Emmy Award winner Devin Ferreira has a nice ring to it.
The Graduate School of Education alum is living up to the title of his 2016 Boston Marathon anthem, “Unstoppable,” by taking home a coveted gold statue for “Outstanding Musical Composition” at the New England Emmy Awards on Saturday, June 24.
“First of all, I was honored to have been nominated,” Ferreira reflects. “There was a lot of great work nominated, and for my work to be acknowledged among other great works was an honor. Whether or not my name was called, I would have had a great time.”
The black-tie event was held at the Marriott Copley in downtown Boston with all the glitz and glamour one might expect from a major awards gala. Ferreira had no trouble fitting in, finding opportunities to discuss his work with others and making community connections.
“Everyone there, they all do TV, so they really looked the part,” he describes. “But people were down to talk about what they’re working on and asked me what I was working on. And when my name was called and I went up there, I just felt so much love.”
Making an impact through music and community
Ferreira’s musical success with “Unstoppable” didn’t come easily, which made the awards ceremony recognition that much sweeter. He coped for months with edits and revisions and tried to not lose faith in the work.
“As an artist it’s hard to have your work revised and critiqued. You go through these disappointing moments where you’re not sure, and it was so lucky that the video worked out,” he says, citing the many online viewers and listeners of his music video. “It’s because of the supporters that the project did so well - the people that commented and supported it, and put it on their playlist. We owe the success of the project to the people who listened to the song and made it part of their marathon process.”
Ferreira, who earned his master's degree in arts, community and education in 2013, is also putting his degree to use as the director of performing arts at the Mattapan Teen Center, where he inspires his students to make an impact, providing real-world examples for them through his own work as a professional musician in Boston.
As for Ferreira’s next big hit? It’s in the works. While he can’t divulge any details, he urges supporters to stay tuned for more information on future collaborations and promises that news will be coming soon. In the meantime, he’s clearing some shelf space for his shiny, new accolade, a marker of an incredible milestone in an artist’s career.