Pictured: Seven-time GRAMMY® winner and contender for Producer of the Year, Sounwave.
According to news this week, "TEC Tracks at The NAMM Show will host an unmissable, behind-the-scenes conversation with Sounwave, the seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winning producer/songwriter and current 2026 GRAMMY® nominee for Producer of the Year. The session, titled “Hitmaker Talk: Sounwave Breaks Down His Creative Process of Shaping Sound and Working with Artists,” takes place Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 1:00–1:50 PM PST, in the California Ballroom C at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel."
"Celebrated for shaping era-defining records with Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and more, Sounwave will break down the creative decisions, collaborative strategies and sonic storytelling techniques behind today’s most impactful music. From first spark to finished master, attendees will gain insight into how trust is built with artists, how signature sounds are developed and how instinct and innovation intersect in modern production."
"Sounwave has become one of the most influential creative forces shaping contemporary music. His journey began in Compton, California, where he rose to prominence as a core collaborator within Kendrick Lamar’s inner circle. Across more than a decade of groundbreaking releases, Sounwave has helped build a catalog that has achieved worldwide recognition, including work that culminated in Lamar’s historic Pulitzer Prize for DAMN., released in 2017."
"Continuing that legacy, Sounwave was a driving creative presence on Lamar’s latest album, GNX, contributing to pivotal tracks such as the cultural touchstone “Not Like Us.” The song topped charts worldwide and captured three GRAMMY® Awards – Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Rap Song of the Year – marking it as one of the year’s most defining releases. He also co-produced “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, which held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 consecutive weeks."
"Outside of his studio work, Sounwave has taken on major creative leadership roles, serving as music director for Kendrick Lamar’s landmark Super Bowl halftime show as well as the Grand National Tour. His reach spans well beyond hip-hop, with production and collaboration credits on Beyoncé’s Renaissance, Kali Uchis’ Red Moon in Venus, and Taylor Swift’s Midnights, including the hit singles “Karma” and “Lavender Haze.” Sounwave is also the founder of the creative collective new.ordinary, where he has helped cultivate emerging talent such as producer MTech (who contributed to six tracks on GNX) and expanded into the music and consumer technology space by co-designing the limited-edition, retro-styled Songbook MAX home speakers in partnership with premium audio brand Tivoli Audio."
"The session will be moderated by fellow 2026 GRAMMY® nominee and 18-time GRAMMY® Award-winning mixer Manny Marroquin, one of the most influential figures in contemporary music. With credits on nearly 250 million albums worldwide, including more than 40 No. 1 albums, 100 Billboard Top 10 albums, and 12 No. 1 singles, Marroquin brings unmatched cross-genre perspective to the conversation. His 18 GRAMMY® wins include Best Engineered Album (John Mayer’s Battle Studies) and Record of the Year (Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.”) Drawing on his technical mastery and musical intuition, Marroquin will guide a candid discussion exploring the craft, collaboration and creative decision-making behind Sounwave’s work, from the studio to the world’s biggest stages."
"Designed for musicians, producers, engineers and creators at every stage, this TEC Tracks session offers inspiration, practical insight and a front-row seat to how landmark records are made today."
