Could Brandi Carlile Become the First Woman in 5 Years to Receive a Grammy Nod for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical?

Only 9 women person received Grammy nominations for producer of nan year, non-classical successful nan 49 years nan Recording Academy has presented that award. Despite that tepid way record, you mightiness want to stake connected Brandi Carlile to beryllium successful nan moving erstwhile nan nominations successful that class are announced later this year. It will beryllium nan category’s 50th year.

Carlile produced Brandy Clark’s eponymous album, which was released May 19, and reteamed pinch Shooter Jennings to co-produce Tanya Tucker’s Sweet Western Sound, which is owed June 2. That medium is Tucker’s long-awaited follow-up to While I’m Livin’. Carlile and Jennings won Grammys arsenic producers of While I’m Livin’, which was voted champion state album.

No female has been nominated for shaper of nan year, non-classical since Linda Perry 5 years ago. And nary female has ever won successful nan category, either connected her ain aliases arsenic portion of a collaboration.

The women who person been nominated for shaper of nan year, non-classical are Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (of Prince & nan Revolution, 1984); Janet Jackson (alongside Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, 1989); Mariah Carey (alongside Walter Afanasieff, 1991); Paula Cole (1997); Sheryl Crow (1998); Lauryn Hill (1998); Lauren Christy (of The Matrix, 2003); and Perry (2018).

It’s a very different communicative successful nan shaper of nan year, classical category. Three women person won successful that category, which was introduced 5 years after shaper of nan year, non-classical. And 1 of those women, Judith Sherman, has won 7 times, which puts her successful a necktie pinch David Frost, Steven Epstein and Robert Woods for nan astir wins by anyone successful nan category’s history. Joanna Nickrenz has won doubly (once alongside Marc Aubort). Elaine Martone has won once.

Carlile has go a Grammy darling successful caller years. She has won 9 Grammys, including 3 astatine nan 65th Annual Grammy Awards successful March. She produced her eponymous 2005 debut album, and co-produced her 4th medium successful 2012, but nan remainder of her workplace albums person been produced by others.

Carlile moved into accumulation for different artists pinch The Secret Sisters’ You Don’t Own Me Anymore (2017) and Saturn Return (2020). She co-produced some albums pinch Tim and Phil Hanseroth, pinch whom she besides co-produced nan 2017 Various Artists medium Cover Stories. Carlile teamed pinch Dave Cobb to nutrient Lucius’ 2022 medium Second Nature.

In an question and reply pinch Billboard’s Jessica Nicholson, Clark praised Carlile’s skills arsenic a producer. “She pushed maine a lot,” Clark said. “I’ve ne'er been arsenic challenged by a shaper arsenic I was by her.”

Clark noted Carlisle’s attack to narrowing down nan songs that yet dress up nan album: “I gave her for illustration 18-24 songs and asked her to prime astir a dozen. I liked them all, but I was amazed by immoderate of her choices. She told me, ‘I chose nan songs that I thought sounded for illustration you wrote them successful your bedroom, and not successful nan penning room.’”

That’s nan benignant of sound proposal that shows what a bully shaper tin do.