Shane McAnally Named To Spotify’s Secret Genius Ambassador List

Producer and songwriter Shane McAnally is among the industry members included in Spotify’s inaugural class of inspirational Secret Genius Ambassadors.

McAnally, a producer for Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert, Midland and Thomas Rhett, among others, was included alongside Ali Tamposi (Selena Gomez/Camila Cabello), Ben Billion (Beyonce, The Weeknd), Benny Blanco (Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber), Frank Dukes (Cardi B), Ina Wroldsen (Calvin Harris), Jamie Scott (Niall Horan), Murda Beatz (Drake), Sky A. Ramirez (Karol G), and Tayla Parx (Demi Lovato).

To honor the new class of Secret Genius Ambassadors, Spotify hosted a dinner at the home of Troy Carter, Global Head of Creator Services. There, some of the most influential names in music gathered to toast a group of visionaries including legends and rising stars such as Quincy Jones, Halsey, and Bebe Rexha. “Hard work pays off,” noted songwriter Ben Billion at the dinner. “Thank you Spotify Secret Genius for acknowledging the craft behind the scenes.”

“Last year our vision of creating a community of songwriters became a reality and we aim to inspire the next generation by announcing a new class of ambassadors as we continue our commitment to music creators,” explained Tiffany Kumar, Spotify’s Global Head of Songwriter Relations. “With Secret Genius, Spotify is able to reveal, celebrate and bring these talents together to foster more creativity.”

Last year, Spotify founded Secret Genius to shine a light on songwriters. Secret Genius revealed all the songs written or produced by the same creator on a playlist, told the stories behind hits on the Secret Genius podcast, and hosted global songwriting camps throughout the year called “Songshops.” Additionally, the coinciding launch of Secret Genius Studios offered up-and-coming songwriters access to the latest studio equipment, as well as opportunities to connect with each other and collaborate on future hits.

Now coming up on its second year and second cohort, Spotify will once again feature these songwriters in the podcast and Songshops, and honor them at the second annual Secret Genius Awards later in the year.