Berklee's 2022 Alumni Grammy Nominees: See the Full List Nominees include Arooj Aftab, Miguel Zen n, Esperanza Spalding, and others in categories including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.By
Colette Greenstein
November 23, 2021
Arooj Aftab B.M. '10
The nominees for the 64th annual Grammy Awards were announced on Tuesday, November 23, and Berklee will once again have a major presence at event, with 38 alumni receiving 43 nominations across 23 categories, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Metal Performance, and Best Bluegrass Album, among many others.
Pakistani-born singer and composer Arooj Aftab B.M. '10 was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Global Music Performance, for her song Mohabbat ; Esperanza Spalding B.M. '05, a four-time Grammy Award winner, received a Best Jazz Vocal Album nomination for Songwrights Apothecary Lab; and eight-time Grammy nominee Miguel Zen n B.M. '98 was nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album for El Arte Del Bolero, a collaboration with Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo.
Other nominees included St. Vincent (Annie Clark '04), whose latest release, Daddy's Home, was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album; Andy Hall B.M. '97 and Chris Pandolfi B.M. '03 of the Infamous Stringdusters, who received a Best Bluegrass Album nomination for A Tribute to Bill Monroe; and Charlie Rosen '12 and Emile Mosseri B.M. '07, who each received nominations in the category of Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. Berklee faculty were also represented, with bassist John Patitucci, visiting scholar in performance studies, receiving a Best Jazz Instrumental Album nomination for Chick Corea Akoustic Bands LIVE. In addition, current student Warren Pettey, a recipient of Berklees Presidential Scholarship, contributed as a keyboardist and engineer to Tony Succars Live in Peru, which was nominated for Best Tropical Latin Album.
This year, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences introduced two new categories, Best Global Music Performance (Global Music Field) and Best M sica Urbana Album (Latin Music Field), expanding the number of categories to 86 in total. Watch the 64th annual Grammy Awards on Monday, January 31, 2022, on CBS or streaming on Paramount+ at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Below is a full list of Berklee alumni Grammy nominees. Please note the list is subject to change as we receive updated information.
Record of the Year
Freedom, Jon Batiste
Michelle Mancini B.M. '08, mastering engineer
Right on Time, Brandi Carlile
Brandon Bell B.M. '12, engineer/mixer
Album of the Year
We Are, Jon Batiste
Jaclyn Sanchez B.M. '12, engineer/mixer
Michelle Mancini B.M. '08, mastering engineer
Love for Sale, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Billy Cumella M.M. '15, engineer/mixer
Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe), Justin Bieber
Amy Allen '15, producer/songwriter
Jake Torry B.M. '16, producer/songwriter
Benjamin Thomas B.M. '11, engineer/mixer
Scott Braun B.M. '06, songwriter
Back of My Mind, H.E.R.
Jeff Gitelman B.M. '03, producer
Chris Galland B.M. '07, engineer/mixer
Jaclyn Sanchez B.M. '12, engineer/mixer
Montero, Lil Nas X
Jelli Dorman B.M. '15, engineer/mixer
Sour, Olivia Rodrigo
Annie Clark '04, songwriter
Ryan Linvill B.M. '16, engineer/mixer
Donda, Kanye West
Jeff Bhasker '99, producer/songwriter
Scott McDowell '05, engineer/producer
Kaushlesh Garry Purohit '16, engineer/producer
Song of the Year
A Beautiful Noise, Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile
Ruby Amanfu '98, songwriter
Best New Artist
Arooj Aftab B.M. '10
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Coldplay, Higher Power
Denise Carite B.M. '10, songwriter
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Double Dealin', Randy Brecker and Eric Marienthal
Eric Marienthal '79
Best Metal Performance
The Alien, Dream Theater
John Petrucci '86
John Myung '86
Best Alternative Music Album
Daddy's Home, St. Vincent
Annie Clark '04
Best R&B Song
Damage, H.E.R.
Jeff Gitelman B.M. '03, songwriter
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah B.M. '04, Sackodougou (from Weedie Braimahs The Hands of Time)
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Songwrights Apothecary Lab, Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Spalding B.M. '05
Best Latin Jazz Album
El Arte Del Bolero, Miguel Zen n and Luis Perdomo
Miguel Zen n B.M. '98
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Feels Like Home Vol. 2, Israel & New Breed
Justin Raines '06, bassist
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
El Madrile o, C. Tangana
Lewis Pickett '09, engineer
Best Bluegrass Album
A Tribute to Bill Monroe, The Infamous Stringdusters
Andy Hall '97
Chris Pandolfi '03
Best Traditional Blues Album
Travelers Blues, Blues Traveler
Josh Gruss '97, executive producer
Best Global Music Performance
Mohabbat, Arooj Aftab B.M. '10
Best Children's Music Album
Crayon Kids, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Lucky Diaz '97
Wes Switzer '07
Best Instrumental Composition
Concerto for Orchestra: Finale, Vince Mendoza and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra (feat. Antonio S nchez and Derrick Hodge)
Antonio S nchez '97
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Meta Knight's Revenge, The 8-Bit Big Band feat. Button Masher
Charlie Rosen '12, arranger
Infinite Love, Emile Mosseri
Emile Mosseri '07, arranger
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Archetypes, S rgio Assad, Clarice Assad, and Third Coast Percussion
Clarice Assad '98
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Mythologies, Sangeeta Kaur and Hila Plitmann
Nadeem Majdalany B.M. '06
Emilio D. Miler '95
Best Contemporary
