Lyia Meta, The First Malaysian Singer To Be Nominated For Grammy Awards
Malaysian singer Lyia Meta is nominated for her vocals in the Fury album with Latin American musician Antonio Vergara.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on 2 February 2025 to honour the best recordings, compositions, and artists from 16 September 2023 to 30 August 2024.
This time around members of the Recording Academy have nominated a Malaysian-born singer Lyia Meta for her vocals in the song “Delta Shine” in a collaboration album with Latin-American musician Antonio Vergara.
The song “Delta Shine” appears in The Fury album, the album that has been nominated under the Best Contemporary Blues Album category.
Meta said the nomination represented more than personal success because it highlighted the potential of Malaysian artists to compete and excel on the international stage.
For independent artists, being part of an album nominated for a Grammy is more than just an honour. Without the backing of major labels, this is confirmation of one’s dedication to creating something meaningful, like turning straw into gold amidst the noise.
Lyia Meta
How did she get to work with Vergara?
Vergara and Meta’s journey to the Grammy started when he invited her to collaborate on The Fury.
Vergara, known for his musically charged music, sought a new voice to add depth to his album.
Fortunately for him, Meta’s unique vocal style was ideal as she has experience singing in various genres.
According to her Instagram post, Meta has explored the landscapes of jazz-pop, orchestral pop, blues rock, traditional RnB, soul, neo-soul, Motown, and rock infused with metal influences.
Meta shared that working with Vergara on the blues album was an opportunity to “explore another channel of expression.”
She added that their Grammy nomination for the album proves that all their late nights, self-doubts, and moments spent creating authentic music truly mattered.
I never imagined I would be part of something like this. It’s an honour to work with such talented musicians who are respected by the industry in this way.
Lyia Meta
Meta has also worked with Los Angeles songwriter and collaborator Denise Dimin and Nashville producer Bob McGilpin. Together, they produced three jazz orchestral-pop albums.
She credited Dimin for encouraging her to pursue collaborations that expand her artistic range.
Meta’s other works that are nominated for the Grammy include Descendants (in 79 languages) in the Global Music Album category and Next, her album with Dimin, in the Traditional Pop Vocal Album category.
Who are the other Malaysians who had Grammy nominations?
A Malaysian-born composer Zuraini Khalid Zonneveld (Ani Zonneveld) previously won a Grammy for a blues album.
Zuraini, now based in the United States, co-wrote the song “One Friend” with American blues musician Keb’Mo’ on the album Keep It Simple, which won the Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2005.
Meanwhile, Malaysian-American Phil Tan, an audio engineer and mixer, won three Grammys and received 14 nominations.
The three Grammy wins are Best Contemporary R&B Album for his work on Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005, Ludacris’s Release Therapy for Best Rap Album in 2006, and Best Dance Recording for Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World)” in 2011.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
