Shaun Pizzonia
American musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shaun Pizzonia (born March 9, 1968), better known by his stage name Sting International, is an American record producer, DJ, sound engineer. He best known for his work with Jamaican musician Shaggy, having produced his hit songs "It Wasn't Me" and "Angel", as well as English musician Sting (no relation).[1][2]
- Record producer
- disc jockey
- audio engineer
Shaun Pizzonia | |
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| Also known as | Sting International |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1986–present |
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Pizzonia was well known for his knowledge across numerous genres, and is one of the most in-demand radio and club DJs.[3] He has been influential in broadening dancehall reggae's audience. The name "Sting International" is based on an acronym of four DJ names: Shaun, Tony, Ian and Gary. "I threw an N in there and got STING, and I added International to it because it sounded f**king grand and everybody loved it."[3]
In 1996, Pizzonia founded Big Yard Records with Robert Livingston and Shaggy. After departing Big Yard in 2011, Pizzonia formed the record label Ranch Entertainment Inc (REI) with Shaggy, Paul Rossi, and Yoichi Imai, and Pizzonia is the label's chief producer.[4]
Selected works
- "Oh Carolina" single (1993) – producer
- "Big Up" single (1993) – producer, co-writer
- Boombastic album (1995) – producer, arranger, performer, co-writer
- "It Wasn't Me" single (2000) – producer, co-writer
- "Angel" single (2000) – producer
- Clothes Drop album (2005) – co-writer
- Intoxication album (2007) – producer, co-writer
- "Everything You Need" track (2011) – performer
- Summer in Kingston album (2011) – producer, co-writer
- Rise album (2012) – co-writer
- 44/876 album (2018) – producer, co-writer
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Boombastic | Best Reggae Album | Won |
| 2002 | "It Wasn't Me" featuring Rikrok | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocal | Nominated |
| 2006 | Clothes Drop | Best Reggae Album | Nominated |
| 2008 | Intoxication | Best Reggae Album | Nominated |
| 2012 | Summer in Kingston | Best Reggae Album | Nominated |
| 2019 | 44/876 | Best Reggae Album | Won |
