Matthew Guion Maher (born November 10, 1974) is a Canadian contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, songwriter, and worship leader from Newfoundland, Canada, who lives in the United States. He has written and produced nine solo albums to date. Three of his albums have reached the Top 25 Christian Albums Billboard chart and four of his singles have reached the Top 25 Christian Songs chart. He is a practicing Catholic. Maher has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards in his career and was awarded the Songwriter of the Year for an artist, at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards. 　　His first label was the Spirit and Song, a division of OCP Publications, where he released his first three collections. Early in 2007 Maher signed to Essential Records. He released his first big-label album (and his fourth album overall) Empty and Beautiful on April 8, 2008. His second album with Essential Records (and his fifth album overall), Alive Again, was released on September 22, 2009.In late 2009, Maher toured with Michael W. Smith, Meredith Andrews and Phil Stacey on the "New Hallelujah Tour". Alive Again peaked at No. 6 on Billboard magazine's Top Christian Albums chart in 2009. 　　When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States in April 2008, Maher was asked to lead worship for crowds of thousands at the Rally for Youth and Seminarians in Yonkers, New York, which also featured Kelly Pease, tobyMac and Third Day, among other musicians. He was subsequently interviewed on Fox News, where he played his title track from Empty and Beautiful. 　　Maher was a guest singer songwriter speaker at Crowder's Fantastical Church Music Conference at Baylor University in late 2010 put on by the David Crowder Band.In early 2011 he toured the United States on the Rock And Worship Roadshow headlined by MercyMe. 　　Maher performed Lord, I Need You before a crowd of nearly 4 million, including Pope Francis, for World Youth Day 2013 in Rio, Brazil.Other youth activities he has participated in include the 2013 and 2015 National Catholic Youth Conferences, both held in Indianapolis, Indiana.He also sang at the 2014 March for Life. 　　On March 17, 2015, Maher released his eighth studio album, Saints and Sinners, through Essential Records. "Because He Lives (Amen)" was the first single release off of the album, and additional tracks on the album include songwriting collaborations with Needtobreathe members Bo and Bear Rinehart, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. In September 2017, Maher's ninth studio album, Echoes, released and earned Maher his ninth career Grammy Award nomination. 　　He is a two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year and in 2015 was named NSAI Songwriter of the Year. Along with his nine GRAMMY Award nominations, he has also been nominated for more than 20 GMA/Gospel Music Association Dove Awards in his career, including "Song of the Year", "Worship Song of the Year", "Pop Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year", and "Pop Contemporary Song of the Year". 　　On October 12, 2018, his song "Lord, I Need You" was certified Platinum by RIAA, his first certification.