Leon Thomas’ ‘Mutt’ Is Grammy-Nominated for Album of the Year. Another ‘Mutt’ Was Nominated 3 Times in That Category

Leon Thomas’ Mutt received a Grammy nomination for album of the year at the 68th annual awards, but another “Mutt” got there first. Robert John “Mutt” Lange has been nominated for album of the year three times, as the producer of Shania Twain’s Come on Over and as one of a platoon of producers of Backstreet Boys’ Millennium and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way.

As Marvin Gaye might say, “I’ll be doggone.”

Thomas and Lange have something in common beyond their “Mutt” connection. Both received their first Grammy Awards as songwriters. Thomas won best R&B song in 2024 for co-writing SZA’s “Snooze.” Lange won best song written specifically for a motion picture or for television in 1992 for co-writing Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Lange has since won four more Grammys – best country album for producing Twain’s The Woman in Me, best country song for co-writing (with Twain) her smashes ‘You’re Still the One” and “Come on Over” and best rock album co-producing Muse’s Drones with the band. Lange and Twain met at Nashville’s Fan Fair in June 1993. They were married six months later; separated in 2008 and divorced in 2010.

Thomas has six Grammy nominations this year, including best new artist, best R&B album for Mutt and best R&B performance for “Mutt (Live from NPR’s Tiny Desk).”

Final-round Grammy voting begins one week from today – on Friday Dec. 12 and continues until Jan. 5. The 68th annual Grammy Awards will be presented on Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.