Philippa Hanna grew up in Sheffield in a musical family. Her father was Irish entertainer Pat Hanna, and her brother Stuart Zender was a founding member of Jamiroquai; her cousins Danny and Richard McNamara were members of Embrace. Hanna describes a spiritual experience at a Godfrey Birtill concert in 2004 as the beginning of her life-changing faith.
Philippa Hanna released Watching Me in 2007, followed by Through the Woods in 2013, Speed of Light in 2016 and Come Back Fighting in 2017. The fairytale imagery of Through the Woods traces a passage from darkness into light.
In 2020, Hanna signed with Integrity Music and released her first worship project, Stained Glass Stories. She has opened tours for Lionel Richie, Little Mix, Leona Lewis, Wet Wet Wet and Anastacia, and co-wrote “Magnificent” and “Free Indeed” with Israel Houghton. In 2025, she released Enough with Esther Collective, Love For Me with Ben Pearson and Miracle Meal (The Invitation) with Stefan Green. Her 2026 album Magnificent was made with Israel Houghton, and she released Our Maker with John Bassey that year.