Middle Tennessee State University alumni and former students may need their own virtual seating section at the upcoming 63rd annual Grammy Awards.
The MTSU-trained professionals will be recognized in multiple genres in the ceremony, now set to air Sunday, March 14, at 7 p.m. on CBS, including one category where the university’s grads had a hand in all but one nominated project and more where they’re competing against themselves.
The Recording Academy had planned the annual ceremony for Jan. 31, but on Jan. 5, the organization announced a rescheduled date in response to what its leadership called “the deterioriating COVID situation in Los Angeles.”
The Grammys will still be held at the city’s Staples Center. Organizers continue finalizing how much of it can be in-person and how much will be virtual and/or remote because of the pandemic.
The MTSU-connected slate of nominees, for work ranging from performance to songwriting to engineering in country, contemporary Christian, gospel, folk and roots music released between September 2019 and Aug. 31, 2020, includes:
• 2000 Department of Recording Industry alumnus Jason A. Hall and 2014 audio production grad Jimmy Mansfield, who are looking at their third consecutive year of Grammy nominations together. This time it’s for their teamwork on three of the five best country album candidates.
• Their fellow alumnus, 2012 audio production graduate Jeff Braun, whose mixing work on the country album project by Ingrid Andress, “Lady Like,” also earned him a Grammy nomination.
• 2000 School of Music alumnus Wayne Haun, a producer/songwriter whose work on three of the five best roots gospel album nominees has him competing with himself again, just as he did at the 2018 awards ceremony.
• Former student and multi-Grammy winner Lecrae Moore, known professionally as Lecrae, who’s back in the golden circle for two new efforts. This time it’s for best contemporary Christian music performance, “Sunday Morning,” with gospel icon Kirk Franklin, and a best gospel performance/song co-writing nod for “Come Together” for Rodney Jerkins Presents: The Good News.
• 2009 music business alumna Laura Rogers and her sibling, Lydia Slagle, who perform as The Secret Sisters and are nominated for two new Grammys: best folk album for “Saturn Return,” their fourth release, and for writing a best American roots song on it, “Cabin.”
• Former student Hillary Scott and her bandmates in Lady A, multi-Grammy winners who are nominated for best country duo/group performance for their song “Ocean.”
More details about the upcoming Grammy Awards ceremony are available at Grammy.com. Links to videos for many of the nominated projects are included at mtsunews.com/mtsu-grammys-preview-2021.
Photo: MTSU music business alumna Laura Rogers, left, and Lydia Slagle, who perform as The Secret Sisters, are nominated in two categories at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, set to air Sunday, March 14, on CBS. (photo courtesy of the Secret Sisters/Alysse Gafkjen)
