Berklee Alumni Could Win 40 Grammy Awards

For the fourth year in a row, Berklee alumni are nominated in the top three Grammy Award categories. 

December 14, 2014

Berklee alumni could take home 40 Grammy Awards at the 57th annual music awards ceremony on Sunday, February 8. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences nominated 17 Berklee alumni for a total of 19 awards, and 18 alumni could win an additional 21 awards for their work on albums nominated as best in their genre. For the fourth year in a row, Berklee alumni are nominated in the top three categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. Berklee alumni nominated in the top three categories are being recognized for their work on chart-toppers like Beyoncé (Beyoncé), Girl (Pharrell Williams), Morning Phase (Beck), and X (Ed Sheeran).

Eighteen Berklee alumni worked on nominees in the best album categories as engineers, producers, or mixers. Albums featuring artists like Barbra Streisand, Toni Braxton, Eminem, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and more bear the efforts of many Berklee graduates.

Berklee alumni also contributed to a number nominated performances, tracks, and albums in other ways. Esperanza Spalding '05, Terri Lyne Carrington '83, and Christian Saint-Louis '12 lent their voices to Diane Reeves' Beautiful Life, nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Ruslan Sirota '03, a member of the Stanley Clarke Band, played on Clarke's Last Train to Sanity, nominated for Best Instrumental Album. David Krakauer & A Far Cry String Orchestra's Dreams and Prayers, nominated for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance, featured the world premiere of Mehmet Ali Sanlikol's '98 composition, "Vecd." Angelo Caputo '08 engineered a nominee for Best Pop Vocal Duo/Group Performance, "Say Something" by A Great Big World with Christina Aguilera.

The 57th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 8, and will be broadcast on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

A full list of Berklee alumni Grammy Award nominees and Berklee alumni who contributed to best album nominations follows.

Seventeen alumni nominated for 19 awards:

Category 1 - Record of the Year

“All About That Bass” (Meghan Trainor) - Kevin Kadish ‘91, producer, engineer/mixer

 

Category 2 - Album of the Year

Beyoncé (Beyoncé) - Tony Maserati ‘86, engineer/mixer

Morning Phase (Beck) - David Greenbaum ‘05, engineer/mixer

Girl (Pharrell Williams) - Stephanie McNally ‘10, engineer

X (Ed Sheeran) – Jeff Bhasker ’99, producer

 

Category 3 - Song of the Year

“All About That Bass” (Meghan Trainor) - Kevin Kadish ‘91, songwriter

 

Category 11 - Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Mindi Abair (Mindi Abair) - Mindi Abair ‘91, artist

Jazz Funk Soul (Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb, Everette Harp) - Jeff Lorber ‘71, artist; 

Chuck Loeb ‘76 (artist)

 

Category 16 - Best Alternative Music Album

St. Vincent (St. Vincent) - Annie Clark ‘04 (aka St. Vincent), artist

 

Category 18 - Best Traditional R&B Performance

“Jesus Children” (Robert Glasper Experiment) - Lalah Hathaway ‘90, featured artist

 

Category 31 - Best Improvised Jazz Solo

“Recorda Me” (Conrad Herwig Feat. Joe Lovano) - Joe Lovano ‘72, soloist

 

Category 32 - Best Jazz Vocal Album

Paris Sessions (Tierney Sutton) - Tierney Sutton ‘87, artist
 

Category 35 - Best Latin Jazz Album

The Latin Side of Joe Henderson (Conrad Herwig Feat. Joe Lovano) - Joe Lovano ‘72, featured artist

 

Category 46 - Best American Roots Song

“Pretty Little One” (Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell) - Nicky Sanders '02 (member of Steep Canyon Rangers), artist

 

Category 67 - Best HIstorical Album

The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 (Hank Williams) - Michael Graves ‘81, mastering engineer

 

Category 68 - Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Morning Phase (Beck) - David Greenbaum ‘05, engineer

The Way I’m Livin’ (Lee Ann Womack) - Gavin Lurssen ‘91, mastering engineer

What’s Left is Forever (Thomas Dybdahl) - David Way ‘87, engineer

 

Eighteen alumni who contributed to nominated works as producers, engineers, and mixers will win awards if these albums earn Grammy Awards: 

Category 7 - Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Partners (Barbra Streisand With Various Artists) - Paul Boutin ‘94


Category 20 - Best Urban Contemporary Album
Beyoncé (Beyoncé) - Carlos Perez D'Anda '14, Tyler Scott ‘13

 

Category 21 - Best R&B Album

Love, Marriage & Divorce (Toni Braxton and Babyface) - Paul Boutin ‘94
 

Category 25 - Best Rap Album

The Marshall Mathers LP2 (Eminem) - Ken Lewis ‘91

Because The Internet (Childish Gambino) – Andrew Dawson ‘01

Nobody's Smiling (Common) - Josh Story '12

The New Classic (Iggy Azalea) - Miles Walker '05

Blacc Hollywood (Wiz Khalifa) - Miles Walker '05

 

Catetory 32 - Best Jazz Vocal Album

Beautiful Life (Dianne Reeves) - Terri Lyne Carrington '83

 

Category 33 - Best Instrumental Jazz Album

Trilogy (Chick Corea Trio) - Brian Vibberts ‘91

 

Category 38 - Best Gospel Album

Forever Yours (Smokie Norful) - Paul Boutin ‘94


Category 39 - Best Contemporary Christian Album

If We're Honest (Francesca Battistelli) - Marc Lacuesta ‘98

 

Category 41 - Best Latin Pop Album

Gracias Por Estar Aquí (Marco Antonio Solís) - Benny Faccone '78

 

Category 44 - Best Tropical Latin Album

Más + Corazón Profundo (Carlos Vives) - Shafik Palis ‘01

 

Category 47 - Best Americana Album

Metamodern Sounds In Country Music (Sturgill Simpson) - Justin Herlocker ‘05

 

Category 52 - Best Reggae Album

Full Frequency (Sean Paul) - Ken Lewis ‘91

Amid the Noise and Haste (Soja) - Angelo Caputo '08

 

Category 56 - Best Comedy Album

Mandatory Fun ("Weird Al" Yankovic) - David Way '87, Brian Warwick '03

 

Category 57 - Best Musical Theater Album

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Hiro Iida ‘89

 

Category 67 - Best Historical Album

The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 (Hank Williams) - Bryan George ‘99
 

Liz Lupton is a publicist in the Office of Media Relations. Media inquiries: llupton@berklee.edu