Christian Media & Arts Australia

What Christian Media & Arts Australia does

Christian Media & Arts Australia (CMAA) is a non-profit membership-based industry association founded in 1978 and headquartered in Seven Hills, NSW, Australia. The organization serves the Australian Christian media and arts sector by providing advocacy, professional development, networking, research, and awards recognition to its members. Its core "products" are organized into four categories: (1) events, principally the annual CONNECT Conference held on the Gold Coast (200-250+ delegates) alongside Excellence in Media Awards, Legacy Awards, and People's Choice Music Awards; (2) member services including exclusive access to RightNow Media @ Work video content library, sector-wide YouVersion devotional plans for prayer strategy, webinars, and a station finder directory; (3) research and advocacy, including the 2025 Radio and You Survey conducted with Compass Polling and policy advocacy around the 2026 Census and community broadcasting regulation; and (4) grant facilitation, channeling Community Broadcasting Foundation funding to member stations (ten stations received a combined $437,698 in 2026 Round 1). CMAA does not operate proprietary technology products; its value proposition is built on convening power, content aggregation, and sector representation.

CMAA's customer base spans five primary segments: Christian media organizations (radio stations, TV, digital), Christian artists and musicians, Christian content creators (film, documentary), Christian writers, and churches/ministries. Named organizational members include Vision Christian Media (reaching 1.3 million people monthly through 800+ broadcast locations), Life FM Adelaide, Rhema 99.9, 89.9 TheLight, and Reach Beyond. The organization operates with a lean team of 7 employees and generates revenue through four streams: tiered annual membership fees (organizational membership scaled by turnover; associate membership at $80/year for individuals), grant funding through the Community Broadcasting Foundation, tax-deductible donations, and CONNECT conference ticket revenue. Geographic reach is primarily Australia, with operational extension into New Zealand evidenced by People's Choice Awards categories and cross-Tasman content distribution.

Name

Christian Media & Arts Australia

Legal name

Christian Media & Arts Australia

Website

https://mediaarts.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Christian Media & Arts Australia is a non-profit industry association founded in 1978 serving Christian media organizations, artists, and content creators across Australia through the CONNECT conference, awards programs, membership services, research, and grant facilitation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABALAA)

Keywords

• Christian media association
• Industry advocacy services
• Professional development events
• Media industry awards
• Broadcasting support services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from organizational members (radio stations, media organizations) and associate members (individuals). Organizational membership fees are tiered based on turnover, with broadcast organizations receiving additional benefits.
2. Grant Funding: CMAA receives grant funding through the Community Broadcasting Foundation for sector support, governance, and sustainability initiatives. Member stations also receive direct grants through CMAA's Sector Investment Grant.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from supporters to fund specific initiatives such as the Christian Music Vision and Strategy project ($30,000 first phase).
4. Conference Revenue: Revenue from CONNECT annual conference tickets, including member discounts and special events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Christian Media & Arts Australia (CMAA) is a non-profit membership-based industry association that supports Christian media organizations, artists, and content creators across Australia through advocacy, professional development, networking, research, and recognition. Its core offers include the annual CONNECT Conference, Excellence in Media Awards, Legacy Awards, People's Choice Music Awards, organizational and associate membership programs, research services, webinars, YouVersion devotional plans, and access to the RightNow Media @ Work content library.

Product overview

Christian Media & Arts Australia (CMAA) is a membership-based industry organization serving the Christian media and arts sector, not a single software product. The organization operates as a platform providing events, awards programs, research services, and content resources. Its portfolio includes the CONNECT Conference (annual industry gathering), the Excellence in Media Awards, Legacy Awards, and People's Choice Music Awards. Additional offerings include RightNow Media @ Work (video training content), YouVersion devotional plans for prayer strategy, national research surveys, webinars, and a station finder directory. Membership is available in two tiers—organizational membership for broadcasting organizations and associate membership for individuals. CMAA does not offer software-as-a-service products but rather serves as an advocacy, networking, and professional development hub for Christian media organizations across Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CONNECT Conference Annual conference for Christian media and arts professionals featuring sessions, workshops, worship, networking, and awards ceremonies, held annually on the Gold Coast, Australia. Brings together 200+ to 250+ delegates from around the nation for training, networking, and industry recognition.
• Excellence in Media Awards Annual awards program celebrating excellence, innovation and contribution in Christian media and arts, recognizing outstanding content creators, broadcasters and organizations across multiple categories.
• Legacy Awards Prestigious lifetime achievement awards honoring Christian leaders who have made outstanding contributions to media and/or the arts throughout their careers. Categories include Lifetime Dedication and Enduring Impact.
• People's Choice Awards Annual music awards voted on by listeners of Christian radio, recognizing Australian, New Zealand, and International artists of the year, plus emerging artists and songs of the year.
• Membership Program Organizational and associate membership programs providing access to content, advocacy services, policy support, training resources, networking opportunities, and exclusive benefits such as Digital Hub content and the RightNow Media @ Work library.
• Research Services National surveys and research projects providing data on Christian radio listenership impact and community broadcasting value, including the Radio and You Survey conducted with Compass Polling.
• RightNow Media @ Work Exclusive video content library platform for CMAA organizational members featuring leadership, productivity, and spiritual development series from experts including John Maxwell, Jon Acuff, Patrick Lencioni, and Nona Jones.
• Webinars Online educational sessions and workshops covering topics such as leadership, content creation, radio, podcasting, arts, and engaging culture. Available to members and the broader community.
• YouVersion Devotional Plans Sector-wide prayer devotional plans published in partnership with YouVersion (Bible.com), offering spiritual focus themes for media and arts professionals throughout the year.
• Station Finder Online directory helping users locate Christian radio stations across Australia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ people engaged through Christian music initiatives connected with CMAA
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Focus on the Family AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for National Families Week (May 11-17) where radio stations receive promotional materials, on-air content, and social media toolkits to share Focus on the Family's 52-Week Family Devotional with listeners.
• Compass PollingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CMAA coordinated the 2025 Radio and You Survey with Compass Polling, a major national survey capturing listener insights, employee/volunteer perspectives, and sponsor feedback on Christian radio impact across Australia.
• YouVersion (Bible.com)coreTechnology or IntegrationCMAA publishes sector-wide prayer themes as YouVersion devotional plans including 'Return & Realign', 'Hope for the Weary', 'Empowered to Create', and upcoming plans on rest, justice, unity, excellence, and Advent.
• RightNow Media @ WorkcoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive video content platform for CMAA members featuring leadership, productivity, and spiritual development series from experts including John Maxwell, Jon Acuff, Patrick Lencioni, Nona Jones, and others.
• UCB Asia PacificminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMAA member stations and leaders like Ian Worby maintain involvement with UCB Asia Pacific for cross-regional Christian media collaboration in the Asia Pacific region.
• RightNow MediacoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides exclusive video training content for CMAA members including leadership development series like John Maxwell's High Road Leadership and other professional development resources.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) Australia / Asia Pacific: Australian and Asia-Pacific Christian media broadcaster explicitly named as CMAA partner. Operates a network of radio stations and digital platforms serving the same Christian audience CMAA's members reach, with overlapping regional scope.
• Hope Media (Australia): Australian Christian media organization producing radio, podcasts, and digital content for the faith community. Operates as both a CMAA member and an example of the type of broadcaster CMAA's value proposition is built around.
• Reach Beyond Australia: Australia-based Christian media ministry (formerly HCJB) reaching communities through shortwave radio and multi-platform media; identified as a CMAA member and operates in the same Christian broadcasting segment.
• Religious Media Association (RMA): US nonprofit connecting religious media professionals and organizations across broadcasting, publishing, and digital platforms. Directly parallels CMAA's cross-format convening function and member-service model.
• Canadian Christian Communicators Association: Canadian sister association for Christian media professionals, providing advocacy, networking, and professional development for broadcasters and content creators in a comparable market structure.
• National Religious Broadcasters (NRB): US-based membership association representing Christian broadcasters and media professionals. Closest international equivalent to CMAA, with analogous structure (advocacy, conferences, awards) and similar member constituency of Christian radio/TV stations.

Broad incumbents

• Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU): Large regional broadcasting industry body covering APAC public and commercial broadcasters. Much broader scope than CMAA but addresses adjacent professional-development and advocacy needs across the same geographies where CMAA's members operate.

Others

• World Christian Broadcasting: Faith-based media organization using radio to reach communities globally. Not a membership association but operates in the same mission-driven Christian media ecosystem that CMAA convenes.

Regional players

• Sparklit Awards / Christian Book & Media Industry Network: Australian awards network (where CMAA-affiliated Christian media wins accolades such as Australian Christian Book of the Year). Adjacent awards/conventions ecosystem serving overlapping Christian creative professionals.

Emerging players

• Christian Community Broadcasters Network: Industry coalition connecting community and Christian broadcasters for shared advocacy and grants facilitation. Comparable function to CMAA but at a smaller, less institutionalized scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christian-media-australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Christian Media & Arts Australia