Taylor Swift Red Album Instrumental

[Shawna Erholm]

Alumniof IU's renowned Jacobs School scored big at Sunday night's show, from audio engineer Laura Sisk having a hand in Taylor Swift's history-making fourth album of the year win, to bassist Edgar Meyer winning both best contemporary instrumental album and best global music performance for his album "As We Speak," with Bla Fleck and Zakir Hussain, featuring Rakesh Chaurasia.

Class of 2010 graduate Laura Sisk, who's engineered for the likes of Rihanna, P!nk, Phantogram, and Swift's longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, worked with Swift on the production of "Midnights," which also took home a Grammy for best pop vocal album.

Sisk's odds of scoring an AOTY credit were good, though, having worked on three of this year's eight nominated albums. Sisk also helped to engineer Lana Del Rey's "Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" and Jon Batiste's "World Music Radio."

Renowned bassist and Class of 1994 alum Edgar Meyer won two of the three categories he was nominated for Sunday, winning best contemporary instrumental album and best global music performance for his album "As We Speak," with Bla Fleck and Zakir Hussain, featuring Rakesh Chaurasia.

These accolades collectively mark Meyer's seventh Grammy win and 10th nomination to date. Meyer won his first Grammy for best classical crossover album in 2000 with "Appalachian Journey," made in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and composer Mark O'Connor.

Beyond the night's big wins, IU alumni also scored several nominations: operatic tenor Lawrence Brownlee received a best classical solo vocal album nomination for his album "Rising," and harpist Kirsten Agresta-Copely's album "Aquamarine" was nominated for the best new age, ambient, or chant album category.

Artists made history and made memorable moments at the 2024 GRAMMYs: women won several of the major GRAMMY categories and general dominated the night; several artists won their first-ever GRAMMY, including Miley Cyrus; and Taylor Swift became the artist with the most GRAMMY wins for Album Of The Year. Elsewhere, the Recording Academy debuted three new GRAMMY categories at the 2024 GRAMMYs: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

These history-making category additions were part of a larger set of updates and amendments, which went into effect at the 2024 GRAMMYs, aimed at making the GRAMMY Awards process "more fair, transparent and accurate", according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr.

For more information, view the GRAMMY Awards Journey, an interactive, engaging online resource about the complete GRAMMY Awards process, from Online Entry and Eligibility Screening to Peer Voting and Nominations.

What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture "Barbie"]

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish & FINNEAS, producers; Billie Eilish, Rob Kinelski & FINNEAS, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Vampire

Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Olivia Rodrigo)

What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture "Barbie"] - WINNER

Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

For vocal or instrumental albums containing greater than 75% playing time of newly recorded material. The intent of this category is to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinian tango music.

For albums containing greater than 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principal vocalist(s), and the album producer(s) of 50% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of 50 % or more of a score of a new recording are eligible for an Award if any previous recording of said score has not been nominated in this category.

For new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings. This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).

A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

God Is Good

Stanley Brown Featuring Hezekiah Walker, Kierra Sheard & Karen Clark Sheard; Stanley Brown, Karen V Clark Sheard, Kaylah Jiavanni Harvey, Rodney Jerkins, Elyse Victoria Johnson, J Drew Sheard II, Kierra Valencia Sheard & Hezekiah Walker, songwriters

Award to the principal artist(s) and/or 'in studio' producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album. In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).

A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

For vocal or instrumental albums in any genre. Must be commercially released for physical sale or on an eligible streaming or download service and must provide a new immersive mix of four or more channels. Award to the immersive mix engineer, immersive producer (if any) and immersive mastering engineer (if any).

2024 was a banner year for the GRAMMYs. Music heroes returned to the spotlight; across Categories, so many new stars were minted. New GRAMMY Categories received their inaugural winners: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. Culture-shaking performances and acceptance speeches went down. Those we lost received a loving farewell via the In Memoriam segment.

For more information about the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season, learn more about the annual GRAMMY Awards process, read our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section, view the official GRAMMY Awards Rules and Guidelines, and visit the GRAMMY Award Update Center for a list of real-time changes to the GRAMMY Awards process.

The cost to produce a GRAMMY Award trophy, including labor and materials, is nearly $800. Bob Graves, who cast the original GRAMMY mold inside his garage in 1958, passed on his legacy to John Billings, his neighbor, in 1983. Billings, also known as "The GRAMMY Man," designed the current model in use, which debuted in 1991.

While Los Angeles is the headquarters of the Recording Academy and the GRAMMYs, and regularly the home of the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY trophies are produced at Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado, about 800 miles away from L.A.

Approximately 600-800 GRAMMY Award trophies are produced per year. This includes both GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards for the two Academies; the number of GRAMMYs manufactured each year always depends on the number of winners and Categories we award across both award shows.

In an interview featured in the 2024 GRAMMYs program book, two-time GRAMMY winner Lauren Daigle spoke of the value and impact of a GRAMMY Award. "Time has passed since I got my [first] GRAMMYs, but the rooms that I am now able to sit in, with some of the most incredible writers, producers and performers on the planet, is truly the greatest gift of all."

"Once you have that credential, it's a different certification. It definitely holds weight," two-time GRAMMY winner Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of the Roots added. "It's a huge stamp as far as branding, businesswise, achievement-wise and in every regard. What the GRAMMY means to people, fans and artists is ever-evolving."

As Billboard explains, artists will often see significant boosts in album sales and streaming numbers after winning a GRAMMY or performing on the GRAMMY stage. This is known as the "GRAMMY Effect," an industry phenomenon in which a GRAMMY accolade directly influences the music biz and the wider popular culture.

In addition to financial gains, artists also experience significant professional wins as a result of their GRAMMY accolades. For instance, after she won the GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album for Rapture at the 2020 GRAMMYs, Koffee signed a U.S. record deal; after his first GRAMMYs in 2014, Kendrick Lamar saw a 349% increase in his Instagram following, Billboard reports.

"I think the truth is none of it is that surprising," the 37-year-old songwriter and producer tells GRAMMY.com. "That's the best part. From his music, I would've thought this is a humble, brilliant everyman who probably walks around with a very grounded perspective, and that's exactly who he is."

Specifically, Joel's return highlights his regret over spending three decades mostly on the bench, largely absent from the pop scene. As Joel wonders aloud in the stirring, arpeggiated chorus, "Is there still time for forgiveness?"

**You did a great interview with Rolling Stone ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs. Now, we're on the other side of it; you got to see how it went down on the telecast, and resonated with the audience and world. What was that like?**

I don't think the song is trying to be anything it's not. I think it's a very raw, honest, real perspective that is true to Billy. I think it's the first time we've heard him acknowledge mistakes and regret in quite this way. And to hear him do it in a hopeful way where he's asking, "Is it too late for forgiveness?" is just very moving, I think.

He has said in other interviews, "Sometimes people say they have no regrets at the end of their life." And he said, "I don't think that's possible. If you've lived a full life, of course you have regrets." He has said that he has many things he wishes he would've done differently. This is an opportunity to express that.

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