Why Alissia Had to Bet on Herself to Score a Landmark Grammy Producer of the Year Nom: ‘It’s Much Bigger Than Me’
Since Alissia began uploading bass covers on YouTube 13 years ago, she’s gone from a Berklee College grad to a Grammy-nominated producer for Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak and Bootsy Collins, to name just a few. Her goal has remained the same throughout: “There’s always more to learn,” she tells Variety. “It’s that hunger for knowledge that has brought me to some incredible places and people.”
Born in Switzerland, and a temporary resident of Italy and America, the 33 year-old is nominated for non-classical producer of the year at the 2025 Grammys. The nomination recognizes her for her part in songs like BJ the Chicago Kid’s “Honey” (featuring Chl?e) and “Spend the Night” (featuring Coco Jones), and Jamila Wood’s “Bugs,” among others.
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Alissia’s style is clearly rooted in funk and jazz soul. She’s become the go-to for artists looking to add a distinctive style — classic yet innovative — of bass and groove to their music. She’s only the ninth woman in the show’s 65-year history to contend for the award, and this year she’s up against Dan Nigro, Mustard, Ian Fitchuck and D’Mile in a category where a woman has never won.
“It’s already been incredibly rewarding because this nomination is so much bigger than me,” she affirms. “I’ve always had an amazing support system. Bootsy, from the beginning, was definitely a mentor, and not just that, he would introduce me as his protégé.”
And there’s more: Prince and the late Quincy Jones both reached out to her via social media after seeing her performance videos online. Alissia credits American keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, who famously worked as a session musician for Michael Jackson and countless others, for making the official introduction between herself and Jones.
“I grew up enamored by [Jones’] string arrangements, and when I finally did get to meet him in person for the first time, I didn’t prepare anything – I almost knew we would hit it off,” she says, adding, “the first question he asked me was ‘What’s your sign?’”
She continues, “Throughout all of his years in the industry, past all the accolades and everything — Quincy was still honest about what music meant to him. He was a music lover. And it translated because he was so open to encouraging the next generation.”
A self-proclaimed “music nerd,” Alissia began her career as an artist, and fronted her own band. She produced and released her own EP – though she winces at the mention of it today – composed entirely of funk music inspired by Motown’s greatest hits and dubbed “Back to the Funkture.” It’s been wiped from streaming services but can still be found on other people’s channels across YouTube.
“I hadn’t lived enough musically to sign to a label,” she says. “They wanted to control what I wore, who I worked with, and what style of music I was making. I wasn’t ready. I just wanted to make music and I didn’t want to waste my time doing anything else and certainly did not want to release anything that I felt wasn’t my best.”
Good things come to those who wait, and Alissia is living proof. In 2025, she will release a debut album with a long list of features she carefully avoids spoiling.
“I’ve been making some of the most incredible music I’ve ever made,” she says. “I’m not singing on it myself, but there’s certainly surprises in store.”
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