Four members of the New York University community were honored by the Recording Academy at the 2017 Grammy Awards, held last night in Los Angeles. Grammy Awards are selected annually to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in the recording industry.

Image of Grammy award

Jazz guitarist John Scofield, instructor in NYU Steinhardt’s Jazz Studies program, won two Grammy Awards for Best Instrumental Jazz Album for Country For Old Men and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” off of the same album. Scofield won his first Grammy last year, also the award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album for his album Past Present.

Scofield is known for his distinctive guitar sound and stylistic diversity, and has collaborated and played with musical greats Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Charles Mingus, Pat Metheny, Mavis Staples, and Phil Lesh. He has been part of the jazz studies faculty at NYU Steinhardt since 2005.

Kevin Killen, adjunct professor at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the Tisch School of the Arts, won in the category of Best Engineered Album for his work on David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar.  Killen previously won a Grammy Award in 2005 for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album for Fijación Oral Vol. 1, which he recorded with the artist Shakira.

Gallatin School of Individualized Study alumnus Alex Pall (BA '08) of the DJ duo The Chainsmokers took home the Grammy for Best Dance Recording for "Don’t Let Me Down," which was co-written by Clive Davis Institute alumna Emily Warren (BFA ‘15). The Chainsmokers also received nominations for Best New Group as well as for Best Duo/Group Pop Performance for the song "Closer," which featured the artist Halsey.

Tisch alumna Melina Matsoukas (BFA ‘03) won her second Grammy for Best Music Video as video director of Beyoncé’s “Formation.” Her first Grammy, in 2013 for Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” earned her the distinction of the first woman director to win the category. Matsoukas will be at NYU on March 4, 2017 to receive the Fusion Film Festival “Woman of the Year” award.  She will also teach a music video masterclass as part of the festival’s programming.

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards were held yesterday in Los Angeles’s Staples Center, hosted by The Late Late Show’s James Corden.

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