Jack Antonoff

Jack Antonoff has travelled from the front of the stage to the control room, and critics credit him with shaping the pop of the 2010s and 2020s. Born in 1984 and raised in New Jersey, he began in punk with Outline, then fronted the indie rock band Steel Train, a favourite on the jamband festival circuit whose grassroots mentality he still applies to his work. He went on to play guitar and drums in Fun, and now leads the rock band Bleachers, while producing and co-writing for Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter.

Fun's second album, Some Nights (2012), delivered a first number one in "We Are Young", co-written with Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jeff Bhasker; it won Song of the Year, and the band took Best New Artist. Swift collaborations brought Album of the Year wins for 1989, Folklore and Midnights. Antonoff was named Producer of the Year three years running from 2022, and has thirteen Grammys in all. Hot 100 chart-toppers include "Anti-Hero", "Fortnight", Carpenter's "Manchild" and Lamar's "Luther". He also co-wrote "I Knew It, I Knew You" with Swift for Toy Story 5.