Motown Gospel and Capitol CMG have announced the signing of powerhouse vocalist Evvie McKinney to an exclusive recording agreement. The emerging performer and songwriter has also entered into an exclusive publishing agreement with Capitol CMG Publishing.Evvie McKinney rose to prominence as the winner of the inaugural season of the TV singing competition The Four: Battle for Stardom on FOX. The young singer with Southern charm wowed judges Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, DJ Khaled, and Meghan Trainor with her powerful voice and fearless stage presentation, packing a punch as she effortlessly covered iconic soul songs, like Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You” and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary.”
“After watching Evvie triumph on The Four, it was clear that she is the rare vocalist who is equally as gifted in her stage presence,” says Monica Coates, Co-Executive Director of Motown Gospel. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop her into a formidable artist.”
A multi-faceted performer with roots in the church, soul, and pop, the Memphis-born singer is poised to create music with a broad appeal and inspirational messages. To maximize her reach, this innovative deal brings together the top teams in the Gospel and Christian marketplaces, along with the considerable resources of one of the music industry’s leading publishers.
“We’re honored to partner with Evvie and the Motown Gospel team,” says Josh Bailey, VP of A&R, Capitol CMG. “We look forward to introducing her music to a wide range of audiences.”
McKinney is managed by Mitchell Solarek at Maximum Artist Management. The full-service entertainment group boasts over two decades of success, with notable clients including 6-time GRAMMY® nominee Natalie Grant, Emmy®-nominated creative director and television producer Laurieann Gibson, and 5-time GRAMMY® nominee Tauren Wells.
Evvie McKinney’s cover of the Stevie Wonder hit “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” was recently featured on the Hitsville: A Motown Gospel Celebration project, commemorating Motown Records’ 60thAnniversary. She is currently working on her debut project to be released in 2020. Fans can follow Evvie McKinney on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. For hi-res image of group photo, click here.
About Motown Gospel
Motown Gospel is one of the most prominent gospel music companies in the world, boasting over two decades of chart-topping and award-winning artists, albums and songs. A division of Capitol CMG/Universal Music Group, the world’s leading Christian music company and market leader in recorded music, distribution, and music publishing, Motown Gospel’s artist roster has included Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Smokie Norful, Tye Tribbett, Brian Courtney Wilson, Kierra Sheard, The Clark Sisters and more.
About Capitol CMG
Capitol CMG (CCMG) is the world’s leading Christian Music company and market leader in recorded music and music publishing. Capitol Christian Music Group operates several divisions, including CCMG Label Group (Sparrow Records, ForeFront Records, sixstepsrecords, Hillsong, Jesus Culture), Motown Gospel and CCMG Publishing (including Brentwood-Benson Music Publications). CCMG owned labels are home to artists Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant, TobyMac, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Jeremy Camp, Hillsong United, Matt Redman, Mandisa, Tye Tribbett, Crowder, Passion Band, Karl Jobe and many others. Capitol CMG Publishing, in addition to publishing most of the CCMG labels’ premier artist/writers, represents many of the leading writers in Christian/Gospel including Ben Glover, David Garcia, Kirk Franklin, Mark Hall, Brenton Brown and many more. Key Distribution partners include The Gaither Music Group, Centricity Records, Marantha Music, InPop Records, Worthy Book Publishing and Cinedigm Entertainment. CCMG is a division of Capitol Music Group (CMG), led by Chairman and CEO Steve Barnett, which is a wholly owned division within Universal Music Group (UMG), the global music leader with strong market positions in recorded music, music publishing, and merchandising.
