Trinidad and Tobago–born producer Jolene Mendes was among the winners at the 66th Grammy Awards, accepting the trophy for Best Music Video on February 1 in Los Angeles for Doechii’s “Anxiety.”
Mendes was recognized as one of the producers behind the award-winning visual, which has been widely praised for its emotional depth, striking imagery, and avant-garde approach. While Doechii and the video’s director, James Mackel, were not in attendance at the ceremony, Mendes accepted the Grammy on behalf of the team.
“As a producer, it makes it the best job in the world when we get to work with incredible creators like them,” Mendes said while accepting the award. “They are both once-in-a-lifetime talents. This, of course, could not have been done without the 200 people that worked on it, so thank you all.”
Released in April 2025, “Anxiety” quickly became one of the year’s most talked-about music videos. The visually layered exploration of selfhood is set to a track that pays homage to Gotye and Kimbra’s 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The video has since amassed more than 62 million views on YouTube and earned widespread acclaim for its raw vulnerability and bold creative vision.
Mendes previously worked with director James Mackel on Schoolboy Q’s “YEERN 101,” a collaboration that led to their reunion on “Anxiety.” In an interview last year, she reflected on the production process.
“I produced Anxiety with my business partners Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman through our company, More Avenue,” Mendes said. “James had such a clear and beautiful vision for the video. It was a fast-moving production, but the process was deeply intentional and collaborative, which made it special.”
Though she now divides her time between the east and west coasts of the United States, Mendes continues to represent Trinidad and Tobago on the global stage. She credits her upbringing for shaping her creative instincts and storytelling sensibility.
“Growing up, I was always in awe of films and series and the way they made me feel,” she said. “Now I try to pay that forward through the stories I choose to produce.”
“That sensibility always finds its way in,” Mendes added. “I’m drawn to stories that feel deeply specific yet resonate universally. I think that comes from growing up with both a strong local pride and a constant curiosity about the rest of the world.”
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Mendes is a producer known for She Paradise (2021), Edge of Everything (2023), and Bienvenidos a Los Angeles (2023). She has worked on several critically recognized films, including She Paradise, directed by Trinidad and Tobago filmmaker Maya Cozier, and Bienvenidos a Los Angeles, directed by Lisa Cole.
In 2022, Mendes, alongside fellow producers Vivian Johnson and Cindy Lu, won the Toronto International Women’s Film Festival Award for Best Female Producer for Bienvenidos a Los Angeles, further cementing her reputation as a rising force in film and visual storytelling.
With her Grammy win, Mendes adds another milestone to a career that continues to bridge Caribbean roots with global creative impact.
