached number one on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. The group has also seen twelve albums chart on the Billboard magazine charts, where there have been placements on the Christian Albums and the Heatseekers Albums charts (those were For All You've Done, God He Reigns, and Mighty to Save).[4] Their albums Saviour King, This Is Our God, Faith + Hope + Love, A Beautiful Exchange, God Is Able, Cornerstone, Glorious Ruins, No Other Name, and Open Heaven / River Wild have charted on the Billboard 200 and Christian Albums charts.[4]
In 2018, Hillsong Worship won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song with "What a Beautiful Name".
Their albums have been recorded by the labels Hillsong Music, Sony Music, Integrity Music, Epic Records, Columbia Records, and Sparrow Records.[5]
It was reported in 2008 that Michael Guglielmucci, pastor of the church and former bass player in the Planetshakers band, had fraudulently claimed he was dying of cancer.[6] [7] He wrote "Healer", a song of encouragement for believers who were suffering from cancer, for the album Saviour of the World, which was released in June (2007).[8] Guglielmucci performed the song regularly over a two-year period, often with an oxygen tube attached to his nose,[9] and during this time received money from supporters who believed his illness was real.[10]
Guglielmucci later explained his actions as being a result of a long-term pornography addiction. The track had also been added to the Hillsong album This Is Our God (2008),[11] but later removed from the album.[12] Representatives of churches with which Guglielmucci had affiliations told the press they were totally unaware of this situation. In an email sent to Hillsong members, the church's general manager, George Aghajanian, said the news was even a shock to Guglielmucci's own family and that the suspended pastor was seeking professional help. Guglielmucci was stripped of all credentials by the Australian Christian Churches, who promised that all money donated by listeners inspired by the song would be returned or donated to charity and Guglielmucci's bank accounts would be audited to determine the amount of funds raised.[13] [14] [15]
Michael is the son of Danny Guglielmucci, co-founder of Edge Church International, located in the southern Adelaide suburb of Reynella, also a Pentecostal church and a member of the Australian Christian Churches (formerly Assemblies of God in Australia) network.[16] [17]
The following have been or are currently members of Hillsong Worship:[18]
See main article: Hillsong Worship discography.
As of 2020 the group has received one Grammy Award[20] and nine Dove Awards.[21]
The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". They commenced in 1982.[22]
! |-| 2012 | "It Is Well With My Soul" (Writers: Benjamin Fielding / Reuben Morgan) | Song of the Year| | [23] |-
|-|rowspan="3"|2019[24] || Hillsong Worship|| Top Christian Artist || |-| There is More|| Top Christian Album|| |-| "Who You Say I Am"|| Top Christian Song|| |}
|-|rowspan="4"|2017 || "What a Beautiful Name" || Song of the Year || |-| "What a Beautiful Name" || Worship Song of the Year || |-| rowspan="2" | Let There Be Light || Worship Album of the Year || |-| Long Form Video of the Year || |-|rowspan="3"|2019 || "Who You Say I Am" || Song of the Year || |-| "Who You Say I Am" || Worship Song of the Year || |-| "Who You Say I Am (Studio Version)" || Worship Recorded Song of the Year || |-|rowspan="5"|2020 || Hillsong Worship || Artist of the Year || |-| "King of Kings" || Song of the Year || |-| "King of Kings (Live at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, AU 2019)" || Worship Song of the Year || |-| Awake || Worship Album of the Year || |-| Awake (Live) || Long Form Video of the Year || |}