Koryn Hawthorne facts for kids

Koryn Mattanah Hawthorne (born December 26, 1997) is an American singer who performs Contemporary Christian music and gospel. When she was 17, Koryn became a finalist on NBC's singing show The Voice during season 8. She was part of Pharrell Williams's team. After finishing fourth on the show, Koryn signed with RCA Inspiration. This is a part of Sony Music that focuses on gospel music. Her first album, Unstoppable, came out on July 13, 2018. It earned her many awards and nominations, including two Grammy nominations.

Koryn's Musical Journey

Starting on The Voice (2015)

Koryn Hawthorne tried out for the 8th season of The Voice. She sang "My Kind of Love" by Emeli Sandé. Both Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams wanted her on their team. Koryn chose Christina Aguilera as her coach.

In the Battle rounds, Koryn sang "Love Me Harder" with Vance Smith. Christina Aguilera picked Koryn to move forward. During the Knockout rounds, Koryn sang "Try". She lost that round but was saved by Pharrell Williams. She then joined his team.

Her Performances on The Voice

During the Playoffs, Koryn sang "How Great Thou Art". The public could not save her, but Pharrell Williams chose to keep her on his team. The next week, she sang Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" and was saved by public votes.

In the Top 10, Koryn performed "Make It Rain" by Foy Vance. This song became very popular online. The next week, she sang "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys and was saved again.

In the Top 6, Koryn showed her rock side. She sang "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M and "Dream On" by Aerosmith. In the Top 5, she sang "One" by U2 and "Oh Mary Don't You Weep". She ended up in the bottom two. Koryn sang "If I Were a Boy" by Beyoncé for her last chance. She was instantly saved and moved to the finale.

In the finale, Koryn performed "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown. She also sang "We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles with her coach, Pharrell Williams. Her original song, "Bright Fire," was also performed. Koryn finished in 4th place on the show.

The Voice Performance List

     – Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes

Signing a Record Deal and First EP (2016–2017)

After her time on The Voice, Koryn Hawthorne signed with RCA Inspiration. This record label focuses on gospel music. She began working on her first songs. In 2016, she appeared on the TV show Mary Mary. There, she met producer Warryn Campbell, who helped her create her music.

Koryn also recorded the song Saints & Sinners for a TV show of the same name. In 2017, she worked with Christian artist Branan Murphy on the song "All the Wrong Things." Koryn also debuted her song "Won't He Do It" on the TV show Greenleaf. This song became the first single from her new music.

Her first collection of songs, called Koryn Hawthorne – EP, was released on August 11, 2017. An EP is like a mini-album with fewer songs. This EP earned Koryn two nominations for the Stellar Gospel Music Awards.

First Album Success and Grammy Nominations (2018–2019)

Koryn's first full album, Unstoppable, came out on July 13, 2018. It quickly reached number 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. Her song "Won't He Do It" also hit number 1 on three major gospel charts. Koryn was the first woman in five years to top four gospel charts at the same time!

She joined other Christian artists like Jeremy Camp for the Summer Lights Tour in July 2018. Koryn was also featured on Aaron Cole's song "Down Like That."

Later in 2018, Koryn was nominated for two GMA Dove Awards. She won the award for Contemporary Gospel/Urban Recorded Song of the Year for "Won't He Do It." In November 2018, she performed "Won't He Do It" at the Soul Train Awards.

In February 2019, the music video for her song "Unstoppable" was released, featuring Lecrae. Koryn received a nomination for Best Gospel Performance/Song at the 61st Grammy Awards for "Won't He Do It." She also got seven Stellar Awards nominations and two NAACP Image Awards nominations, winning one from each. She was also nominated for three Billboard Music Awards in 2019.

In August 2019, Koryn contributed the song "Enough" to the Overcomer movie soundtrack. She received another Grammy nomination in 2020 for "Speak the Name." In December 2019, her song "Won't He Do It" was officially certified Gold, meaning it sold over 500,000 copies.

New Music with I AM (2020–Present)

On July 24, 2020, Koryn released "Pray," the first song from her second album. It reached number 1 on Billboard's Gospel Digital Song Sales chart. Her second album, ‘’I AM’’, was released on September 18, 2020.

For two years in a row, Koryn Hawthorne was nominated for Billboard Top Gospel Artist. She was also nominated for the Best Gospel/Inspirational Award at the BET’s annual Soul Train Awards in 2020.

In February 2021, Koryn was nominated for the Best Gospel/Christian Album at the NAACP Image Award. She also received three nominations for the Billboard Music Awards in 2021. Her song "Speak to Me" was nominated for two categories at the 52nd GMA Dove Awards.

Musical Influences

Koryn Hawthorne looks up to many different artists. Some of her main inspirations include Etta James, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Fred Hammond, Mary Mary, and Kirk Franklin.

Koryn's Music

Studio Albums

EPs (Mini-Albums)

Singles (Songs Released Separately)

As the Main Artist

Other Songs That Charted

Promotional Singles

As a Featured Artist

Songs from The Voice

Albums

Competition Singles

Awards and Nominations

American Music Awards

Billboard Music Awards

GMA Dove Awards

Grammy Awards

NAACP Image Awards

Stellar Gospel Music Awards

Soul Train Awards

See also

In Spanish: Koryn Hawthorne para niños