Even if his name isn’t familiar, you’ve heard the musical stylings of Jon Batiste before.
The musician won big at the 2022 Grammys, and in the process introduced a slew of new viewers to his name. While many people might find themselves at a loss when attempting to summon up Batiste’s former projects, its safe to say that almost everyone has come in contact with the talented bandleader’s work at least once before.
Who is Jon Batiste?
Batiste has been a mainstay in the music scene for more than a decade and a half, debuting back in 2007 with a premiere of his very own show. Since then, his prominence within the field has only grown; several of his singles, including “Ohio,” and a stellar cover of “St. James Infirmary Blues,” helped Batiste to become the icon he is today.
Batiste is perhaps best known as one of the founders of Stay Human, the band behind all those musical breaks in Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The band — which is composed of Batiste, alongside Phil Kuehn and Joe Saylor — first appeared on The Colbert Report in 2014, before transitioning to a new slot with Colbert and becoming a fixture of the comedian and political commentator’s new show. The late night slot has allowed Batiste and his band to perform alongside some of music’s biggest names, including Billy Joel, John Legend, and Nas.
In 2020 Batiste’s name gained even more prominence, after the 35-year-old musician collaborated with Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor to compose the music behind Disney and Pixar’s Soul. The resulting music won the trio both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Original Score. Batiste followed the film’s success with two albums — 2021’s We Are and, a few months later, the EP Live at Electric Lady — one of which earned him more than a dozen nominations at the 64th Grammy Awards.
How many Grammys has Jon Batiste won?
This same Grammy Award ceremony has people reminiscing about Batiste’s illustrious career. His numerous nominations — along with several high-profile wins — brought Batiste’s name back to prominence, and reminded a number of music-lovers about the artist’s years of contributions to the world of music.
In total, Batiste has been nominated for 14 Grammys. In 2019 and 2021 he was nominated for several awards, including Best American Roots Performance and Best New Age Album, but it wasn’t until 2022 that he officially carried a Grammy home.
At the 2022 Grammy Awards, Batiste walked away with a full five Grammys. His March 2021 album, We Are, won Batiste the Grammy for Album of the Year, along with a nomination for Best R&B Album. Batiste also raked in awards for the single “Cry” — which won the Grammys for Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song, and won yet another Grammy for Soul, this time for the film’s score soundtrack. Batiste’s final award of the night — and fifth Grammy in total — was awarded for another single off We Are. Batiste’s “Freedom” won him the award for Best Music Video, and earned a nomination for Record of the Year.
In total, Batiste has received 14 Grammy nominations, and won five times. Here’s hoping the future holds plenty more wins for this talented artist.
