Mercy Nnenda Chinwo born 5 September 1991 is a Nigerian gospel music minister, singer, and songwriter. She has taken the world by storm with her powerful and riveting voice, singing Jesus everywhere she goes. Here are top ten facts about Mercy Chinwo that you probably didn’t know about.
1. Mercy Chinwo started from the Choir.
Mercy Chinwo sang in the children’s choir at age 8. Eventually, she moved to the adult choir and became the Music Director of her local church.
2. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree:
Mercy Chinwo attended the University of Port Harcourt where she acquired a degree in Linguistics and Communication Studies.
3. She Won Nigerian Idol Season:
Mercy Chinwo came into the limelight through her participation in the Nigerian music talent show Nigerian Idol. She was a contestant on the second season of the show in 2012 and emerged as the winner when she beat her fellow contestant Joe Blue with the song “Palaver” and returned home with the top prize of a recording contract, an SUV, and a cash of prize of about 7.5 Million Naira.
4. She has starred in a movie:
In 2013, Mercy Chinwo made her acting debut in Yvonne Nelson’s Nigerian-Ghanian comedy film, House of Gold, with the role of Lucia.
5. She released her debut song in 2015:
Mercy Chinwo released her first single, Testimony in 2015, produced by Rotimi Keys. Download Testimony here. In 2016, she released her second song Igwe and in 2017 she was signed to a gospel record label named EeZee Conceptz led by EeZee Tee. However, her current record label is GNT Nation.
6. Her first album was released in 2018:
Mercy released her first album The Cross My Gaze in 2018. It has 16 tracks and holds one of her most successful songs Excess Love. It was such a success that its remix featuring JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise became her first song to surpass 5 million streams on Spotify. Excess Love was awarded Africa’s Gospel Song of the Year (2019). Download Excess Love here. The album The Cross My Gaze was an instant hit with millions of streams and downloads across the world.
7. She is married to a pastor:
On 13th August 2022, Mercy Chinwo and Pastor Blessed Uzochikwa of The Waterbrook Church tied the knot in Port Harcourt. Pst Blessed is a Microsoft-certified IT professional and a trained Project Manager who has worked with several multinationals. He has a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Port Harcourt. In 2023, they welcomed a baby boy named Charis Nduka Blessed.
8. She is a philanthropist:
In 2023, Mercy Chinwo and her husband Pastor Blessed, launched a charity organisation called Mercy is Blessed Foundation. In an announcement on her Instagram page, she stated that the foundation is an initiative birthed by the Holy Spirit. According to her:
“We are enriched in every way to be a blessing to our world and generation. Our focus is to empower lives, one soul at a time.”
In this light, In 2024, Mercy and her husband Blessed gave 100% scholarships to fifty students of the University of Port Harcourt.
9. She has bagged many awards
Mercy Chinwo has won several awards including ‘Best Gospel Act of the Year’ at the City People Music Awards, ‘Best Gospel Artiste (Female)’ at the 2018 Headies Awards and ‘Gospel Artiste of the Year’ at the 2019 Vibe Music Awards. She was also nominated for ‘Next Rated’ at the 2018 Headies Awards. In 2023, she won 5 awards at the prestigious Maranatha Awards, USA. She also won the “Best International Act” at the Premier Gospel Awards in the United Kingdom.
10. She has released 3 albums:
Mercy Chinwo has released 3 albums so far and they include; The Cross My Gaze (2018), Satisfied (2020), and Overwhelming Victory (2024).
Conclusion
Mercy Chinwo, a Nigerian gospel sensation, started from the choir to winning Nigerian Idol Season 2 and eventually releasing her debut song three years later. With her powerful voice and edifying songs, she’s not just a singer, but a force of inspiration. From “Testimony” to “Overwhelming Victory,” her journey reflects talent, grace, strength, faith, and compassion. She is on Instagram as mercychinwo.
