Zach Williams Wins Best Contemporary Christian Album | 2018 GRAMMYs
Zach Williams took home his first career GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Chain Breaker.
His long journey to this honor made a huge stride In 2012 when Willimas decited to move away from the grueling tour lifesettle and settle down in his native Jonesboro, Ark., becoming a worship leader. In this new role his voice as a solo artist emerged, and in 2016 he released the single, "Chain Breaker," which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Songs chart and received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. Chain Breaker the album followed with a solid rack of soulful tracks that has listeners testifying that each one has reached their hearts.
Gracing the GRAMMY stage wasn't Williams' first dream, and it didn't come without struggle. As a high school and college basketball player, drugs, alcohol and an eventual ankle injury cut his dreams of sports stardom short. Fortunately, his college roommate had a guitar, and music was there for him in his time of need, and he knew what he wanted to do with his life.
Through a lot of hard work, a new marriage, a new church, and feeling touched by the Holy Spirit while listening to Big Daddy Weave's "Redeemer," Williams was inspired to turn his life around. Now his outreach to others shares both the pain of his own history and his turning point, when he allowed Christ in, breaking the chains of addiction.Now, his GRAMMY-winning album Chain Breaker stands as an apt encapsulation of this personal, spiritual, and musical transformation.
Vying for this, his landmark first GRAMMY win, Williams was in good company from the beginning. The other nominees for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album were Danny Gokey, Matt Maher, MercyMe, and Tauren Wells.
