From small town to national stage: Quincy native earns Grammy nomination for best folk album

QUINCY — Savana Santos, a Quincy High School graduate, recently received a Grammy nomination for best folk album for her work on “Weird Faith” with singer-songwriter Madi Diaz. The album features “Kiss on the Wall,” co-written by Santos.

Santos moved to Nashville to pursue music after graduating high school in 2017. She released the song “F2020” with former music group Avenue Beat. The song became a viral sensation, leading to more than 100 million streams across different platforms. Santos took advantage of this momentum and is now a solo artist, releasing songs like “Messy” and “Cheater.”

She is co-signed with Nashville’s Tape Room Music and LA’s Big Family (Hipgnosis Songs). According to her Tape Room Music profile, she has landed collaborations and cuts with JP Saxe, Little Big Town, Bea Miller and Sophia Messa. These successes led Santos to the eventual Grammy nomination. 

Santos was initially surprised by the announcement.

“Honestly it wasn’t even a thought in my mind that something like this would happen, but those are the best moments,” Santos said. “I was genuinely shocked and thankful to Madi for putting in all the hard work to make this happen.”

Diaz is a singer song-writer nominated for two Grammys — for the “Weird Faith” album and for her performance of “Don’t Do Me Good” with Kacey Musgraves in the best Americana performance category. 

Santos said it is special to share this milestone with her “Nashville big sister” in Diaz. She said the nomination is meaningful because of the friendship and creative partnership with Diaz.

“There’s no one who deserves it more than her,” Santos said. 

“It’s always an easy songwriting session with her… I get shy and have a hard time being 100% myself and sharing all my ideas in a co-write, but I’m so comfy with Madi that it’s an easy back-and-forth,” she said.

Santos said she knew she and Diaz had something special with “Kiss on the Wall.” The success of the album has only confirmed that feeling. 

The news of the nomination announcement came on a particularly stressful day for Santos. 

“I was having a horrific, chaotic, insane travel day when I got the news … it was like a bright, shiny light in my wild day,” Santos said.

Santos said support from her friends and family has played a crucial role in her ability to embrace an achievement like this. 

“They made me feel more amped about it than I did originally,” she said. “The people in my life are so amazing at hyping me up and making me take time to celebrate the wins and actually bask in a cool moment, so I’m really thankful I have them.” 

Santos is grateful the Quincy community gave her space to further her dream of being in the music industry. 

“Quincy Community Theatre and the QHS theater department — shoutout to Mrs. (Meghan) Buckley at QHS — provided a great space for me to explore my passion for music and figure out what I wanted that to look like in the future,” Santos said. 

Buckley has been a teacher at QHS for almost 17 years.

”Savana was one of my most special students over the years,” she said. “I still have the sweetest letters from Savana which I re-read from time to time when I have a tough teacher day.

“I had no doubt Savana would be in the music industry some day. I just hope the industry knows how lucky they are to have our Savana.”

What started as a passion for music in small town has blossomed into a promising career, marked by viral success, notable collaborations, and recognition at a national level. 

Santos’ Grammy nomination marks a significant achievement in her career, reflecting her years of hard work and dedication. From her roots in Quincy to her rise in Nashville’s music scene, Santos has built a reputation as a talented songwriter and artist. The Grammy nomination serves as a milestone and a reminder of how far she’s come — and the exciting possibilities still to come.