Full Sail Stories

It's 2018, and we're excited to congratulate this year's group of talented Full Sail graduates involved with winning projects at the GRAMMY awards, across a wide spectrum of positions. For the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards, presented in New York on January 28, a total of 16 Full Sail graduates were credited on 10 of the winning projects, in roles ranging from engineering and production to composition and mixing.

Projects featuring the work of Full Sail grads were honored in an array of categories. Brent Arrowood (2004 Recording Arts grad) worked as an Assistant Engineer on Best Pop Vocal Album winner Divide by Ed Sheeran. Additionally, Best Rap Album winner Damn. by Kendrick Lamar featured the engineering work of grad Blake Harden (2005 Recording Arts grad) while 2006 Recording Arts grad Dave Clauss worked as a producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist on Shakira's El Dorado, which took home the Best Latin Pop Album GRAMMY. Four grads from the Recording Arts and Entertainment Business degree programs contributed to the Best Urban Contemporary Album winner Starboy by The Weeknd.

Award season is always an exciting time for our graduates, and we congratulate them on the results of their passion and hard work on all the award-winning projects. The complete list of Full Sail alumni credited on this year's GRAMMY-winning projects are as follows:

Best Pop Vocal Album

Ed Sheeran - ÷ (DIVIDE)

• Brent Arrowood (Recording Arts, 2004) Assistant Engineer

Best Rap Album

Kendrick Lamar - Damn.

• Blake Harden (Recording Arts, 2005) Engineer

Best Dance Recording

LCD Soundsystem - Tonite

• Cameron Barton (Recording Arts, 2003) Mixing Assistant

Best Metal Performance

Mastodon - Sultan's Curse

• Thomas "Tom" Syrowski (Recording Arts, 2001) Engineer/Mixing
• Thomas "Tom" Tapley (Recording Arts, 2002) Engineer

Best Urban Contemporary Album

The Weeknd - Starboy

• Ben "Ben Billions" Diehl (Entertainment Business & Recording Arts, 2005) Producer, Engineer
• Raphael Mesquita (Recording Arts, 2012) Engineer
• David Schwerkolt (Recording Arts, 2006) Engineer
• Jeremy Lertola (Recording Arts, 2011) Assistant Engineer

Best Latin Pop Album

Shakira - El Dorado

• Dave Clauss (Recording Arts, 2006) Drum Recordings, Engineer, Guitar, Mezcla, Mixing, Mixing Engineer, Producer, Silbato, Vocal Engineer, Voices

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' - TajMo

• Zach Allen (Recording Arts, 2007) Engineer

Best Reggae Album

Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley - Stony Hill

• Tristan Boston (Entertainment Business & Recording Arts, 2007) Composer, Producer
• Marc Lee (Recording Arts & Digital Media, 99) Engineer, Mixing
• Nikolas Marzouca (Recording Arts 98) Engineer

Best Musical Theater Album

Ben Platt, principal soloist; Alex Lacamoire, Stacey Mindich, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, producers; Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast Recording) - Dear Evan Hansen

• Derik Lee (Recording Arts, 2005) Engineer

Best Instrumental Composition

Arturo O'Farrill, composer (Arturo O'Farrill & Chucho Valdés) - Three Revolutions

• Rafa Sardina (Recording Arts, 1993) Engineer, Mixing Engineer