Grace Kelly Wins John Lennon Songwriting Contest

Grace Kelly B.M. '12 has another honor to add to her ever-growing list of accolades. The 27-year-old saxophonist, vocalist, and composer was named John Lennon Songwriting Contest Song of the Year winner for her single “Feels Like Home." The win comes with a $20,000 cash award and other prizes. The song was selected by a committee of judges that included George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Taylor Momsen, among others.

A native of Wellesley, Massachusetts, Kelly came to Berklee on full scholarship at age 16. Here, she majored in professional music and collaborated with several faculty members, including Alain Mallet, who produced her single "Sweet Sweet Baby," and Terri Lyne Carrington, who featured Kelly on her 2015 album, The Mosaic Project: Love and Soul. Kelly later partnered with Berklee to organize a scholarship fund and all-star benefit concert in celebration of iconic Boston music promoter Fred Taylor. 

Kelly has won ASCAP Composer Awards, Boston Music Awards, and the DownBeat Critics Poll (Rising Star–Alto Saxophone), and has performed with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Esperanza Spalding, Wynton Marsalis, and Stay Human, Jon Batiste's house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Watch a video of Grace Kelly's "Feels Like Home":