Grammy Nominees: Andrew Watt, Gabriela Ortiz, Ayra Starr, Amy Allen

Besides yourself, of course, who will you be openly rooting for on Grammy night.

The Cure. No one cooler than Robert Smith. And Cirkut, because it’s about damn time the legend was recognized!

What’s your absolute favorite moment on Yanga?

One of the aspects I loved most about creating Yanga was collaborating with the poet and writer Santiago Martín Bermúdez, who wrote a beautiful text about the life of Yanga. Yanga was an African prince who arrived in Mexico in the 16th century as an enslaved man, escaped Spanish rule and went on to establish the first free town in the entire Americas. His life is incredibly interesting, and I wanted to tell his story.

In writing this piece, I included a chorus as well as a percussion quartet playing instruments mostly of African origin—these are instruments that made their way to the Americas and became part of Latin American folklore. To speak of Yanga is to speak of the three most important roots of America: European heritage, the heritage of the Indigenous peoples already in Mexico and, of course, African heritage. The most powerful message of Yanga is precisely about freedom and its vital importance to human life.

Besides yourself, of course, who will you be openly rooting for on Grammy night?

Leon Thomas. I grew up watching him on Victorious and Nickelodeon! He’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist, a generational talent. He’s a truly gifted musician—he plays five or more instruments—and he really deserves the recognition. Plus I love his album so much! I really hope he wins.

Grammys aside, name an award or honor you’ve won that means the most to you.
My seven-year-old nephew Riley loves music and equally loves telling his classmates all the songs I’ve co-written with/for different artists. A few months ago I went home to see him in a performance of Mary Poppins (he was very proudly playing a chimney sweep and a cop), but unbeknownst to me, he had organized a meet-and-greet for me with all of his friends. He had them sign up on a sheet and everything. It was hilarious, and I’m sure none of them knew why or what they were signing up for, but it felt like a very big, wholesome win for me.