Berklee Alumni Win 9 Grammy Awards

Press release from Berklee College of Music

Berklee alumni and faculty were honored with nine Grammy Awards on music’s biggest night for their outstanding contributions to some of last year’s top releases. The winners were recognized for their work in varied categories and fields, including rap songwriting, jazz, and blues. With Sunday night’s wins, Berklee alumni have now won a total of 214 Grammy Awards.

Terri Lyne Carrington ’83 won the Best Vocal Jazz Album award for The Mosaic Project. Carrington’s album features a “who’s who” of female jazz artists, including Esperanza Spalding ’05, who won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2011, and the renowned Nona Hendryx. In addition to performing and recording, Carrington serves as a percussion professor at Berklee. 

Songwriter Jeff Bhasker ’99 won the Best Rap Song award for “All of the Lights” by Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and Fergie. 

Alumnus Trey Parker ’88, best known for his work on Comedy Central’s South Park, took home the award for Best Musical Theater Album. Parker produced, composed, and wrote the lyrics for the musical The Book of Mormon, of which alumnus Stephen Oremus ’92 was also a producer.

Susan Tedeschi ’91 and Mark Rivers ’89, members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, were awarded Best Blues Album for their album, Revelator.

Engineer Byeong-Joon Hwang ’99 and mastering engineer Jesse Lewis ’93 took the gramophone for Best Engineered Album, Classical for their behind-the-scenes work on Robert Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry.

Also in engineering, alumnus Benny Faccone ’78 was awarded for his work on Maná’s album Drama y Luz, which was deemed Best Latin Pop, Rock, or Urban Album.

Berklee alumni also made important contributions to winning albums. Dean of continuing education Debbie Cavalier ’87 and faculty technology services manager Michael Carrera ’91 have a song on the compilation album All About Bullies . . . Big and Small, which won Best Children’s Album.

As the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences researches the producers, engineers, and mixers who contributed to Grammy Award–winning songs and albums, the number of Berklee alumni winners is expected to grow. Log on to Berklee.edu for the most up-to-date information.