James Napier (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Jimmy Napes, is an English songwriter and record producer. He has won a number of awards including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Grammy Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Awards. Napier is best known for his work with Sam Smith ("Stay with Me", "Writing's on the Wall", "Lay Me Down", "Too Good at Goodbyes", "Dancing with a Stranger", "Unholy"), Disclosure ("Latch", "You & Me", "White Noise", "Magnets"), Clean Bandit ("Rather Be")‚ Stormzy ("Crown"), and Taylor Swift ("Christmas Tree Farm"). Napier also has songwriting and producer credits with artists including Alicia Keys, Jess Glynne, Khalid, Normani, Kano, Dave, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, Mary J. Blige, Madonna, James Bay and more.
Background The son of John Napier, a British theatre designer, and Donna King, an American dancer and actress, Napes grew up in England.Donna King biography at donnakingdame.com, accessed 7 April 2018 He started to go to University College School in Hampstead when he was 11.
In 2010, he worked with Eliza Doolittle on her album of the same name. Since then he has written for (and co-written with) several other artists, including Disclosure, Sam Smith, Clean Bandit and Mary J. Blige. In 2015, he earned a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for his work on Smith's "Stay with Me", co-written with Smith and Tourist. In the same year, Napes also won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song for co-writing Clean Bandit's "Rather Be". Napes released his debut EP as a singer, The Making of Me, on Method Records in March 2015. For co-writing "Writing's on the Wall" with Sam Smith, Napes won the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Napes has a son, born in 2015. Sam Smith is a godparent to Napes' son.
Discography
Extended plays The Making of Me (2015)
Songwriting and production credits Year Artist Song Album 2010 Eliza "So High" Eliza Doolittle 2012 Disclosure "Latch" Settle2013Disclosure "Voices" "White Noise" "You & Me" "Together" Sam Smith "Nirvana"Nirvana EP "Lay Me Down" Jessie Ware "Imagine It Was Us" Devotion Naughty Boy "La La La" Hotel Cabana Clean Bandit "Dust Clears" New Eyes 2014 Clean Bandit "Rather Be" "Extraordinary" Tourist "I Can't Keep Up" Patterns EPSam Smith "Stay with Me" In the Lonely Hour "Leave Your Lover" "I'm Not the Only One" "I've Told You Now" "Like I Can" "Lay Me Down" (re-release) "Restart" "Latch" "Make It to Me" Gorgon City "Unmissable" Sirens Ella Henderson "Billie Holliday" Chapter One Jessie Ware "Pieces" Tough Love "The Way We Are" Mary J. Blige "Therapy" The London Sessions "Right Now" "Not Loving You" "When You're Gone" "Nobody But You" "Worth My Time"Mary J. Blige &
Disclosure "Follow" Madeon "You're On" Adventure 2015 Chasing Grace "Lost Time" Nowhere Near Old Enough Madonna "Best Night" Rebel Heart Disclosure "Holding On" Caracal "Omen" "Jaded" "Willing and Able" "Hourglass" "Magnets" "Nocturnal" "Good Intentions" "Superego" "Echoes" "Masterpiece" "Molecules" "Moving Mountains" "Afterthought" Låpsley "Hurt Me" Long Way Home Kwabs "Cheating on Me" Love + War Ellie Goulding "Heal" Delirium Sam Smith "Writing's on the Wall" Spectre OST "Drowning Shadows" In the Lonely Hour: Drowning Shadows Edition "Love Is a Losing Game" "How Will I Know" "Omen" "Stay with Me" (Darkchild Remix) "I'm Not the Only One" "Lay Me Down" 2016 Alicia Keys "Hallelujah" Here Dillon Francis "Anywhere" Liv Dawson "Reflection" Open Your Eyes EP 2017 Liv Dawson "Searching" Isaac Gracie "Reverie" Isaac Gracie Frances "Cloud 9" Things I've Never Said "It Isn't Like You" Ardyn "Together" Bloom EP "Throwing Stones" Ray BLK "Doing Me" Tourist "We Stayed Up All Night" Wash EP Sam Smith "Too Good at Goodbyes" The Thrill of It All "Pray" "Burning" "Say It First" "One Last Song" "Midnight Train" "Baby, You Make Me Crazy" "No Peace" "Nothing Left for You" "The Thrill of It All" "One Day at a Time" Liv Dawson "Hush" rowspan="2" "Last Time" 2018 Albin Lee Meldau "Before & After" About You Isaac Gracie "Telescope" Isaac Gracie James Bay "I Found You" Electric Light Paul the PSM "Lord Give Me Strength" Secret Life of a Bad Man EP Lily Moore "I Know I Wanna Be with You" I Will Never Be EP Rita Ora "Velvet Rope" Phoenix 2019 Sam Smith &
Normani "Dancing with a Stranger" Love Goes Mae Muller "Anticlimax" Avicii "Freak" TIM Stormzy "Crown" Heavy Is the Head Icona Pop "Next Mistake" Mabel "I Belong to Me" High Expectations Tori Kelly "Change Your Mind" Inspired by True Events "Sorry Would Go a Long Way" "Language" "Coffee" "8/28/1997" "Kid I Used to Know" "Pretty Fades" "3/2/1991" "Actress" "Until I Think of You" "3/26/1994" "Your Words" "Before the Dawn" "Until Forever" "Minute to Myself" Kano "Got My Brandy, Got My Beats" Hoodies All Summer "SYM" Mae Muller "Dick" Celine Dion "For the Lover That I Lost" Courage Taylor Swift "Christmas Tree Farm" 2020 Khalid &
Disclosure "Know Your Worth" Energy Sam Smith "To Die For" Love Goes Mae Muller "I Don't Want Your Money" Sam Smith "My Oasis" Love Goes Alicia Keys "3 Hour Drive" Alicia "Gramercy Park" Sam Smith "For the Lover That I Lost" Love Goes "Breaking Hearts" "Forgive Myself" 2023 Sam Smith & Madonna " Vulgar" 2026 Jeremy Zucker "Losing Someone (2022)" Archive 001
References