LOS ANGELES — Students and faculty from Middle Tennessee State University are again in Southern California for the music industry’s biggest weekend, celebrating former students whose work has been nominated in the 68th Grammy Awards, which will be presented Sunday, Feb. 1.

President Sidney A. McPhee, Provost Mark Byrnes and Beverly Keel, dean of the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, will join six students, led by faculty, as they visit recording industry firms and go behind the scenes at studios before attending Sunday’s Grammy ceremonies. The university has held events at the Grammys since 2014.

The six media and entertainment students selected to represent the college on this year’s trip arrived in California on Wednesday, Jan. 28, and include:

• Colman Connolly, a senior majoring in audio production and data science
• Gabriela Diaz, a senior majoring in audio production
• Emily Eastap, a senior majoring in music business
• Chandler Furr, a graduate student majoring in recording arts and technologies
• Jenene Grover, a senior majoring in journalism
• Anna Shinholster, a senior majoring in commercial songwriting

In addition to visits to music locales in Los Angeles, students will go behind the scenes at the Crypto.com Arena to see how Sunday’s telecast will be staged — and will attend the ceremony. On Friday, Jan. 30, they will volunteer at the Person of the Year event by MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s charitable entity, honoring multi-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Mariah Carey.

“Bringing students to Los Angeles to participate in Grammy Week, including attending the Grammy Awards, has become a nationally known signature event of MTSU,” Keel said. “Our mission is to bring our students to where the action is, so that they can learn from industry leaders, meet successful alumni and begin making their own career connections.”

Lecrae earns 2 nominations; other alums work on nominated projects

Six MTSU-trained professionals contributed to Grammy-nominated projects up for 2026 honors, including former student Lecrae Devaughn Moore, known professionally as Lecrae, who is nominated for Best Contemporary Music Performance/Song and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

While not listed on the nomination, several other MTSU alums worked on Grammy-nominated projects, including:

• Audio production engineers Jimmy Hall (Class of 2000) and Jason Mansfield (Class of 2014) worked on Molly Tuttle’s “So Long Little Miss Sunshine,” which is nominated for Best Americana Album. Hall is also a credited engineer on country artist Lainey Wilson’s “Whirlwind (Deluxe)” album, which includes “Somewhere Over Laredo,” which is up for Best Country Song.

• Brandon Bell (Class of 2004) is credited as an engineer on Billy Strings’ “Highway Prayers” album, which is nominated for Best Bluegrass Album.
• Tony Castle (Class of 1995) recorded and mixed Willie Nelson’s Grammy-nominated release, “Oh, What a Beautiful World,” which is nominated for Best Traditional Country Album.
• Former student Shannon Finnegan worked as project coordinator on two of Willie Nelson’s Grammy-nominated projects this year: “Last Leaf on the Tree,” nominated for Best Americana Album, and “Oh, What a Beautiful World,” nominated for Best Traditional Country Album.

MTSU will hold its annual pre-Grammy gathering for nominees and Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment college alumni at the Godfrey Hotel in Hollywood on Saturday, Jan. 31. The MTSU Alumni Association will host an event at the Santa Monica Brew Works for alums from all of its academic colleges on Friday, Jan. 30.

MTSU alums, former or current students, and faculty from across the university have been a part of almost 180 Grammy Award nominations in the last two decades. 

The number of MTSU-connected Grammy winners since 2001 currently stands at more than 20 people, with nearly 50 Grammys, including several repeat recipients, in categories from classical to pop to rock to country to gospel and rap.

Watch the Grammy ceremony on CBS at 7 p.m. Central and streamed on Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 1.

— Andrew Oppmann (Andrew.Oppmann@mtsu.edu)