Y'Anna Crawley

Gospel singer Y'anna Crawley's career rose slowly and steadily, growing out of her lifelong passion for singing. Though actively pursuing a life in music since her teenage years, it wasn't until her early thirties that her talents would reach a wider audience when she won BET's Sunday Best singing competition in 2009. With her newfound acclaim, she leapt from years of behind-the-scenes work as a background singer to drawing interest from labels and producers for her own material. Her 2010 debut album, The Promise, was followed by several singles as the years went by and the vocalist expanded her reach into various media platforms. Singer Y'anna Monique Crawley was born in 1977 in Maryland and grew up in the D.C. area. Crawley was raised in a highly musical environment, with a father who was a Reverend and singer, as well as aunts in the music industry. In her teen years, she began working as a background vocalist, adding her voice to tracks for stars ranging from Jennifer Lopez to Angie Stone. At 17, she became pregnant with her first child and dreams of a life in music were complicated by the daily trials of trying to make ends meet. She persevered, and in 2009 she rose up to win the second season of BET network's gospel vocal competition show Sunday Best. The show was viewed by millions and after beating the competition, Crawley was quickly approached by labels, leading to the release of her debut album, The Promise, in 2010. Things took off for her from there as she continued working on her own music but also branched out into writing songs for other artists, acting, and even fitness coaching. She relocated to Atlanta in the mid-2010s to make more connections in multiple areas of the entertainment industry. Along with appearances on the soundtrack for 2017 film A Question of Faith, Crawley released singles like 2017's "We Need You" and 2018's "In You." ~ Fred Thomas