It’s finally here! The best week of the year has officially begun, and we’re bringing you the latest coverage from the Seventh Annual Hall of Fame all week long to ensure you don’t miss out on a single moment of the action, including dozens of panels, workshops, and special events for both campus and online students. It’s all leading up to the Seventh Annual Hall of Fame Induction Viewing Party, where we’ll welcome six new grads into the Hall of Fame. Join the conversation on social media using the hash tag #FullSailHOF—and check back in right here for updates, news, and recaps. In the meantime, here are a few highlights from the first two days:
On Monday night, the whole shebang kicked off with a live viewing party to celebrate the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Students, faculty, and staff donned their sharpest looks as they walked the red carpet and were treated to prizes and giveaways. And of course, plenty of Hall of Famers were on hand to talk with students in between categories.
“It was an amazing experience getting to celebrate one of the biggest nights in music with students and some of my fellow inductees,” said brand new Hall of Fame inductee Frank Scheuring. “If this is any indication of what we’re in for this week, it’s going to be crazy fun.”
You can check out a full list of of grads who worked on nominated projects here. Congrats to all the nominees, and special congratulations to the following grads, who were associated with winning projects:
Album of the Year
Taylor Swift- “1989”
- Brendan Morawski (Recording Arts, 2010) Assistant Engineer
Best Pop Vocal Album
Taylor Swift- “1989”
- Brendan Morawski (Recording Arts, 2010) Assistant Engineer
Best Dance Recording
Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber- “Where Are ü Now”
- Joshua Gudwin (Recording Arts, 2006) Vocal Engineer
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Skrillex and Diplo – “Jack ü”
- Joshua Gudwin (Recording Arts, 2006) Vocal Engineer
Best Urban Contemporary Album
The Weeknd- “Beauty Behind The Madness”
- Ben Diehl (Entertainment Business; Recording Arts, 2005) Producer, Composer
- Jeremy Lertola (Recording Arts, 2011) Assistant Engineer
Best Rap Performance
Kendrick Lamar- “Alright”
- Andrew Coleman (Recording Arts, 1995) Engineer
Best Rap Song
Kendrick Lamar- “Alright”
- Andrew Coleman (Recording Arts, 1995) Engineer
Best Rap Album
Kendrick Lamar- “To Pimp A Butterfly”
- Andrew Coleman (Recording Arts, 1995) Engineer
- Hart Gunther (Recording Arts, 2000) Engineer
Best New Age Album
Paul Avgerinos- “Grace”
- Michael Fossenkemper (Recording Arts, 1989) Engineer
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Tobymac- “This Is Not a Test”
- Jerricho Scroggins (Recording Arts, 2011) Assistant Engineer
Best Blues Album
Buddy Guy- “Born To Play Guitar”
- Seth Morton (Recording Arts, 2005) Assistant Engineer
Tuesday’s Career & Technology Expo featured representatives from IBM Design,Royal Caribbean, Reel FX, AV Media, Hangout Music Festival,EdgeFactory, Universal Studios, Purple Rock Scissors, the Orlando Magic, and more. Hundreds of students were on hand to network and connect with industry leaders and vendors. Recent Music Production grad Ryland Underwood made the drive all the way from Charleston, South Carolina to attend the event.
“I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to network, whether that means actually securing a job or meeting people who can help me secure a job.” he said. “You can feel the competition in the air, which I like. It’s a great motivator.”
After the Expo, attendees were treated to the high voltage musical stylings of AC/DC tribute band ThunderJack. Presented on the stage in front of the Full Live Venue, it was the first of many performances scheduled throughout the week, and a killer way to kick off the festivities.
For more information, head on over to the official Hall of Fame website for the full schedule of events.