SoundAdvice Mentor

Thom Russo

With 16 Grammys — 13 Latin and 3 Anglo — Thom Russo holds the record for Grammy wins in the Engineering and Production category. As producer, mixer, songwriter, and composer, his career spans pop, R&B, rock, Latin, and film. After studying music theory and composition at Northwestern University, Thom relocated to Los Angeles and quickly landed projects with Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Prince, Diana Ross, and Babyface. His work on the Eric Clapton / Babyface duet “Change the World” won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1997 Grammys. Joining Rick Rubin’s team broadened his range further — collaborating with Audioslave, Macy Gray, and System of a Down, participating in Johnny Cash’s final recordings including his landmark cover of “Hurt,” and co-producing Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.” He’s also built a defining body of work in Latin music, with Juanes, Maña, Alejandro Sanz, and Jesse & Joy — whose album Electricidad peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts. His film and TV work includes Amores Perros, Collateral, Man on Fire, and Spider-Man I & II.