Los Angeles Alumni Brunch Honors 2024 Grammy Nominees

On Saturday, Feb. 3, the Belmont community gathered in Los Angeles for a brunch to celebrate the future of the University and recognize its Grammy-nominated alumni along with all who contribute to the global creative culture.

The University honored the 2024 alumni Grammy nominees through a partnership with Gibson Gives, the charitable arm of the iconic guitar brand Gibson, where the foundation gifted 6 guitars to deserving students within the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business and College of Music and Performing Arts. Students from various music and entertainment programs shared congratulations messages through a video played at the brunch.

“It felt only fitting that, along with celebrating 50 years of music business, we would start what we plan will become an annual gathering of our LA alumni community and celebration of our Grammy nominees,” said Dean of the Curb College, Brittany Schaffer.

Belmont alumni Grammy nominees include:  

• Brandy Clark, nominated for six awards including Best Musical Theater Album (“Shucked”), Best Country Solo Performance (“Buried”), Best Country Song (“Buried”), Best Americana Performance (“Dear Insecurity”), Best American Roots Song (“Dear Insecurity”) and Best Americana Album (“Brandy Clark”)  
• Ashley Gorley & John Byron: Best Country Song (“Last Night”) 
• Brothers Osborne*: Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Nobody’s Nobody”), Best Country Album (Brothers Osborne) | *John Osborne is the alumnus.
• Alysa Vanderheym: Best Country Album, (co-writer and producer, “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat”)
• Blessing Offor: Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (“Believe”), Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (“My Tribe”)  
• Chuck Ainlay: Best Immersive Audio Album (“Blue Clear Sky”) 

A graduate of Belmont’s songwriting program, Vanderheym co-wrote and produced every song on Kelsea Ballerini’s “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.”

“At a time where there’s been a lot of conversation in the industry about a lack of female producers and women stepping into that role, Alysa, I want you to know how meaningful that is for our students and for everyone else in the industry that you were the one doing that,” said Schaffer.

The event concluded with a Q&A moderated by Dean Brittany Schaffer and performance from one of this year’s most nominated artists, Brandy Clark (’00). With a total of 17 Grammy nominations – her first win at the 66th annual Grammy Awards – Clark has been named an “American treasure” by Variety.

The below interview from Saturday, Feb. 2 has been edited for brevity and clarity.

You have six Grammy nominations this year across multiple genres, a mix of songs, performances and albums. Is there a nomination that you're most proud of? Or that most stands out to you?

Probably two, if I can choose two… It would be both the albums: Americana album and musical theater album. It’s a big thing to make an album and both of those mean a lot to me. One took two weeks; another one took 10 years.

Shucked was a 10-year process. There were times when I didn’t think it was going to open an envelope, much less on Broadway. The fact that it made it — and that it made it with Shane, who is not only one of my favorite collaborators, but one of my best friends — was huge. Then my self-titled album that I made with Brandi Carlile, literally right up the road at Shangri-La, was a soul-bearing experience. Those two really stick out to me.

What was your journey from Belmont to today?

I got emotional watching that video because a lot of things flashed back to me.

Anyone here who is thinking about going to Belmont needs to hear this. I wanted to go to the Belmont School of Music because I saw Trisha Yearwood talk about Belmont on “Crook & Chase.” She was a music business major, but I thought I needed to be a music major. I was denied twice by the School of Music.

One of the biggest things I learned at Belmont was perseverance because you're not going to always win. I mean, I've been nominated 17 times and haven’t won.

So, I get to Belmont, and my first memory of Ashley Gorley was in a Belmont songwriting class. We had this assignment to write a song about red shoes. Everybody came in with these songs that we thought were good until Ashley played his. I remember thinking, “Wow, that's a real song.” One of the great things about Belmont is that the competition is so, so high. It's a great training ground for the music business, of perseverance, of working hard.

I graduated from Belmont and worked hard at getting a publishing deal, then worked on getting songs on hold, a demo session, cuts on albums… albums that would never come out on artists that were going to be the ‘next big thing,’ and so on.

I remember when I had my first number one, it was with Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen. Between the three of us, we had lived in Nashville for 45 years. At that point, I thought there was no chance I would ever have my own artist career. At the same time, a couple of people heard some demos of mine. We made a record, but nobody would sign it… I'm a definite losing story; all winners are. Later, it was picked up by a label called Slate Creek Records, and we put it out with just a publicist. Eventually Warner Brothers bought it… not for a lot of money, but they did buy it. I've made four records now for them.

Also in that time. Robert Filhart — who worked at ASCAP at that time — said they were going to musicalize “Hee Haw,” and that Shane and I would be perfect to write it. I had always wanted to write a musical and wrangled Shane into it… he wasn’t as into it as I was at the time, but by year eight was keeping it on the tracks when I just didn’t want to write another song about corn.

Robert Horn was writing the book for “Shucked,” and the show later opened in Dallas with mixed reviews. It didn’t get a Broadway theater and fell apart. Robert won a Tony for “Tootsie” and all of a sudden we had a lot of interest.

Do you consider yourself first a songwriter, an artist or a storyteller?

At the heart of me, I'm a storyteller. I was going to say songwriter, but if I wasn't an artist or writing songs, I'd be telling stories around some table for sure. I grew up around amazing storytellers, which is why I love stories so much.

You were gracious enough this year to invite a group of students at the Ryman for your soundcheck and to talk with them. Then they had a chance to attend the show as well, which for a number of those students is a key memory for them. Do you have any memories of your time at Belmont that you are particularly fond of?

Well, my last year at Belmont — speaking of the Ryman — I ended up getting in the Songwriters Showcase. They would pick a winner from every showcase, and they picked me. I got to be in the best of the best showcase at the Ryman.

What is your advice for young people in the room interested in pursuing a music career, whether that’s artist, songwriter or business?

Either side, you have to be a fan first. You've really got to love music. Anyone I know on the business side that I think is a superstar really loves music. Some would say, “well, it's business, you're selling something,” but I think you’ve got to love music to sell it as an artist as a songwriter or as an executive. I really believe that. I think if you have a passionate heart for music, you'll make it in this business. 

While those listed are seven named alumni nominees, dozens of other alumni contributed to these projects. Congratulations to all!