Brandon Bell (recording engineer)

Brandon Bell is a Grammy Award winning record engineer, mix engineer and producer based in Nashville.[1] His credits include Alan Jackson, Sarah Jarosz, Joni Mitchell, Steep Canyon Rangers, Zac Brown Band, The Highwomen, Foo Fighters, Tanya Tucker, Parker McCollum, Brandi Carlile, Earl Scruggs, Reba McEntire, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Allison Russell, and Blackberry Smoke.[2]

Brandon Bell
Background information
OriginHeber Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
GenresBluegrass, Country, Americana, Rock, and Folk
Occupation(s)Engineer, Mix Engineer, Producer
Years active2005 - present
Websitemixerbell.com

Bell graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2004. In 2014, he was hired as the studio director and chief engineer at Southern Ground Nashville, owned by recording artist, Zac Brown from the Zac Brown Band.

He has been featured as a special guest on music industry podcasts: Recording Studio Rock Stars[3] and Surviving The Music Industry with Brandon Harrington.[4]

Bell is a member of The Recording Academy and sits on the committee of the Audio Engineering Society.[5]

Education

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Bell graduated from high school at Heber Springs High School in Heber Springs, Arkansas; he earned a Bachelor of Science Recording Industry degree at Middle Tennessee State University.[6] MTSU honored Bell in 2023 for his achievements in the recording industry.

Selected discography

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Year Album Artist Credit[2]
2006 Like Red on a Rose Alan Jackson Engineer
2008 The Ultimate Collection: Live at the Ryman Earl Scruggs Engineer
2010 Up On The Ridge Dierks Bentley Engineer, mixing assistant
2011 Daybreak Sierra Hull Engineer, mixing, editing
2011 Follow Me Down Sarah Jarosz Engineer
2012 Home Dierks Bentley Assistant, engineer
2012 Nobody Knows You Steep Canyon Rangers Engineer, mixing
2014 Sonic Highways Foo Fighters Studio Assistant
2017 Welcome Home Zac Brown / Zac Brown Band Engineer, mixing
2019 Ridin' High....Again Jack Ingram Engineer, mixing
2019 The Highwomen The Highwomen Engineer
2020 Hollywood Gold Parker McCollum Engineer
2020 Now I Don't Know Adam Chaffins Engineer, producer[7]
2021 The Marfa Tapes Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall Engineer
2023 In These Silent Days Brandi Carlile Engineer

Awards

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Bell has received two nominations for Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical with Gary Paczosa. The first in 2006 for Alan Jackson's Like Red on a Rose (which is also Gold Certified by RIAA)[8][1] and the second in 2011 for Sarah Jarosz's Follow Me Down.[1][9]

He won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2013 for his work on Steep Canyon Rangers’ album Nobody Knows You.[1][10]

He engineered Brandi Carlile's lead single Right on Time, from the Album In These Silent Days. The single received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance in 2022.

Bell was nominated for Audio Engineer of The Year for the 2022 ACM Awards. He also engineered The Marfa Tapes which was nominated for Best Country Album[11] at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

In 2023, Bell won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for his work as an engineer on Brandi Carlile's album In These Silent Days. The album also received the Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Carlile's single "Broken Horses" won Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. "You and Me on the Rock" was nominated for Record of the Year, Best Americana Performance, and Best American Roots Song.

In 2024, Bell won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for his work on Joni Mitchell's album At Newport. Allison Rusell's album The Returner and Brandy Clark's album Brandy Clark were each nominated for Best Americana Album. He contributed additional engineering to Billy Strings' album Me/And/Dad, which was nominated for Best Bluegrass Album.

Year Award Recipient/Artist/Work Award Result
2024 Grammy Awards Joni Mitchell - At Newport Best Folk Album Won
2024 Grammy Awards Allison Russell - The Returner Best Americana Album Nomination
2024 Grammy Awards Brandy Clark - Brandy Clark Best Americana Album Nomination
2023 Grammy Awards Janis Ian - The Light At The End Of The Line Best Folk Album Nomination
2023 Grammy Awards Brandi Carlile - “You And Me On The Rock” Record of the Year Nomination
2023 Grammy Awards Brandi Carlile “In These Silent Days” Album of the Year Nomination
2023 Grammy Awards Brandi Carlile - In These Silent Days Best Americana Album Won[10]
2022 Grammy Awards Miranda Lambert - Marfa Tapes Best Country Album Nomination
2022 Grammy Awards Brandi Carlile - "Right On Time" Record of the Year Nomination
2021 ACM Awards Brandon Bell Audio Engineer of The Year Nomination[11]
2019 Grammy Awards the Wood Brothers - One Drop of Truth Best Americana Album Nomination
2019 Grammy Awards Mike Barnett - Portraits In Fiddles Best Bluegrass Album Nomination
2014 Grammy Awards Sarah Jarosz - Build Me Up From Bones Best Folk Album Nomination
2013 Grammy Awards Steep Canyon Rangers - Nobody Knows You Best Bluegrass Album Won[10]
2012 Grammy Awards Steve Martin - Rare Bird Alert Best Bluegrass Album Nomination
2011 Grammy Awards Sarah Jarosz - Follow Me Down Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Nomination[9]
2011 Academy of Country Music Awards Dierks Bentley - Up On The Ridge Album of the Year Nomination
2010 Country Music Association Awards Dierks Bentley - Up On The Ridge Album of the Year Nomination
2010 Grammy Awards Dierks Bentley - Up On The Ridge Best Country Album Nomination
2008 Grammy Awards Earl Scruggs - The Ultimate Collection: Live at the Ryman Best Bluegrass Album Nomination
2007 Grammy Awards Alan Jackson - Like Red On A Rose Best Country Album Nomination
2007 Grammy Awards Alan Jackson - Like Red on a Rose Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Nomination

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Brandon Bell". GRAMMY.com. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  2. ^ a b "Brandon Bell | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  3. ^ "RSR188 - Brandon Bell - Recording Zac Brown and Alan Jackson at Southern Ground Nashville". Recording Studio Rockstars. 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  4. ^ "Brandon Bell". Surviving the Music Industry Podcast. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  5. ^ "Nashville AES Section". www.aes.org. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  6. ^ "2013 President's Biennial Report". Issuu. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  7. ^ "Adam Chaffins Revisits "Further Away" With An Acoustic Version & Video Featuring Brit Taylor". The Country Note. 2020-08-28. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  8. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  9. ^ a b "Production Grammy Nominees Announced". ProSoundNetwork.com. 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  10. ^ a b c Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "Grammy Winners 2013: The Full List". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  11. ^ a b "Academy of Country Music | Nominees". www.acmcountry.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.