Getting to know Joanna

Joanna Hale-McGill is an award-winning gospel artist whose passion for music has inspired audiences nationwide. She first rose to prominence as the winner of the Walmart Next Gospel Superstar competition at the Essence Festival, delivering a powerful rendition of Amazing Grace. Her win led to the release of her debut single Open Door, written and produced by Deitrick Haddon, which premiered on the Yolanda Adams Morning Show. She later performed it while opening for Yolanda Adams and Deitrick Haddon at the 2015 Tom Joyner Family Reunion.

Since then, Joanna has become a rising force in gospel music. Her debut album, New Sound Same God Vol. 1 (2018), includes charting singles like I Can Do Anything (#21 Billboard Gospel Indicator), Be Patient (#5), and Revelation 21:4, which reached #28. Her 2024 single Settle Here (Live) was considered for a Grammy Award, cementing her growing influence.

Joanna has performed on several notable stages, including the New Orleans House of Blues Gospel Brunch, the Johnnie Jackson Gospel Is Alive event (alongside the legendary Clark Sisters), and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. She also recorded a Billboard-charting Top of the Hour Jingle for the Tom Joyner Morning Show and made her national television debut on ABC’s Cloak & Dagger, with a recent appearance on BET’s Sacrifice.

In addition to her musical career, Joanna and her husband founded the J. McGill Music Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing youth with access to diverse and enriching musical experiences. In 2022, she launched the Grown & Saved Night Out Gospel Concert Series, a movement that encourages Christians to enjoy wholesome fun while staying rooted in faith. The series has featured notable gospel artists such as Anita Wilson, Tasha Page-Lockhart, and Tiffany Andres.

A graduate of Dillard University and a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Joanna is also a devoted wife, mother, songwriter, business owner, and praise and worship leader for multiple ministries in Louisiana. She is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after gospel artists in the nation—ministering through song and uplifting hearts everywhere she goes.