Lauren Ashley Daigle (born September 9, 1991) is an American contemporary Christian music singer from Lafayette, Louisiana. Daigle is signed to the Centricity Music label. Daigle was awarded the New Artist of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards; "How Can It Be" won the Song of the Year for the year.[1] Daigle's album, "How Can It Be," was nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Background[edit] Lauren Ashley Daigle was born on September 9, 1991.[2][3][4] Daigle grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana in an environment of Zydeco, Blues and Cajun music.[5] Because she contracted a contagious disease while in high school, she completed two years of homeschooling / distance education.[5] When she was in college Lauren became serious with her studies before she returned to her true pa**ion, her music. [6] Singing career[edit] Daigle started singing in her choir[5] and continued to lead the choir while studying Child and Family Studies at Louisiana State University.[5] She tried out for American Idol in 2010 and 2012 after her father encouraged her to compete in the singing competition.[5] She was cut just before the final 24 contestants in 2010,[7] didn't make Hollywood in 2011, made it through the Hollywood round in 2012, but was cut in the first Las Vegas round in 2012.[8] Daigle was asked to sing background vocals on an EP for a local band called The Assemblie; the EP briefly hit #1 on iTunes.[8] After the release of the EP, Centricity Music invited her to attend a workshop. When the singer for the main event at the workshop became ill, she was asked to fill in.[5] This led to her singing on the Jason Gray single "Nothing is Wasted".[5] Centricity Music signed her on the label in 2013.[5] Her song "Light of the World" from the album Christmas: Joy To The World hit the Billboard magazine Christian Songs Airplay chart in December 2013.[9] Daigle released the EP How Can It Be in September 2014.[10] The album's title song "How Can It Be" hit the Christian Songs Airplay chart;[11] and peaked at #16.[12] The song takes the viewpoint of the woman in the Jesus and the woman taken in adultery Bible pa**age.[13] That year, Daigle was asked to be a part of the Morning Rises Fall Tour with Aaron Shust and Mikeschair. Daigle's debut full-length album, "How Can It Be" was released April 14, 2015. The album debuted at No. 1 both on Billboard's Christian Albums Charts and the iTunes Christian Albums Chart. Her debut album also broke Top 20 on the Billboard Top Albums Chart for all genres at #16 and on the iTunes Top Albums Chart for all genres at #17.[14] She was named one of Christian music's break out artists and the single "How Can It Be" was named by iTunes as one of the Top Christian songs of 2014.[15] The single "How Can It Be" also reached Top 10 at NCA, AC Monitored, and AC Indicator. On June 1, 2015, Daigle accepted her first award, Worship Song of the Year, for her single "How Can It Be" on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry at the K-Love Awards.[16] This was also her label, Centricity Music's, first K-Love Fan Award.[17] Later in the summer of 2015, Daigle was a member of the high-profile Outcry Tour along with Hillsong United. She was also part of the Winter Jam Tour 2016 in the central and eastern parts of the United States, until the last few concerts when she had caught the flu and was unable to attend the final few. Currently, Daigle resides in Atlanta, GA where she leads on a regular basis in various North Point Ministries adult and student worship environments