Bob Ludwig of Gateway Mastering Studios has won 12 Grammys. Photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Maine’s Bob Ludwig won his 12th career Grammy Award on Sunday night.
Ludwig, of Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, won in the category of best engineered classical album for “Sun Rings,” composed by Terry Riley and performed by Kronos Quartet. Ludwig was also nominated in the categories of best engineered non-classical album for “Scenery” by singer-songwriter Emily King and in the category of best immersive audio album for “The Savior” by A Bad Think and “Symphonic Dances,” composed by Gisle Kverndokk and performed by Stavanger Symphony Orchestra.
Also Sunday, Maine native Patty Griffin won a Grammy in the best folk album category for her self-titled release. A singer-songwriter originally from Old Town, Griffin has garnered seven Grammy nominations since 2002. This was her second win.
During a 50-plus-year career, Ludwig has mastered recordings by music superstars ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Beyonce. From 2013 to 2015, he won three consecutive album of the year Grammys, by Mumford & Sons, Daft Punk and Beck. He’s been nominated for a Grammy 31 times. Mastering is the final creative step in making a recording, and musicians send their recordings to Ludwig, and his expert ear, to do the final fine-tuning.
Another Maine connection at Sunday’s Grammy Awards was the nomination of the band Lettuce for “Elevate” in the category of best contemporary instrumental album, which did not win. Lettuce members include Ryan Zoidis, a Maine native who still lives here, and Nigel Hall, a who lived and played around Portland for several years. The Lettuce album was mastered in Portland by Ludwig’s colleague at Gateway Mastering, Adam Ayan.
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