Seattle’s music legacy is vast — from grunge’s roar in the ’90s to the indie folk and jazz innovators of today. Few artists embody that spirit of creative exploration and community commitment better than Johnaye Kendrick, the Seattle-based vocalist, composer, arranger, and educator whose latest work with the vocal quartet säje just earned a Grammy nomination for Best Arrangement, Instruments & Vocals for “Big Fish.”
What makes Kendrick’s nomination especially meaningful this year isn’t just the recognition itself, it’s the way her career has been woven into the fabric of Seattle’s music scene.
Kendrick isn’t a newcomer; she’s a cornerstone of the city’s creative music world. For decades she’s been a presence on Seattle stages, collaborating with jazz ensembles, experimental composers, and vocalists who push boundaries. Her music defies easy labels, blending jazz, improvisation, and intricate vocal arranging in ways that feel both rooted and forward-thinking.
Her nomination with säje, a group that includes other Seattle vocalists like Sara Gazarek and Amanda Taylor, highlights a community-centered approach to making music. This isn’t a solitary artist chasing fame; this is a collective of musicians who grew their sound in rehearsal spaces, local clubs, and classrooms throughout the region.
Perhaps the most profound impact Kendrick has had on Seattle isn’t just what she performs, but who she helps shape. As Chair of Music at Seattle University’s Cornish College of the Arts, Kendrick guides young musicians through the craft of performance, composition, and creative thinking. Cornish has become a place where Kendrick’s influence extends beyond her own projects into the broader artistic future of the city.
Students describe her as a mentor who encourages risk-taking and individuality, qualities that Seattle’s music culture prizes. Her leadership helps foster a sense of possibility, that you can build ambitious, original music right here in the Pacific Northwest.
If you listen closely, the essence of Seattle permeates Kendrick’s work: a blend of jazz sophistication and indie-minded experimentation, a willingness to explore texture and harmony, and a collaborative spirit that feels organic to the region’s tight-knit community of musicians. From intimate club gigs at local venues to performances with regional orchestras and ensembles, Kendrick has spent years building relationships across genres. She’s equally at home in jazz festivals, experimental sessions, and academic settings, blurring lines in ways that reflect Seattle’s eclectic musical identity.
This Grammy nomination isn’t just about a trophy, it’s recognition of a body of work that represents Seattle at its most ambitious and creative. Kendrick is a multi-time Grammy nominee with two previous Grammy wins, and this latest nomination with säje reinforces her status not only as a national artist but as a key figure in Seattle’s ongoing musical story.
In a year when Seattle had limited representation on the Grammy ballot, Kendrick’s nomination stands as a powerful reminder that the city’s music scene is alive, evolving, and producing artists whose vision reaches far beyond the region’s borders. Whether she brings home another Grammy or not, Seattle already knows the value of what she’s built here in sound, mentorship, and community.