When CCM Magazine returned, we didn’t just want to tell stories, we wanted to capture moments. Some artists were celebrating legendary careers, others were introducing themselves to the world, and a few were standing on the edge of breakthrough seasons that none of us could have predicted.
A year later, it’s amazing to look back.
Our cover artists have filled arenas, launched new tours, released career-defining music, earned Dove Award nominations, celebrated milestones, and continued pointing listeners toward Christ through every season. Some stories have come full circle. Others are just getting started.
Here’s a look at where each of our cover artists is now,and where you can catch them next.
Steven Curtis Chapman
It all began with Steven Curtis Chapman. Our first cover story celebrated the 25th anniversary of Speechless, and fans responded in a big way. What started as a celebration became one of Steven’s most beloved tours in years, prompting a final 14-city fall leg before the Speechless 25th Anniversary Tour officially comes to a close. Catch the farewell run this fall before the curtain falls on one of Christian music’s most beloved albums.
Megan Woods
Few artists have experienced a rise quite like Megan Woods. Since appearing on our cover, she’s earned a Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year and announced an expanded 30-city return of The Truth Tour. With “The Truth” surpassing 150 million global streams, Megan has quickly become one of Christian music’s brightest new stars. The tour kicks off October 1 in Centralia, Illinois, wraps November 22 in Sumter, South Carolina, and hits nearly every corner of the country along the way.
Third Day
One of the most unforgettable moments of our year happened inside the CCM studio when Third Day reunited for the first time in more than a decade. That reunion sparked one of the year’s biggest tours, and now the celebration is only getting bigger. Following their acclaimed reunion run, the band will join TobyMac and Chris Tomlin this November for one of the most anticipated Christian tours in recent memory, hitting 12 arena dates from November 5–22. And just announced today, the celebration isn’t ending there. Third Day has unveiled the final leg of their 30th Anniversary Tour, returning to the road in April and May 2027 with special guest Zach Williams and Scout & The Saints. The 24-city farewell run kicks off April 1 in Clarksville, Tennessee, travels from Florida to the Pacific Northwest and back through Texas, before concluding May 9 in Beaumont, Texas. For a band that reunited in our studio after more than a decade apart, it’s been incredible to watch the momentum continue to grow—and it looks like fans will have one last chance to celebrate one of Christian music’s most beloved bands.
Katy Nichole
Katy Nichole’s cover story remains one of our readers’ favorites, and for good reason. Equal parts heartfelt and hilarious, it perfectly captured her personality. Since then, “Have Your Way,” which she first performed for CCM, has continued to grow following a standout Winter Jam season and her successful Honest Conversations Tour. Lately, fans have been getting sneak peeks at brand-new music with a noticeable country influence. Nothing has officially been announced yet, but if social media is any indication, Katy’s next chapter is right around the corner.
Danny Gokey
Danny Gokey never slows down. Between Carnegie Hall, a packed touring schedule, and the release of his powerful new single, “Jesus Over Everything,” he’s continued one of the strongest seasons of his career. His latest music video revisits the gravesite of his late wife, Sophia, not from a place of heartbreak, but from a place of healing, offering one of the most moving testimonies we’ve seen this year.
1K Phew
We joked about having a “Phew Year,” and somehow it actually happened. “Move” with Forrest Frank exploded, becoming both a Fortnite Jam Track and eventually an official Fortnite emote. Add a brand-new album and festival appearances stretching from Chattanooga and Atlanta to SoulFest, Uprise Festival, Oceanside, and beyond, and it’s safe to say 1K Phew’s momentum isn’t slowing anytime soon.
Colton Dixon
Colton Dixon brought “The Love I Have For You” to our studio, and he’s been just as busy off-camera. Between new music, his expanding fragrance line, and another packed touring schedule, Colton will spend the rest of the year everywhere from Red Rocks and ShineFest to state fairs, theaters, and festival stages across the country, wrapping the fall with dates alongside Micah Tyler and stops from Virginia to Nebraska.
Jamie MacDonald
If anyone owned 2026, it might be Jamie MacDonald. K-LOVE Song of the Year. Multiple Dove Award nominations. Guest appearances with Forrest Frank. A major supporting slot on Phil Wickham’s Songs of the Saints Tour. And now, just as her momentum continues to build, Jamie has released Left It In The River [Reimagined], a four-song collection that gives fresh life to the career-defining anthem that spent 12 weeks at No. 1 and was named K-LOVE’s 2026 Song of the Year. Fresh off Dove Award nominations for New Artist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, Jamie launches her own Left It In The River Tour this fall, carrying one of Christian music’s biggest breakthrough stories into its next chapter.
Listen to Left It In The River [Reimagined] here:
Tommee Profitt
Tommee Profitt doesn’t tour often,but when he does, it’s an event. Following another year of cinematic releases and fan demand for his live arrangements, The Birth of a King LIVE returns to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on December 12 & 13 after last year’s sold-out debut. With more than 20 artists, a 50-piece orchestra, a 100-person choir, and Tommee’s signature cinematic arrangements, Christmas simply doesn’t get much bigger than this.
Amy Grant
Amy Grant made history by becoming our most-featured cover artist, and she followed it with one of the year’s most acclaimed albums, The Me That Remains. She’s spending late summer and fall touring with longtime collaborator Mac McAnally and,spoiler alert,our next cover artist, Franni Cash, before joining Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winansfor the Christmas Together Tour from November 27 through December 8. Then, as only Amy can, she’ll close the year with her beloved Christmas at the Ryman residency with Vince Gill, running December 14-23 in Nashville.
CAIN
When CAIN visited CCM, they introduced Living Water,and now they’re taking that vision on the road. Their new Live and In Worship Tour launches in September and runs through November, pairing CAIN’s signature celebration with worship leaders including Jenn Johnson, Kristian Stanfill, Jon Reddick, Leeland, Bodie, Patrick Mayberry, Joe L Barnes, and Lizzie Morgan. It’s colorful, creative, and one of the most unique tours hitting Christian music this fall.
Ben Fuller
It may have only been weeks since Ben Fuller graced our cover, but life isn’t slowing down. Dove Award nominations, a wedding on the horizon, and an expanded Black Sheep Tour have kept one of Christian music’s most authentic voices constantly on the move. After a summer packed with festivals, Ben launches another leg of the Black Sheep Tour in October, with headline dates stretching from Louisiana to Indiana before sailing into 2027 aboard the K-LOVE Cruise.
The Story Continues…
One of the greatest joys of producing these cover stories has been watching what happens after the cameras stop rolling. Every conversation captured a unique moment in time, but none of these artists have stood still. They’ve continued writing songs, sharing their testimonies, filling venues, and impacting lives across the country.
Looking back, we’re incredibly grateful to every artist, manager, publicist, label, photographer, crew member, and partner who trusted CCM Magazine with their stories. Most of all, we’re thankful for you, our readers and viewers, who have made this relaunch more successful than we ever imagined.
This past year has reminded us why Christian music matters. Behind every chart-topping single, sold-out tour, and award nomination is a story of faith, redemption, perseverance, and the God who continues to write better endings than any of us could imagine.
Thank you for joining us for our first year back. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.
See you on the next cover.