For King and Country and Matthew West Headline 2016's WINTER JAM

By Timothy Yap Oct 27, 2015 01:10 AM EDT

Co-headlining next year's 48-city Winter Jam Tour Spectacular are two fan favorites: GRAMMY® Award-winning duo for KING & COUNTRY and GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter Matthew West. The tour will also feature Crowder, RED, Sidewalk Prophets, NewSong, KB/Tedashii/Trip Lee, Lauren Daigle and evangelist Tony Nolan, while the Pre-Jam Party is slated to showcase Stars Go Dim and We Are Messengers.

Presented by Holt International, the tour kicks-off January 2 in Charleston, West Virginia, and will hit nearly 50 of the country's top venues, including EagleBank Arena in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta's Georgia Dome; the BB&T Center in Miami; Smoothie King Center in New Orleans; Houston's Toyota Center; and St. Louis' Scottrade Center, among others, before concluding April 3 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.

"I am amazed during each Winter Jam how God brings together just the right artists to accomplish His plans," said Eddie Carswell, Winter Jam creator and founding member of NewSong. "All of the performers announced tonight have a heart for ministry, which is what this tour has been about from the very beginning."

In addition to Holt International, Winter Jam 2016 sponsors include "God's Not Dead 2," Liberty University, Museum of the Bible (presenting the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular Youth Leader Reception), PEPSI, Camp Electric, Premier Vacations & Events, Xtreme Conferences, Texas TransEastern and Wayne E. Bailey Produce.

Soaring melodies, driving rhythms, theatrical instrumentation and personal themes are the heartbeat of two-time GRAMMY® Award winners for KING & COUNTRY. The Australian duo raised expectations with the release of 2012's Crave, named amongBillboard's New Artists to Watch for 2012, and has since sold half a million albums. Their sophomore effort Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. garnered unanimous critical praise with a #1 debut on iTunes, a Fall (2014) headlining tour that included 28 sold-out shows and a 60-date arena tour during the Spring (2015) and three Dove Awards in 2015. They have performed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," "The Today Show," "The Tonight Show," and "FOX & Friends," and have had songs featured on The Emmys, The Super Bowl, Sunday Night Football, and the U.S. Open, among other programs.

Matthew West is a multiple ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year winner, a four-time GRAMMY® nominee, and was awarded his first American Music Award (2013) and a Billboard Music Award (2014). Matthew West's discography includes acclaimed releases: Happy (2003), History (2005), Something to Say (2008), The Story of Your Life (2010) and GRAMMY®-nominated Into The Light (2012) and most recently Live Forever (2015). West was nominated for a Primetime Emmy® Award for Original Music & Lyrics for "The Heart of Christmas" from the film of the same name. His songwriting credits include cuts by Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Casting Crowns, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Diamond Rio and more.

Founded and hosted by GRAMMY®-nominated NewSong and promoted by Premier Productions, the blockbuster Winter Jam Tour Spectacular annually ranks among the top first-quarter tours in the world and has helped provide a powerful platform for the Gospel in major arenas around the country since 1995. Making history earlier this year, Winter Jam 2015 played to more than 600,000 people at a total of 47 shows across the country, shattering the tour's previous attendance records.

With a career spanning more than 30 years, 19 albums, 20 #1 Christian radio singles, a #1 mainstream AC hit, a GRAMMY® Award-nomination and induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, among numerous other achievements, NewSong's unparalleled ministry has been highlighted by such defining songs as "Arise, My Love," "Rescue," "The Same God," and the holiday favorite, "The Christmas Shoes." The band's latest recording and second live worship set, Faithful (Integrity Music), debuted at #1 on Nielsen SoundScan's Praise & Worship chart earlier this year.