Capitol CMG artist and songwriter Anne Wilson surprises fans with her first-ever Christmas project, The Manger, available everywhere today. The project’s standout title-track “The Manger” features revered Country mainstay Josh Turner for an emotional Christmas duet, released today with an all-new lyric video which can be viewed below. The record produced by Jeff Pardo and Jonathan Smith is outfitted with four songwriting credits for Wilson, showcasing her “graceful country grit” (American Songwriter). Other project favorites include Wilson’s renditions of holiday hymns like “Mary Did You Know” and “O Holy Night,” to the poignant “Just Because It’s Christmas” and the countryfied “Kentucky Fried Christmas,” fit for anyone’s Christmas playlist wishes.
“There’s something just so special about the night that Jesus was born,” shares Wilson. “He came to earth in such a humble and lowly way and His love was on display for all of us to see. I’m so grateful for this project and I hope these songs bless you this Holiday season.”
Building off the momentum of her debut chart-breaker “My Jesus” that catapulted the Lexington, KY native to mainstream success, the breakout song led Wilson to be nominated for six Dove Awards last Friday, Oct. 21. Wilson walked away with Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year and was crowned as Dove’s New Artist of the Year. Adding yet another notch to her belt, the rising female songstress was also tapped as a nominee for Favorite Inspirational Music Artist at the American Music Awards, airing live from Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. EST/PST on ABC.
Wilson’s latest single “Hey Girl,” an uplifting, energetic anthem, continues to resonate with fans across the country. Since its release in March, the song hit No. 1 on the TikTok Country playlist, notching over 8.2M+ impressions on the platform. An outpouring of fans have joined Wilson for the making of the official “Hey Girl” music video, which was released in September, in support of the “Hey Girl” movement. Wilson has now launched “Hey Girl Nation” as a community for her fans to connect, encourage self-confidence and remind members of their self-worth.
Just days before her surprise Christmas project, the artist with “unmistakable strength and unique country flair” (American Songwriter) released her first book My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope from Thomas Nelson on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Drawing from her personal experiences of tragedy and loss, Wilson details her path to healing in this book that she hopes will help those going through similar experiences. You can catch Wilson live on tour opening as direct support for Casting Crowns this fall and Phil Wickham later this year before kicking off the new year on the Winter Jam 2023 Tour.
