“Worship Leader’s Diary” — ANTHNY Releases Debut Album

The service ends. The microphone comes down. The crowd goes home, and Monday arrives. That is where ANTHNY’s Worship Leader’s Diary begins.

The GRAMMY nominated songwriter, producer and worship leader steps into a new chapter with the release of his 13 track debut studio album, Worship Leader’s Diary, available through Sony Music and Provident Entertainment. Written and produced entirely by ANTHNY, the album offers an intimate look at the life behind the worship leader many people see on stage.

Rather than focusing only on the public moments of ministry, ANTHNY turns his attention inward. He explores what happens when the lights go out, the music stops and there is no audience left to impress. He asks what faith looks like when a person has to live with the same truths they sing about when nobody is watching.

At its heart, Worship Leader’s Diary is a record about private faith. It examines the space between Sunday worship and Monday reality. It speaks to the moments when confidence fades, questions grow louder and a person must decide whether to keep reaching for God.

Warm R&B provides the foundation for the project, giving the songs a smooth and emotional character. Yet the album carries much more than a polished musical sound. ANTHNY allows vulnerability, doubt, repentance, hope and spiritual hunger to sit side by side.

That honesty gives the album its title and its strongest identity. A diary is usually private. It holds thoughts that people may not feel comfortable sharing in public. In much the same way, ANTHNY uses these 13 songs to open a window into the parts of his journey that may not be visible from a worship stage.

“Worship Leader’s Diary is a collection of songs I’ve woven together through honest language and emotional melodies to highlight a young man’s relationship with God,” ANTHNY says. “My life as a worship leader is used as a metaphor that others can hopefully find themselves in, no matter where they are in life, and begin a journey of reconnection and intimacy with God.”

That desire for reconnection runs through the album. ANTHNY does not present himself as someone who has mastered every part of faith. Instead, he writes from the perspective of someone still learning, still wrestling and still choosing to return to God.

The album also reflects the musical world that helped shape him. ANTHNY reaches back into gospel music history and brings familiar sounds into a new setting. He does not simply reproduce the songs he grew up hearing. Instead, he takes recognizable melodies and ideas and gives them new emotional meaning through his R&B driven approach.

One of the clearest examples comes through the Dove nominated song “imposter syndrome.” On the track, ANTHNY interpolates Donald Lawrence’s “Spiritual” while exploring the tension between public ministry and private insecurity.

The song captures the struggle of standing before people while privately questioning whether you are truly who others believe you are. It confronts the mental battle that can come when calling, confidence and identity no longer seem to line up.

Yet the song does not remain in that place of uncertainty. It moves toward repentance and redemption, reinforcing one of the album’s central ideas. Faith is not presented as the absence of struggle. Instead, faith becomes the decision to keep turning toward God in the middle of the struggle.

That same creative approach appears throughout the project. On “prepare me,” featuring Naomi Raine, ANTHNY reimagines the familiar melody of “Sanctuary.” Meanwhile, “show up,” featuring Kierra Sheard Kelly, draws from John P. Kee’s “Show Up!”

These moments connect ANTHNY’s personal story with the gospel tradition that influenced him. At the same time, they allow those familiar musical ideas to speak to a new generation.

It is part homage, part reinvention.

The result is an album where gospel memory and contemporary R&B can exist together without either one losing its identity. ANTHNY respects the music that came before him while also creating room for his own voice.

Elsewhere, “pass me by,” featuring BJ The Chicago Kid, takes the album deeper into its R&B character. The slow burning track brings two expressive vocalists together and adds another layer to the project’s exploration of longing, vulnerability and spiritual connection.

Ahjah Walls also appears across the album, further expanding the vocal and emotional landscape of the project. Still, despite the presence of several collaborators, Worship Leader’s Diary remains centered on ANTHNY’s personal journey.

Every feature adds something to the story, but none of them overshadows the diary itself. The album continues to feel like an open journal, with each song revealing another part of the writer’s relationship with God.

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The timing of the album also adds to an important season in ANTHNY’s career. He enters the 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards with three nominations, reflecting the growing recognition around both his artistry and songwriting.

“imposter syndrome” is nominated for Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year, while his diary entry 1 EP is nominated for Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year. His songwriting also receives recognition through Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for Tasha Cobbs Leonard and John Legend’s “Church.”

The latter achievement adds another major milestone to ANTHNY’s growing résumé. His work earned a GRAMMY nomination, placing his songwriting on one of the biggest stages in music even before the release of his own debut studio album.

His growing visibility also reaches beyond award nominations. This summer, EBONY named ANTHNY to its 2026 STAMPED: Gentlemen of Sound class, recognizing him among a new generation of Black male artists making an impact in music.

His breakout song “Mercy” has also continued to expand his audience. Since gaining momentum in 2024, the song has generated more than 30 million views across social media, giving ANTHNY another important marker in his rapid rise.

However, his story did not begin with the release of Worship Leader’s Diary. Long before his name appeared prominently on an album cover, ANTHNY was already helping create music from behind the scenes.

A Berklee College of Music alumnus, he began touring nationally at just 11 years old. That early experience gave him years of exposure to live performance, songwriting and the realities of building a career in music.

Over time, he developed a growing list of songwriting and production credits. He has written for artists including DOE and Kierra Sheard, while also working with Chandler Moore and Jubilee Worship.

His credits include Jubilee Worship’s “No Bondage,” while his career has also taken him on the road with Maverick City Music. Most recently, he opened for Tye Tribbett on the We Outside Tour alongside Jonathan McReynolds.

Those experiences have given ANTHNY an unusual perspective. He understands the stage, but he also understands what happens behind it. He knows the excitement of a crowd, the pressure of performance and the responsibility that comes with leading people in worship.

Now, however, Worship Leader’s Diary turns the attention toward the person carrying all of those experiences.

The album asks listeners to consider a simple but difficult question. What happens when the worship leader goes home?

What happens when the person who encouraged everyone else to trust God has to face his own doubts? What happens when the songs that sounded powerful in a room have to become personal truths in an ordinary week?

ANTHNY does not try to answer those questions with easy statements. Instead, he allows the songs to carry the conversation.

The emotional honesty of the album makes its message accessible beyond worship leaders. Anyone who has ever struggled to connect public faith with private reality can find a point of recognition in the project.

The album also speaks to people who have experienced seasons of spiritual distance. Its themes of preparation, surrender, repentance, insecurity, redemption and reconnection create a narrative that feels personal while remaining widely relatable.

Through songs such as “imposter syndrome,” “prepare me,” “show up” and “pass me by,” ANTHNY continues to explore the tension between who people appear to be and who they are when they are alone.

That tension gives Worship Leader’s Diary its emotional weight.

The project is not simply a showcase of ANTHNY’s abilities as a songwriter and producer. It is a personal statement about faith, identity and the ongoing work of staying connected to God.

After years of writing for other artists, touring and helping shape music from behind the scenes, ANTHNY now places his own story at the center.

The microphone may come down when the service ends. The room may become quiet. The audience may disappear. But for ANTHNY, that is not where worship stops.

That is where the diary begins.

With Worship Leader’s Diary, ANTHNY gives listeners a record about what faith sounds like when there is nobody left to perform it for. It is a vulnerable introduction to an artist who is not simply asking people to hear his music, but inviting them to recognize parts of their own journey in it.

Ultimately, the album points back to the space between the stage and everyday life. It is about the questions that remain after the final song, the prayers that continue after the crowd leaves and the choice to pursue intimacy with God when there is no spotlight.

For ANTHNY, the worship leader’s story does not end when the service ends.

It continues on Monday.