Natasha Tameika Cobbs Leonard (born July 7, 1981) is an American

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

musician and songwriter. She released the extended play ''

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...

'' in 2013 with the hit lead single "

Break Every Chain "Break Every Chain" is a song performed by American recording artist Tasha Cobbs from her major-label debut studio album ''Grace'' (2013). The song was composed by Will Reagan, produced by VaShawn Mitchell and released as the album's lead single ...

". The EP reached No. 61 on the '' Billboard'' charts. At the

56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid comp ...

, Cobbs won the Grammy for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance. She has also won 15

Stellar Awards A Stellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in the gospel music industry.Sagma
The Stell ...

, 3 Billboard Music Awards, and 9

Dove Awards A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...

. Her biggest hit song was Break Every Chain.

Early life

Natasha Tameika Cobbs was born on July 7, 1981, in

Jesup, Georgia Jesup is a city in Wayne County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,809 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Wayne County. History By February 1869, Willis Clary had begun building a two-story hotel near the junction o ...

, to Bishop Fritz Cobbs (1954–2014) and Pastor Bertha Cobbs. She started leading worship at Jesup New Life Ministries, founded by her father.

Personal life

In 2016, Cobbs Leonard revealed that she had been diagnosed with depression in 2007. On March 3, 2017, in a private ceremony attended by family and friends, she married Kenneth Leonard, a music producer and her longtime love. In July 2021 she adopted a son, Asher.

Ministry

Starting in 2006, Cobbs Leonard toured America with Pastor William H. Murphy III (of the dReam Center Church in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

) for three years. Since then, she has been leading worship at the dReam Center and managing the Worship and Arts department. In 2018, she appeared as herself in the film ''Sinners Wanted''. In 2019, Cobbs and her husband, Kenneth, founded The Purpose Place Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where they serve as pastors.

Music career

She started her solo music career in 2010, with the independently self-released album ''Smile''. The album got the attention of

EMI Gospel Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG) (formerly known as EMI Christian Music Group) is an American music group that, since 2013, is under the ownership of Universal Music Group. It is based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Capitol CMG is in the C ...

(now Motown Gospel), and they released her EP, ''Grace'', on February 5, 2013. This was listed on two '' Billboard'' charts: the ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 61, and at No. 2 on the

Top Gospel Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart. The EP later reached No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The singles "

" and "For Your Glory" also reached No. 1 on the Hot Gospel Songs charts. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014, Tasha Cobbs took home Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance, winning her first Grammy. Cobbs also won Gospel Performance of the Year, Contemporary Gospel/Urban Song (and Album) Of The Year at the 44th GMA Dove Awards. In 2015, Cobbs was awarded the Gospel Artist of the Year, at the 46th

GMA Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...

Discography

Albums

Guest appearances

Singles

Awards and nominations

American Music Awards

, - ,

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Favorite Artist – Gospel ,

ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards

, - , rowspan="1" , 2017 , "Put a Prise on it" , rowspan="5" , Award Winning Gospel Songs , , - , rowspan="1" , 2019 , "I'm Getting Ready" , , - , rowspan="1" , 2020 , "You Know My Name" , , - , rowspan="2" , 2022 , "In Spite of Me" , , - , "Jehovah Jireh" ,

BET Awards

, - ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Best Gospel Artist , , - ,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, "My World Needs You"
, Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award , , - ,

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

, "I'm Getting Ready"
, Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award ,

''Billboard'' Music Awards

, - , rowspan="2" ,

, Tasha Cobbs , Top Gospel Artist , , - , '' One Place Live'' , Top Gospel Album , , - , rowspan="2" ,

, "Put a Praise On It"
, Top Gospel Song , , - , '' One Place Live'' , Top Gospel Album , , - , rowspan="2" ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Top Gospel Artist , , - , ''Heart. Passion. Pursuit.'' , Top Gospel Album , , - ,

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Top Gospel Artist , , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Top Gospel Artist , , - ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Top Gospel Artist , , -

GMA Dove Awards

, - , rowspan="5" ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, "

" , Song of the Year , , - , Tasha Cobbs , New Artist of the Year , , - , "Break Every Chain" , Gospel Performance of the Year , , - , "Break Every Chain" , Contemporary Gospel/Urban Recorded Song of the Year , , - , ''

'' , Contemporary Gospel/Urban Album of the Year , , - , 2015 , Tasha Cobbs , Gospel Artist of the Year , , - , rowspan="4" ,

, Tasha Cobbs , Gospel Artist of the Year , , - , "Fill Me Up" , Urban Worship Recorded Song of the Year , , - , '' One Place Live'' , Urban Worship Album of the Year , , - , "Put a Praise On It" , Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year , , - ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Gospel Artist of the Year , , - , rowspan="4" ,

, rowspan="2" , Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Gospel Artist of the Year , , - , Artist of the Year , , - , "The Name Of Our God" , Urban Worship Recorded Song of the Year , , - , Heart. Passion. Pursuit. , Urban Worship Album of the Year , , - , rowspan="4" ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Gospel Artist of the Year , , - , "This Is A Move (Live)" , Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year , , - , ''Heart. Passion. Pursuit. (Live)'' , rowspan="2" , Gospel Worship Album of the Year , , - , ''Settle Here''
, , - , rowspan="3" ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Gospel Artist of the Year , , - , Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Artist of the Year , , - , "Something Has To Break (Live)"
, Gospel Worship Recorded Song of the Year , , - ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Gospel Artist of the Year , , -

Grammy Awards

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2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, " Break Every Chain (Live)" , Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance , , - , ''

'' ,

Best Gospel Album The Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the Gospel music genre. Honors in s ...

, , - ,

, '' One Place Live'' ,

, , - ,

, " This Is a Move (Live)" ,

Best Gospel Performance/Song The Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song is category at the annual Grammy Awards. It was first awarded in 2015. It combines two previously separate categories in the Gospel/ Contemporary Christian Music field, Best Gospel Song (for son ...

, , -

NAACP Image Awards

, - ,

, ''Heart. Passion. Pursuit.'' , Outstanding Gospel Album – Traditional or Contemporary , , - ,

, ''Heart. Passion. Pursuit. Live at Passion City Church'' , Outstanding Gospel Album – Traditional or Contemporary , , -

Soul Train Music Awards

, - ,

, "

" , Best Gospel/Inspirational Song , , - ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Best Gospel/Inspirational Award , , - ,

, Tasha Cobbs Leonard , Best Gospel/Inspirational Award ,

References

Notes

Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cobbs Leonard, Tasha 1981 births Living people American gospel singers African-American Christians American women singer-songwriters Musicians from Atlanta 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers African-American women musicians 21st-century African-American women singers 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)