Working behind the scenes on a Grammy nominee can still be a huge win for an artist

Boston Globe

30-01-2025

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Lecrae's record ultimately secured a win for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at last year's ceremony. But even before that achievement, the nominations alone attracted prominent clientele – and bigger paychecks – that helped Lacossade support and record his own music.
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'I'm 100 percent funding myself [as an artist],' he says. 'To actually be from the city, and actually be a product of Boston, Massachusetts — from the Boys and Girls Club, to Boston Latin Academy, to working the summer jobs in Boston...I don't take for granted the fact that I'm amongst the highest levels of music possible.'
For every teary-eyed winner you see onstage at the 67th Grammy Awards this Sunday, there are at least a dozen additional people who are also winners through their contributions as songwriters, session musicians, and engineers, among other roles. Many of them – including folks from Boston – go on to reap the rewards of that acclaim with more profitable work and chances to contribute to releases that differ stylistically from their solo projects.
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Each artist will receive a certificate from the Recording Academy that acknowledges their contributions to the nominated projects, and will receive a second certificate if a project wins. It's quite not the same as a shiny gramophone trophy, but the opportunities that follow are often just as enviable.
'Every project that I'm part of gives me an opportunity to grow in my musicianship and grow my network, which is always a blessing,' says Malek, who was also nominated in 2022 as a vocalist on 'Crisálida' by
In Lacossade's case, the slew of nominations from the past two years have nudged him closer to his personal goals, which include fully producing a Grammy-nominated album, or receiving a nomination for one of his solo rap albums.
'Last year, I gave my all to being the best producer/songwriter I could be,' he says. 'But now coming into this year, I'm trying to be the highest level artist that I could be.'
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Victoria Wasylak can be reached at [e-mail]. Follow her on X @VickiWasylak.