Grammys 2025: UCLA alumnus nominated for ‘Rose Without The Thorns’ arrangement

Alexander Lloyd Blake wears a red and blue outfit during a rehearsal. The alumnus is nominated this Sunday for the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. (Courtesy of Michael Owen Baker)
By Viva Wertz
Jan. 30, 2025 8:43 p.m.
From gospel roots to Grammy nominations, Alexander Lloyd Blake is transforming the music industry with arrangements that touch both the heart and the conscience.
Blake, a musician and UCLA alumnus, has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella for his arrangement of “Rose Without The Thorns.” The composition, performed by his music ensemble Tonality alongside the group säje, showcases Blake’s attention to harmony and social justice alike.
“It’s a beautiful song, a beautiful message of love, and currently, especially in the times we’re in, a very positive message of queer love, which needs certainly more representation,” Blake said.

Blake, who has also contributed music to various high-profile films including “Us” and “The Lion King,” said his musical journey began at his childhood church in North Carolina where he sang in the gospel choir. He said he continued to sing throughout his childhood and ended up spontaneously taking the AP Music Theory exam without having taken the class and achieving a 5, the highest score on the AP exam grading scale. He took his success on the test as a sign to pursue music as more than just a hobby, he added. While studying at Wake Forest University, Blake said watching his professor Brian Gorelick conduct inspired him to give conducting a try.
Blake went on to earn his master’s degree at UCLA, and later pursued a doctorate at USC. It was during his time at USC that Blake said he founded Tonality, an ensemble dedicated to creating musical arrangements that are socially conscious and diverse. Tonality won its first Grammy in 2024 for its contributions to singer-songwriter Carla Patullo’s album “So She Howls.” Tonality has worked with various well-known artists, including opening for Björk’s “Cornucopia” tour in 2022.
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Tonality’s nominated piece this year, “Rose Without The Thorns,” was originally written by singer and Pentatonix member Scott Hoying as an anniversary present for his husband, Blake said. After the original version of the song debuted, Blake said Hoying reached out to him to construct an arrangement of the piece.
“Scott texted me in all caps, ‘I HAVE AN IDEA,’” Blake said. “And this is a Thursday, and we’re talking about the details and he says, ‘I would love to record this on Monday.’ … I pretty much hung up, had dinner and then went over to his place.”

When Hoying returned from a Pentatonix concert that Sunday, the two of them worked until 3:30 in the morning, Blake said. They printed the scores for their 7:00 p.m. recording session at 6:30 p.m., he added. Despite the sleepless nights, Blake said he is proud of his arrangement.
“In terms of their arrangement and the choir, … I hope that people can hear the creativity but also the fun,” Blake said. “And of course, the song is based off of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata.’ So for the classical lovers, they’ll be able to hear that.”
While his background in gospel music informs his work, Blake said he is also committed to diversifying the musical canon recognized in the industry. During his academic studies, especially in his undergraduate years, Blake said Western European composers were often put in the spotlight at the expense of other composers and works of music. Blake said he feels that music is a representation of culture and that the practice of only highlighting certain music can reinforce inequality in society.
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Blake said this belief has shaped both his personal philosophy and the mission of Tonality, especially after the 2016 presidential election. In response to the political climate, Tonality began integrating storytelling into its pieces and performances with the intention of advocating for social justice, he said.
“In the political climate we’re in, the idea of a sideline has been erased,” Blake said. “We are all in this. … We as artists have an opportunity to really use our gifts to help connect people and to heal and to help us support each other.”

Roman GianArthur is an artist, composer and board member of Tonality. GianArthur, who has composed for Janelle Monáe and films such as “Antebellum,” said he has known Blake since their time together at Wake Forest University, where they both sang in the a cappella group Chi Rho. GianArthur said Blake understands the history of art through his studies and has a vision for how music can include more varied voices in the future.
Fellow Tonality board member Joe Trapanese said he has composed several arrangements for Tonality, including a piece inspired by climate change and Greta Thunberg’s 2019 speech to the United Nations.
“An old friend of mine said, ‘Awards mean nothing, and you should win as many of them as you can,’” Trapanese said. “We can’t solely take our inspiration from awards, but – this is a big but – awards are a great marker that we’re doing something right, that we’re reaching people.”