Mormons Who Have Won Grammy Awards (+ LDS Nominees)

Only the best music artists make it to the Grammys! Check out the Mormons who have won a Grammy Award or been nominated.

Photo from mormontabernaclechoir.org

We're used to hearing them sing at general conference, but did you know the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has won a Grammy Award and was nominated for four more?

The choir, which started recording in 1910, won a Grammy Award in 1959 for Best Pop Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus for their rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Since then, the choir has been nominated for four more Grammys:

1967:    "Bless This House," Best Classical Choral Performance

2007:  Spirit of the Season, Best Classical Crossover Album

2007:    Spirit of the Season, Best Engineered Album, Classical

2009:    Noel (Josh Groban, featuring the choir), Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Over the years, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has had 12 albums hit #1 on one or more of Billboard's "Classical," "Classical Crossover," and "Christian" charts, including This Is the Christ, Glory! Music of Rejoicing, Heavensong: Music of Contemplation and Light, He Is Risen, and Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends.

Watch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in the video below:

Photo courtesy of Gladys Knight

The  legendary "Empress of Soul," who joined the Church in 1997, has won seven Grammy Awards over the span of her epic musical career. 

Knight began singing at age 4, and at just 7 years old had her first taste of fame when she won Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour TV show contest in 1952. The next year, she, her sister Brenda, her brother Merald, and cousins Eleanor and William Guest formed a musical group called the Pips—named after her cousin, James “Pip” Woods.

After some changes in band members, Gladys Knight & the Pips eventually enjoyed several hit singles, including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Friendship Train,” “I Don’t Want to Do Wrong," R&B chart-topper “Midnight Train to Georgia,” as well as “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination,” and “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” The group amicably disbanded in 1989, with the Pips retiring and Knight embarking on a successful solo career. (They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.) During her time with the Pips, Knight won three Grammy Awards:

1973: "Midnight Train to Georgia," Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus

1973: "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye), Best Pop Vocal Performance bya Duo, Group, or Chorus

1988: "Love Overboard," Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal

As a solo artist, Knight won three more Grammy Awards:

1986: "That's What Friends Are For," Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal

2001: At Last, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album

2004: "Heaven Help Us All," Best Gospel Performance

When Knight joined the Church in 1997, her desire to add “a little something” to Church music eventually inspired her to create an all-volunteer, multicultural LDS choir that would bring a new level of energy and cultural awareness to traditional hymns. The choir, called the Saints Unified Voices, is comprised of more than 100 people and has a two-fold purpose. First, they aim to spread the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ by providing an opportunity for people who wouldn’t otherwise enter an LDS meetinghouse to feel the Spirit. Second, they desire to help members of the Church embrace the cultural diversity of people worldwide coming into the Lord’s kingdom.

► You'll also like:See Gladys Knight's One-of-a-Kind CTR Ring (+6 Other Things You Never Knew About Her)

“Never in a million years did I ever dream that I would be the director of a choir like this—one that showcases the energy, the fire, and the heart of the music of our culture,” she told LDS Living.

Gladys Knight & the Saints Unified Voices won a Grammy Award in 2005 for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album for their album One Voice.

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Though choirs abound worldwide, only one is directed by the renowned singer and entertainer Gladys Knight--The Saints Unified Voices. With the sole purpose of spreading the light, joy, and inner peace that can only come through Jesus Christ, Gladys Knight directs the choir (affectionately known as the 'SUV' choir) with vigor, leading the audience on an extraordinary adventure of music and testimony reflective of the choir's cultural diversity.

Begun in 2002 and based in Las Vegas, Saints Unified Voices travels the country to share its message and music with enthusiastic audiences.

3. Dan Reynolds and Wayne Sermon of Imagine Dragons

Photo by Jeff Gale from vegasmagazine.com. Lead vocalist Dan Reynolds (second from left) and lead guitarist Wayne Sermon (second from right).

The Las Vegas rock band Imagine Dragons gained exposure following the release of their first single, "It's Time," and their debut studio album, Night Visions (2012), reached #1 on the "Alternative Albums" Billboard chart. The band's second studio album, Smoke + Mirrors, also topped the chart. Billboard named them the Breakthrough Band of 2013, and Rolling Stone named their single "Radioactive" the biggest rock hit of the year. 

Imagine Dragons has won two American Music Awards for Favorite Alternative Artist, and the band has been nominated for a total of six Grammy Awards, with "Radioactive" winning for Best Rock Performance in 2013. They received two nominations for the 2018 Grammy Awards for Evolve, Best Pop Vocal Album, and "Thunder," Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Reynolds has become an advocate for LGBTQ youth. In 2017, he organized the first-ever LoveLoud music festival, which brought together more than 17,000 people from LGBTQ and faith communities to show love and support for LGBTQ youth.

► You'll also like: Dan Reynolds, Tyler Glenn Sing Primary Song for 17,000+ at LoveLoud Festival: "Tonight Represents an Answer of Prayers"

LoveLoud 2017, photo by Jamie Armstrong

The Church said of the festival:

“We applaud the LoveLoud Festival for LGBTQ Youth’s aim to bring people together to address teen safety and to express respect and love for all of God’s children. We join our voice with all who come together to foster a community of inclusion in which no one is mistreated because of who they are or what they believe.

“We share common beliefs, among them the pricelessness of our youth and the value of families. We earnestly hope this festival and other related efforts can build respectful communication, better understanding, and civility as we all learn from each other.”

Photo from diamondriomusic.com

Founded in 1982, Diamond Rio is a legendary country music band that has stood the test of time. Dan Truman, the band's keyboardist, is a faithful Latter-day Saint.

Though Truman is the only Mormon in Diamond Rio, he shares the same values with his bandmates, which has helped him stay worthy and live Church standards.

“I’ve been blessed to play with this band for 20 years,” he told LDS Living. “Every one of the guys in Diamond Rio is a really good family guy. The biggest plus for me is that they all have lifestyles similar to mine.”

He continued, “It gets complicated out there because once you start having hit songs and you’re on the radio and on television, everyone treats you differently—all the rules go away. So, we literally have a rule in the band: no women on the tour bus unless they are your mother, your sister, your daughter, or your wife.”

Diamond Rio received the Academy of Country Music's award for Top Vocal Group in 1991 and 1992. In 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997, they also received the Country Music Association's award for Vocal Group of the Year (an award for which they received 15 total nominations—more than any other country music group). In addition, they have received 14 Grammy Award nominations and won a Grammy Award in 2011 for Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album for The Reason.

Photo from BYU News

More than 25 years after his death, BYU graduate and sound-recording pioneer Dr. Harvey Fletcher was recognized for his historic contributions to the recording world at the 2016 Grammy Awards. Fletcher was awarded a posthumous Technical Grammy Award for producing more than 100 of the world's first stereophonic recordings with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

According to BYU News, "Fletcher was the first to successfully record stereo sound, perform a public demonstration of stereophonic sound, and transmit stereo sound live. He also produced the world’s first vinyl recording, at 60 dB dynamic range and 10 kHz bandwidth. All of these scientific breakthroughs were accomplished within two years, between 1932 and 1933."

Fletcher also invented the first functional hearing aid, artificial larynx, and 2-A audiometer—a device still used today to diagnose and assess hearing loss.

1. Brandon Flowers of The Killers

Photo from thekillersmusic.com

Since they were formed in 2001, the Killers have achieved critical acclaim. But despite five Grammy Award nominations, the band is yet to take home a win.

Their 2004 debut album, Hot Fuss, reached #7 on the "Billboard 200" chart and produced several successful singles, including "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me," both of which hit #3 on the "Alternative Songs" chart. The Hot Fuss album and its first three singles went on to receive five Grammy Award nominations. The band's three subsequent albums have all debuted within the top 10 of the "Billboard 200" chart, with Sawdust, Day & Age, and Battleborn topping the "Alternative Albums" chart.

► You'll also like: How to Conquer Your Favorite Sins for Good (written by Robert Reynolds, Church member and band manager of the Killers)

Frontman and Latter-day Saint Brandon Flowers also enjoys a successful solo career. Watch him talk about his faith in the I'm a Mormon video below:

Photo from billboard.com

Most people are surprised to learn that one of today's most successful and sought-after DJs is a Mormon. Ryan Raddon, a.k.a. Kaskade, is probably the hottest music phenom you've never heard of. In 2011, the New York Times declared him the "new face of electronic dance music." This faithful Church member and father of three married his wife, Naomi, after serving his mission in Japan. Kaskade fills stadiums all over the world and commands a salary of more than $200,000 per night. (Yes, you read that right.)

In 2017, he told the Deseret News, "I've been very vocal about who I am from the beginning. I'm a devout Mormon and that plays into my music and into my shows and everything I do. And I've never been scared to discuss those things with people, so I think that makes me a bit different from most celebrities on the landscape out there and certainly most DJs. But only in the small trivial ways. In saying that, I've still made many friends in the industry who are great, upstanding people regardless of difference of opinion on certain subjects."

Kaskade has been nominated for six Grammy Awards since 2013.

Photo from osmond.com

As her older brothers were skyrocketing to fame, Marie Osmond made her national debut on The Andy Williams Show at age 3.

Osmond broke barriers as she built a successful solo career. At just 12 years old, she became the youngest female artist to have her debut album hit #1 on the charts and receive a Grammy nomination. In 1973, Osmond received Grammy nominations for Best New Artist of the Year and for "Paper Roses," Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. She continued to have several Billboard hits throughout the '70s and '80s and was again nominated for a Grammy Award in 1985 for "Meet Me in Montana," Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Watch Marie Osmond sing "Paper Roses" in this clip from 1973.

Photo from disney.wikia.com

Songwriter and Latter-day Saint Leigh Harline is best known for his work at Walt Disney Studios. He famously co-wrote the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" for Disney's animated film Pinocchio (1940).

Harline won two Academy Awards for the song: Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song. It was the first Disney song to win an Oscar. After being hired by Walt Disney, Harline scored more than 50 songs and worked on favorites such as “Whistle While You Work,” “Heigh Ho,” and “Someday My Prince Will Come.” In 1977, Harline was posthumously nominated for a Grammy Award for for Best Recording for Children, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

Photo courtesy of SHeDaisy

SHeDaisy, comprised of three Mormon sisters—Kristyn, Kelsi, and Kassidy Osborn, who moved from Utah to Nashville to pursue their dreams of stardom—took the country music scene by storm in the 1990s. They've had five albums crack the top 10 on the "Top Country Albums" chart and 15 singles reach the "Hot Country Songs" chart. Their hits include "Little Good-Byes," "This Woman Needs," "I Will… But," and "Don't Worry 'bout a Thing."

Their debut album, The Whole SHeBANG, became a double-platinum album. The band has toured with artists like Alabama, Dolly Parton, and Brad Paisley and has also performed for three U.S. presidents. They have won or been nominated for several awards, winning the CMT Video Rising Star Award and the Billboard Music Video Award for Best New Artist Clip (for "Little Good-Byes") in 1999. That year, they also earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Little Good-Byes," Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. They were also nominated for Best Country Duo or Group at the American Music Awards in 2004.

“We’ve met some people who have joined the Church through our music,” Kelsi (Osborn) Simpson told LDS Living. “That is the greatest reward for what we do. It’s a form of missionary work—it always has been for me.”

Photo courtesy of Shadow Mountain Music

The daughter of President Dallin H. Oaks, Jenny Oaks Baker is one of the world's most successful violinists. She's released albums covering everything from Disney tunes to rock classics, and many of them have ended up on Billboard charts, including her 2010 album Then Sings My Soul, her 2012 album Noël: Carols of Christmas Past, and her 2014 album Classic: The Rock Album.

Her 10th album, Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney, was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album for the 54th Grammy Awards. The album is a compilation of Disney classics such as “God Help the Outcasts,” "Colors of the Wind," "A Whole New World," and “Beauty and the Beast,” arranged by Emmy-winning composer Kurt Bestor.

"When I perform music that is uplifting and edifying, I feel the Spirit very powerfully," Baker told LDS Living.  "I hope that people who hear my music can feel this Spirit and it brings them peace, comfort and joy. I hope my music can touch hearts and help people feel the love of The Lord. My favorite thing to hear from the audience as a performer is not the applause—it is the tears."

Watch Jenny Oaks Baker perform "A Whole New World" in the video below:

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Acclaimed classical violinist Jenny Oaks Baker joins Emmy Award–winning composer Kurt Bestor to create a memorable and entertaining album adapted from classic Disney favorites. Wish Upon a Starwill prove to be a favorite among generations who grew up with these Disney classics and children who are now discovering them for the first time. No family's music collection is complete without this album.

Photo from panicatthedisco.wikia.com

Returned missionary Dallon Weekes, who served a mission in Oklahoma, performed in the alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco as a bassist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and songwriter from 2009 to 2017.

Their 2005 debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, reached #13 on the "Billboard 200" chart and has sold more than 2.2 million copies. The band's four subsequent albums all skyrocketed on the "Alternative Albums" chart. Their second album, Pretty. Odd., was released in 2008 and reached #1. Their third album, Vices & Virtues, hit #2, and their fourth album, 2013's Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, reached #1. In 2008, they received a nomination for Pretty. Odd., Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. In 2016, the band received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album for their album Death of a Bachelor.

On December 27, 2017, Weekes announced on social media that he would be leaving the band. “I’m grateful for the chance I’ve had to be part of Panic! at the Disco for nearly a decade,” he wrote. “I will always consider myself indebted to those who made me feel welcome to be a part of P!ATD. You changed my life.”

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Photo from staradvertiser.com

Natalie Ai Kamauu grew up on the island of Oahu as part of a family that performed traditional Hawaiian music and dance. “We were a hula family,” she told midweek.com.

When she was a little girl, Kamauu was trained as a hula dancer. But when she was 15 years old, the family needed musicians for their performances, so her father asked her to sing and play the ukulele.

“I wouldn’t say that music came naturally, even though we were singing all the time at church,” she said.  “It took about three years before I realized I wasn’t going to be dancing in the shows anymore, and it was then that I realized that this is what I should be doing. Without being given a ukulele, I wouldn’t have started to sing, and so I credit my daddy for putting the ukulele in my hand and my mommy for requiring it because we had a show.”

Today, Kamauu carries on the family tradition by performing with her son and daughter and her husband, Iolani, who acts as executive producer for her albums and also performs guitar and vocals. She released her first album in 2005 and has released five more since then. In 2015, Kamauu’s album LaLaLaLa was nominated for a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album.

lead image by D. Mileson, from Wikimedia Commons