Songwriter Teddy Geiger, a frequent collaborator with Shawn Mendes and former-pop-star-turned songwriter, just earned a Grammy nomination for "In My Blood," an anthem by Mendes that took over the charts this year. Geiger also co-wrote Mendes' hit singles "Stitches" — the one that put Mendes on the map — and the most recent hits "Lost in Japan" and "Treat You Better." If she wins, she will be the first trans woman to accept this award on the Grammys.
Geiger revealed to fans in October 2017 that she is trans. This was amid Mendes' major surge in popularity with the song "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back." Later, in a July 2018 profile in the New York Times, Geiger revealed that she'd told Mendes the same day she told the world. She'd drafted an Instagram comment and then asked Mendes and the other producers in the studio if she should post it. They encouraged her to do so, and then the word was out.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
"There’s no longer this piece of me back there saying, ‘Don’t go there.’ I used to find that I’d sing songs and think, ooh, it sounds like I’m talking about that stuff, and I don’t want to talk about that stuff. But it was just coming out," Geiger told the Times.
Geiger first earned acclaim for her 2006 single "For You, I Will (Confidence)," an early '00s tune that featured Kristin Cavallari in its music video. Her revived career started with One Direction in 2014 and Mendes in 2015 — where she wrote "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "Stitches," respectively. As of 2018, she is officially a charts-dominator, having worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Lizzo, Leon Bridges, and Maroon 5. "In My Blood" is her first Grammy Nomination. (Refinery29 has reached out to representation for Geiger regarding her nom.)
The Grammys has, like all awards shows, lagged in terms of LGBTQ+ representation. In 2017, the Recording Academy included an openly trans woman, model Martina Robledo, and a man, model Derek Marrocco, among the "trophy presenters" at the ceremony, a first for the ceremony. The trophy presenters were historically women.
If Geiger wins the award, she will take the stage, her first acceptance speech after coming out. (Also, she's engaged to Schitt's Creek star Emily Hampshire, which means she'll likely perform a sweet shout-out.) It will be a historic moment for the show, the first time an openly trans woman has accepted an award on its stage for songwriting.