Acclaimed female Christian artist Natalie Grant and her recent multi-format Christian radio #1 hit, “Held,” continues to climb mainstream AC radio charts, while her latest album, Awaken, is the top-selling project by a female Christian artist to date this year.

According to the publication's October 1 issue, “Held” is #21 on R&R’s AC National Airplay mainstream radio chart, for the week ending September 30, and is also #25 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. Written by Christa Wells, the song follows Grant's previous Top 25 mainstream single “No Sign of It” and Top 20 duet with NewSong, “When God Made You.”

Grant’s 2005 watershed release, Awaken, is #4 on Nielsen SoundScan’s Christian Retail chart for the week ending September 25. The album also appears at #3 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart in the October 1 issue. Awaken has remained on the Top Heatseekers Chart for 26 weeks to date.

"Natalie is the top-selling female Christian artist of the year and the breakout artist of 2005," said Benson Curb, VP Sales, Curb Records. "Each week the sales continue to prove what an amazing career song "Held" is and what a great album Awaken is."

Grant is currently featured at “Women of Faith” conferences around the country, and she was recently tapped to help launch "The Revolve Tour," the organization’s first nationwide conferences designed for girls in the 7th-12th grades. In addition to performing at the conferences, which kick-off this month, Grant delivers a message on self-esteem.

Grant’s first book, “The Real Me: Being The Girl God Sees,” released earlier this month from W Publishing. Drawing from her own past struggles with an eating disorder, the book addresses self-esteem issues from a spiritual perspective and has been touted as a "must read" by CCM magazine.

In conjunction with her ongoing efforts to raise awareness of and help combat international human trafficking, Grant has established the HOME Foundation. The organization is raising money, in partnership with Bombay Teen Challenge, to build a medical facility at the Village at Ashagram in India, a center devoted to the healing and rehabilitation of children illegally forced into the sex trade.