Ryan Ofei Biography: Age, Wife, Ethnicity, Maverick City & JUNO Wins

Ryan Ofei (born January 31, 1994) is a Ghanaian-Canadian gospel singer, songwriter, and worship leader known for his work as a solo artist and as a songwriter with the GRAMMY-winning collective Maverick City Music.

Born in Sutton, South London, and raised partly in Ghana before his family settled in Canada, Ofei blends contemporary gospel with R&B, Afrobeats, and modern worship.

He is a two-time JUNO Award winner for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, the first artist to win the category back-to-back, and his 2024 debut album Restore has passed 30 million streams.

At a Glance

Early Life and Background

Ryan Ofei was born on January 31, 1994, in Sutton, a town in South London, England. He spent his first two years there before his family relocated to Ghana, where he was raised for a portion of his childhood.

His parents are Ghanaian, and that heritage runs through nearly everything he makes today, from the highlife rhythms in his production to entire EPs recorded in Accra. Eventually the family moved again, this time to Canada, settling in the Ottawa area.

Ofei was raised in a Christian household, and church was never optional growing up. He started singing at age six.

As the story goes, he told his mother he wanted to sing, she said no at first, then relented, and ended up inviting the neighbors over to hear him.

That backyard performance was an early sign of where his life was headed, even though it took a detour first.

Musical Beginnings and Calling

For most of his teenage years, sports came first, not music. Ofei was a standout football player and earned a scholarship to take the sport further.At 18, he had to choose between an athletic path and a musical one.

He has said the decision came down to a simple question: what would he regret not doing if this were his last day on earth. He picked music, walked away from the scholarship, and never looked back.

The turning point that sealed his commitment came during his first year of university, when he survived a near-death experience close to his 19th birthday.

That moment pushed him to fully dedicate his life to Christ, and it reshaped how he approached his songwriting from that point forward.

While attending Carleton University in Ottawa, Ofei co-founded Campus Rush Music in 2014 alongside fellow students, including Pastor Sewa Ayoola.

He served as worship pastor and musical director for the group, which grew into a campus-based worship movement at Carleton and the University of Ottawa.

It was here, writing and leading songs like “Yahweh” and “Ruler of Heaven,” that Ofei found his voice as both a minister and a songwriter.

Career Journey

Ofei’s recording career began properly in 2019. He released the singles “No Limits” and “Jehova” ahead of his debut solo project, David’s Heart, put out that same year through Minstrel Records.

The songs traveled fast. “Jehova” alone reportedly crossed 5 million streams, and Ofei began ministering across North America, Europe, and Africa on the strength of it.

One unexpected boost came from outside the gospel world entirely. UK rap star Stormzy performed a cover of “Jehova” while headlining the Montreux Jazz Festival, a cosign that introduced Ofei’s music to an audience far beyond church circles.

In 2020, during pandemic lockdowns, Ofei took part in an online songwriting camp for Maverick City Music, the Atlanta-based worship collective.

The session went well enough that he was invited to Atlanta to co-write in person, and by 2021 he had joined the group as a songwriter and performer.

He appeared on Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition that year, a project that earned a Best Gospel Album nomination at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

Ofei continued releasing his own work alongside his Maverick City contributions. His 2022 EP The Vow included the song he wrote for his now-wife, Priscilla, titled “WYMM,” an acronym for “Will You Marry Me.”

In 2023, he released Limitless Worship: Accra, a live EP recorded in Ghana featuring Ghanaian worship leader Joe Mettle on the track “Amen (Wo Awie).”

That same year brought Celebrate, with collaborations alongside Becca Folkes (“Daily”) and Ahjah (“Abba”).

Rise to Prominence

Ofei’s breakthrough as a solo artist arrived with Restore, his first full-length studio album, released June 21, 2024, on Limitless Worship.

The album leaned into vulnerability in a way his earlier EPs hadn’t, and it connected. Restore has now surpassed 30 million streams and won the 2025 JUNO Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year.

“Creating Restore required another level of vulnerability and inner healing,” Ofei said after the win. “I didn’t have a clear blueprint on what it would look like, but kept trusting the Lord to lead the way.”

He followed that success in 2025 with the Jubilate EP, a project that leaned further into Afro-Caribbean rhythm and gospel, and with the live release Highest Praise.

Jubilate went on to win the 2026 JUNO Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, making Ofei the first artist in the category’s history to win back-to-back.

He has continued releasing new material into 2026, including the singles “Noel,” “RAPHA,” “FREED,” and “WEATHER.”

Discography

Alongside his own projects, Ofei has appeared as a featured writer and vocalist on multiple Maverick City Music and Tribl releases, including “King of Heaven (Reign Jesus Reign),” “Still Holy” with Naomi Raine, “Come & Move” with Joe L Barnes and Mariah Adigun, and “Build My Life” alongside Joe L Barnes and Jekalyn Carr.

Personal Life

Ryan Ofei is married to Priscilla Ofei. The couple’s traditional marriage took place in 2022, and Ofei wrote her a proposal song, “WYMM,” that later made it onto The Vow.

Priscilla travels with him on tour and appears alongside him at ministry events. The two are private about most other details of their family life, keeping the focus on their ministry work rather than their personal story.

Ofei was born in the UK, raised partly in Ghana, and spent his young adult years in Ottawa, Ontario, where he built Campus Rush Music and attended Carleton University.

He now lists Dallas, Texas as his home base, reflecting his deepening ties to the American worship and gospel scene through Maverick City Music and Tribl.

Faith, Theology, and Musical Philosophy

Ofei describes his calling in simple terms: to worship God in spirit and in truth. That phrase, drawn from John 4:24, shapes how he talks about his music. He isn’t interested in performance for its own sake.

His songs are written to be sung by a congregation, not just listened to on headphones, and that instinct traces directly back to his years as a worship pastor at Campus Rush.

His sound reflects his background as much as his beliefs. Blending gospel, R&B, Afrobeats, and highlife influences from Ghana, Ofei has said his music is meant to bridge cultures the way his own life has, moving between London, Accra, Ottawa, Atlanta, and now Dallas.

Songs like “Celebrate” and the Limitless Worship: Accra EP openly draw on his Ghanaian roots, while tracks written for Maverick City lean into the more stripped-down, congregational style that collective is known for.

Influence and Legacy

Ofei’s biggest impact so far has come through his songwriting for Maverick City Music, where his contributions helped shape a project that reached the Grammy stage.

His back-to-back JUNO wins gave the Contemporary Christian/Gospel category renewed visibility in Canada, at a moment when the award itself had been at risk of being cut entirely from the ceremony.

He also represents a growing lane within gospel music: artists who move fluidly between African worship traditions and North American contemporary Christian music, without treating either as secondary.

His work with Ghanaian artists like Joe Mettle, alongside his role in an Atlanta-based collective, places him at the center of that cross-continental shift.

Criticism and Controversies

Ofei has not been the subject of any significant public controversy. He has occasionally addressed the broader challenges facing Christian artists, including the commercial pressure to compromise faith-based content for wider crossover appeal, and the near-elimination of the Juno’s own gospel and Christian category before public backlash reversed the decision. Beyond industry commentary like this, his public record remains clean.

Net Worth and Financial Information

Ofei’s net worth has not been independently verified through any official source. Online estimates range broadly, from around $200,000 to $700,000, based mostly on streaming revenue, touring, and songwriting royalties tied to his Maverick City Music work. These figures should be treated as rough public estimates rather than confirmed numbers.

Awards and Recognition

• Grammy Award nomination, Best Gospel Album, 2022, as a contributor to Maverick City Music’s Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition
• JUNO Award, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, 2025, for Restore
• JUNO Award, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, 2026, for Jubilate, making him the first repeat winner in the category

Interesting Facts

• Stormzy covered Ofei’s song “Jehova” while headlining the Montreux Jazz Festival, one of the biggest cosigns a young gospel artist can receive.
• Ofei wrote his own proposal song for his wife, titled “WYMM” (“Will You Marry Me”), and released it publicly on The Vow.
• He turned down a football scholarship at 18 to pursue music full time.
• He was born in Sutton, South London, a detail many fans miss given his strong association with Ghana and Canada.

Timeline

• 1994: Born January 31 in Sutton, South London, United Kingdom.
• 2000: Family relocates to Ghana.
• 2012: Turns down a football scholarship at age 18 to pursue music.
• 2013: Survives a near-death experience during his first year of university.
• 2014: Co-founds Campus Rush Music at Carleton University in Ottawa.
• 2019: Releases singles “No Limits” and “Jehova,” followed by debut EP David’s Heart.
• 2020: Joins an online songwriting camp for Maverick City Music during pandemic lockdowns.
• 2021: Formally joins Maverick City Music as a songwriter and performer.
• 2022: Marries Priscilla; releases EP The Vow; earns Grammy nomination with Maverick City Music.
• 2023: Releases Limitless Worship: Accra and Celebrate.
• 2024: Releases debut studio album Restore on June 21.
• 2025: Wins JUNO Award for Restore; releases Jubilate EP and tours internationally.
• 2026: Wins a second consecutive JUNO Award for Jubilate; releases Restore: Live in London.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ethnicity is Ryan Ofei?

Ryan Ofei is of Ghanaian heritage. He was born in London, England, and raised partly in Ghana before his family settled in Canada, and his Ghanaian roots show up throughout his music.

Who is Ryan Ofei’s wife?

Ryan Ofei is married to Priscilla Ofei. Their traditional marriage took place in 2022, and he wrote her a proposal song called “WYMM.”

How old is Ryan Ofei?

Ryan Ofei was born on January 31, 1994, making him 32 years old as of 2026.

Is Ryan Ofei part of Maverick City Music?

Yes. Ofei joined Maverick City Music in 2021 as a songwriter and performer, after first connecting with the collective through an online songwriting camp in 2020.

Did Ryan Ofei win a Grammy?

Ofei has not won a Grammy individually, but he contributed to Maverick City Music’s Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition, which was nominated for Best Gospel Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

Is Ryan Ofei touring in 2026?

Yes. Ofei has continued touring behind Restore and Jubilate, including international dates such as his Restore Tour stop in London, released as the live album Restore: Live in London.

What church is Ryan Ofei connected to?

Ofei co-founded and served as worship pastor of Campus Rush Music, a campus worship ministry he started at Carleton University in Ottawa in 2014, before his career expanded through Maverick City Music.

Read Also

• Kirk Franklin Biography: Age, Wife, Kids, Net Worth, Albums & Legacy
• Tye Tribbett
• Chandler Moore
• Naomi Raine
• Tasha Cobbs Leonard