Playlist: Berklee's 2026 Grammy Nominees

Listen to songs featuring Berklee talent that earned Grammy nominations this year, from artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Laufey, Tyler, the Creator, and more.

January 9, 2026
By
Bryan Parys
Antonio Sánchez in the corner of a cobblestone wall

Antonio Sánchez ’97 is one of many Berklee alumni nominated for a 2026 Grammy.

Image courtesy of Antonio Sánchez

While a full year of music can never truly be summed up, the Grammy Awards offer a microcosm of the sounds that shaped popular culture in any given year. From Wicked and a post-"Espresso" Sabrina Carpenter to Timothée Chalamet channeling Bob Dylan—and peak moments from genres like pop, metal, jazz, Americana—it's all represented in this year's list of nominations, many of which feature Berklee writers, producers, performers, and engineers.

So with Grammy season in full swing, take a listen to a selection of this year’s nominated songs that showcase Berklee talent.

 

Track List and Credits

1. “APT.,” ROSÉ and Bruno Mars

Nomination: Song of the Year

  • Amy Allen ’15, songwriter

2. “Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

Nomination: Song of the Year

  • Amy Allen ’15, songwriter

3. “Lover Girl,” Laufey

Nomination: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

  • Laufey BM ’21, artist
  • Jannick Frampton BM ’21, assistant mix engineer

4. “UPTOWN,” Lalah Hathaway

Nomination: Best Traditional R&B Performance

  • Lalah Hathaway ’94

5. “Levitating,” Rüfüs Du Sol 

Nomination: Best Dance/Electronica Album

  • Pedro Laet BM ’21, engineer

6. "Darling, I,” Tyler, the Creator featuring Teezo Touchdown

Nomination: Best Rap Performance

  • Andrew Keller BM ’14, recording engineer 

7. “Kaleidoscopes,” Antonio Sánchez, Béla Fleck, and Edmar Castañeda

Nomination: Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

  • Antonio Sánchez ’97, drums

8. "Tears for Johannesburg,” Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell

Nomination: Best Jazz Vocal Album

  • Terri Lyne Carrigton BM ’83, drums

9. “Lumen,” Danilo Pérez and Bohuslän Big Band

Nomination: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 

  • Danilo Pérez ’88, piano, composer, producer
  • Alberto Pinton BM ’90, baritone saxophone

10. "Vanguardia Subterránea,” Miguel Zenón Quartet 

Nomination: Best Latin Jazz Album

  • Miguel Zenón BM ’98, saxophone 

11. "Manteca Suite, Movement 2,” Arturo O’Farill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra 

Nomination: Best Latin Jazz Album

  • Donald Harrison ’81, saxophone
  • Jim Seeley ’80, trumpet

12. “Spitfire,” Sierra Hull 

Nomination: Best American Roots Song

  • Sierra Hull AD ’11

13. “That’s Gonna Leave a Mark,” Molly Tuttle 

Nomination: Best Americana Album

  • Molly Tuttle AD ’14

14. “Picture Window,” Japanese Breakfast

Nomination: Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

  • Sebastian Reunert BM ’13, engineer

15. "Subterranean Homesick Blues,” Timothée Chalamet (from A Complete Unknown)

Nomination: Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

  • Nick Baxter BM ’07, producer, mixing, engineer, guitar
  • Phil Levine PD ’16, Dolby Atmos mix engineer

16. “Church,” Tasha Cobbs Leonard and John Legend

Nomination: Best Gospel Performance/Song

  • Anthony S. Brown ’19, songwriter
  • Justin Raines ’06, bass

17. “Your Way’s Better,” Forrest Frank

Nomination: Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

  • Petar Pera Krstajic BM ’18, songwriter, programmer, producer, mixing engineer
  • Roy Bourkis PD ’16, mastering engineer, mixing engineer
  • Amanda Bradshaw ’20, choir
  • Grace Pehrman BM ’22, choir

18. “Las guapas,” Alejandro Sanz

Nomination: Best Latin Pop Album

  • Lewis Pickett BM ’09, album mixer

19. "Be Okay," Cynthia Erivo

Nomination: Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

  • Will Wells BM '11, composer, engineer, vocal producer, executive producer
  • Myra Choo BM ’23, engineer

20. “Our Love Is,” Carla Patullo

Nomination: Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album

  • Carla Patullo BM ’01, MM ’13, artist 

21. “Among Circling Peaks,” from Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora—Secrets of the Spires

Nomination: Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

  • Pinar Toprak BM ’00, composer
  • Jett Galindo BM ’12, mastering engineer
  • David Federman MM ’14, music preparation, orchestrator
  • Emir Isilay BM ’02, additional music
  • Zuzana Michlerova MM ’15, orchestrator
  • Shie Rozow BM ’97, music editor, score producer
  • Ece Muniroglu BM ’16, scoring assistant
  • Alvin Wee BM ’13, recording engineer
  • Myra Choo BM ’23, assistant engineer
  • Sam Woo Seok Choi BM ’23, assistant engineer

22. “Super Mario Praise Break,” The 8-Bit Big Band

Nomination: Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

  • Charlie Rosen ’12, arranger

23. “Night Terror,” Dream Theater

Nomination: Best Metal Performance

  • John Petrucci ’86, guitar
  • John Myung ’86, bass
  • Mike Portnoy ’86, drums

24. “Popular,” Ariana Grande (from Wicked)

Nomination: Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

  • Stephen Oremus BM ’92, producer, arranger, conductor
  • Ian Kagey BM ’07, choir recording engineer
  • Omisha Chaitanya BM ’22, assistant engineer

25. “That Was Then, This Is Now,” Jennifer Simard (from Death Becomes Her)

Nomination: Best Musical Theater Album

  • Jennifer Simard BFA ’92 (Boston Conservatory), ​​principal vocalist
  • Ian Kagey BM ’07, engineer
  • Oscar Zambrano BM ’03, mastering engineer
  • Cameron Moncur PD ’14, associate conductor, keyboardist
  • Nick Auer BM ’14, GPD ’16 (Boston Conservatory), French horn
  • Sir Brock Warren BFA ’08 (Boston Conservatory), ensemble
  • Bud Weber BFA ’09 (Boston Conservatory), ensemble