DENTON (UNT), Texas -- University of North Texas faculty and alumni are part of projects that have received nominations in 10 categories for the 60th annual Recording Academy Grammy Awards. Nominations, which include UNT alumna Maren Morris, who was nominated this year in the Best Country Solo Performance category for “I Could Use a Love Song,” were announced on Nov. 28.

Since 1964, 100 UNT College of Music alumni have worked on projects nominated for Grammy Awards, with 53 of those winning Grammys.

“The UNT College of Music has a storied history of success with the Grammy Awards, and the next chapter of that success was written Tuesday with nominations in no less than 10 categories for 2018,” said John W. Richmond, dean of the College of Music. “We could not be more thrilled, proud and humbled by the extraordinary accomplishments of our alumni and faculty. Kudos to all.”

College of Music faculty and alumni participated in the following nominated projects.

• Alumnus Brian A. Schmidt, conductor, for “Tyberg: Masses,” which is nominated in the following categories:
  • Best Choral Performance
  • Best Surround Sound Album
• Alumnus Chuck Owen, composer/arranger for “Whispers on the Wind,” featuring fellow alumni Tom Brantley, trombone; Tamara Danielsson, saxophone; Frank Greene, trumpet; Clay Jenkins, trumpet; and Keith Oshiro, trombone, is nominated in the following categories:
  • Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
  • Best Improvised Jazz Solo
  • Best Instrumental Composition
  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
• Alumni Clay Jenkins, trumpet, and Rob Wilkerson, saxophone, performers in the Alan Ferber Big Band on the album “Jigsaw,” which is nominated in the following category:
  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
• Alumni members of the Dallas Opera Orchestra Deborah Mashburn, timpani; Eric Swanson, trombone; Jeff Baker, trombone; Kenneth Krause, clarinet; Kristin Van Cleve, violin; Liesl-Ann deVilliers, viola; Mitch Maxwell, cello; Shannon Highland, bassoon; and Shawna Hamilton, cello; as well as faculty member John Holt, trumpet, who performed on “Adamo: Becoming Santa Claus.” The album is nominated in the following category:
  • Producer Of The Year, Classical
• Alumnus Edward Stephan, timpanist for the Pittsburgh Orchestra, which is featured on the album “Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio,” nominated in the following category:
  • Best Engineered Album, Classical
• Stephan, also timpanist for the San Francisco Symphony, which is featured in “Debussy: Images; Jeux & La Plus Que Lente,” nominated in the following category:
  • Best Orchestral Performance
• Alumnus Frank Greene, lead trumpet for the Christian McBride Big Band on the album “Bringin’ It,” which is nominated in the following category:
  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
• Alumni James Ford, trumpet; Conrad Herwig, trombone; Jamie Hovorka, trumpet; and Tom Luer, saxophone, performers on John Beasley’s “MONK’estra Vol. 2,” which is nominated in the following category:
  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
• Alumnus Mike Williams, trumpeter in the Count Basie Orchestra on “I Loves You Porgy/There’s a Boat That’s Leaving Soon for New York,” which is nominated in the following category:
  • Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
• Alumnus Samuel Park, violin player in the Oregon Symphony, which is featured on the album “Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 53, 64 & 96,” nominated in the following category:
  • Producer Of The Year, Classical

Grammy winners will be announced at the Jan. 28 awards ceremony in New York.