Full Sail Stories

The 2025 Grammy Awards are fast approaching, and Full Sail grads contributed to many of the year’s notable nominated projects. From engineering and mixing to performing and producing, Full Sail alumni made their mark on award-worthy releases in a variety of roles. Altogether, 60 grads were credited on 76 nominated projects in 50 categories, with six grads nominated for their own Grammys in 11 categories. Full Sail educator Darren Schneider was also credited on nominated projects by singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album is up for awards like Album of the Year, and her single “Texas Hold ‘Em” was nominated for Record of the Year. Full Sail grads Stuart White and Colin Leonard were both nominated for individual Grammys for their engineering work on the hit album and song. Colin was also nominated for his contribution to Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical nominee Algorithm by Lucky Daye.

Charli XCX’s Brat album and its singles made major waves last summer, and Full Sail grad Idania Valencia (who was nominated by name in the Album of the Year category for Brat and in the Record of the Year category for “360”) worked on the releases as a Mastering Engineer.

Grads were also nominated for their own Grammy statuettes on several other projects. Alum Ken Oriole was an Engineer on Album of the Year nominee New Blue Sun by André 3000. “Holy Hand” by DOE was nominated for Best Gospel Performance/Song, and their album Heart of a Human was nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Full Sail grad Dominique Jones received nominations for her work as a performer and composer on both projects. In addition, grad Colin Patrick Harper (aka Collie Buddz) was nominated in the Best Reggae Album category for his album, Take It Easy.

Darren Schneider, a course director in Full Sail’s recording arts curriculum, has frequently collaborated with Grammy-winning singer Aoife O’Donovan. This year, he was a producer on her album All My Friends, which was nominated for Best Folk Album, and the single “All My Friends,” which was nominated in the Best American Roots Song category.

Additional Full Sail grads appeared in the credits of nominated projects like Usher’s Coming Home, Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves, Saviors by Green Day, the Deadpool & Wolverine and Twisters soundtracks, and many more.