Millikin University alumna contributes to GRAMMY-nominated contemporary blues album

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A 1997 graduate of Millikin University is up for a major award. Mary Lemanski contributed to a now GRAMMY-nominated contemporary blues album.

The 2025 GRAMMY Awards will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 2.

Lemanski contributed to Antonio Vergara's album "The Fury," which has been recognized with a GRAMMY nomination in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category.

"The Fury" was released on August 29, 2024, and features 13 tracks.

Millikin University said Lemanski, a vocalist/songwriter-composer/multi-instrumentalist, played her first gig at age 11 when she filled in for the organist at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, her Catholic school’s church in Springfield, for a funeral.

Her songwriting has been compared to Blondie, Tori Amos, and Carly Simon, and she has been releasing original music online since 1999.

Lemanski has worked extensively in the music industry, including stints at Epitaph Records, BMG Entertainment, Clear Channel Radio/iHeart Radio, Razormaid Productions, and Rhino Staging. She owns Cyberpunk Web Marketing & Virtual Assistant Services.