Musa Yende’s ‘Sustained by Grace’ Claims Best Gospel Album At Metro FM Music Awards 2026
Musa Yende’s ‘Sustained by Grace’ Claims Best Gospel Album At Metro FM Music Awards 2026. The Durban International Convention Centre pulsed with hallelujahs and thunderous applause Friday night as South African gospel sensation Musa Yende stepped into the spotlight once more—this time as the undisputed queen of the category.
Her debut EP, Sustained by Grace, swept the Best Gospel Album honour at the 2026 Metro FM Music Awards (MMA26), capping a whirlwind year that has seen the former backing vocalist transform from quiet supporter to luminous voice of a generation.
Dressed in a glowing dress, Musa Yende clutched the gleaming trophy with trembling hands. “I didn’t see this one coming,” she said. “Thank you for the support, thank you for streaming,” Musa Yende added.
For those who have followed Yende’s journey, the moment felt almost biblical. Ten long years she spent as a backing vocalist, her powerful soprano lifting icons on stages across the continent while her own dreams waited patiently in the wings.
Then, in September 2025, she stepped forward with Sustained by Grace—a six-track offering of worship that blends soaring contemporary gospel with the rhythmic heartbeat of South African sounds. From the anthemic title track to the intimate ballad “Ange Sabi Lutho,” the EP doesn’t preach from a pedestal; it walks beside listeners through valleys, reminding them that divine favour is not earned but relentlessly given.
The numbers tell part of the story: millions of streams, sold-out worship nights, and a viral live session at The Octagon that still racks up views daily. But the real measure lies in the testimonies—mothers in townships finding hope in “uMelusi,” young professionals carrying the EP like a devotional on their commutes. Industry watchers say Sustained by Grace has quietly redefined what gospel can sound like in the streaming era: unapologetically African, fiercely personal, and universally healing.
The win caps an already remarkable twelve months. Last November, Yende made history at the 18th Crown Gospel Music Awards, scooping Best Newcomer and Best Collaboration—the first female artist of the 2020s to claim such dual honours in a single night. Yet even those triumphs felt like warm-up acts for Friday’s coronation.
Looking ahead, the newly minted award-winner shows no signs of slowing. Whispers of a full-length album, international worship tours, and even a possible documentary swirl around her team. But those closest to her say the real mission remains unchanged: to keep pointing upward.
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