IU alum scores big with Taylor Swift's "Midnights" Album of the Year Grammy win

Several Indiana University Jacobs School of Music-educated Hoosiers scored nominations and took home a golden phonograph this year at the 66th annual Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 4.

Alumni of IU's renowned Jacobs School scored big at Sunday night's show, from audio engineer Laura Sisk having a hand in Taylor Swift's history-making fourth album of the year win, to bassist Edgar Meyer winning both best contemporary instrumental album and best global music performance for his album "As We Speak," with Béla Fleck and Zakir Hussain, featuring Rakesh Chaurasia.

Jacobs School alumni helped engineer Taylor Swift's AOTY-winning "Midnights"

Taylor Swift made Grammys history Sunday upon winning her fourth album of the year (AOTY) award for her 10th studio album, "Midnights." Her fourth win – following, most recently, "Folklore" in 2021 – places her as the most AOTY-winning artist in Recording Academy history, surpassing musical legends Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.

Class of 2010 graduate Laura Sisk, who's engineered for the likes of Rihanna, P!nk, Phantogram, and Swift's longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, worked with Swift on the production of "Midnights," which also took home a Grammy for best pop vocal album.

Sisk has been a longtime collaborator of Swift, having engineered for Swift's two previous AOTY winning records, "folklore" in 2020 and "1989" in 2016.

Sisk's odds of scoring an AOTY credit were good, though, having worked on three of this year's eight nominated albums. Sisk also helped to engineer Lana Del Rey's "Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" and Jon Batiste's "World Music Radio."

Sunday marks Sisk's fourth Grammy win and her ninth nomination to date, according to the Grammy website.

Decorated alum Edgar Meyer takes home the gold, again

Renowned bassist and Class of 1994 alum Edgar Meyer won two of the three categories he was nominated for Sunday, winning best contemporary instrumental album and best global music performance for his album "As We Speak," with Béla Fleck and Zakir Hussain, featuring Rakesh Chaurasia.

These accolades collectively mark Meyer's seventh Grammy win and 10th nomination to date. Meyer won his first Grammy for best classical crossover album in 2000 with "Appalachian Journey," made in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and composer Mark O'Connor.

Jacobs School alumni nominated across several categories

Beyond the night's big wins, IU alumni also scored several nominations: operatic tenor Lawrence Brownlee received a best classical solo vocal album nomination for his album "Rising," and harpist Kirsten Agresta-Copely's album "Aquamarine" was nominated for the best new age, ambient, or chant album category.

R&B guitarist Alex Goldblatt, a recent Jacobs School grad, also shared guitar and songwriting credits on on 6LACK’s “Since I Have a Lover,” which was nominated for best progressive R&B album.

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana University grad has hand in Taylor Swift's historic Grammy win