LOS ANGELES – A critically acclaimed vocal ensemble featuring a Central Washington University graduate has once again taken home one of music’s highest honors.
Amanda Taylor, a 2013 CWU alumna, and her bandmates in the Seattle-based vocal group säje won their third Grammy Award on February 1 in Los Angeles, capturing the Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals category for their song “Big Fish,” a collaboration with acclaimed producer and drummer Nate Smith.
The 2026 win marks the third consecutive year säje has claimed the award. The group previously won in 2025 for their single “Alma” and first broke through in 2024 with their arrangement of “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.” They were also nominated in 2021 and 2023, steadily building a reputation as one of the most inventive vocal ensembles in contemporary jazz…