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Jimmy Napes

b. 1984

Songwriter

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About Jimmy Napes

Born 1984. Jimmy Napes is a British songwriter, singer, record producer, composer and musician.

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. 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 &

&

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

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Grammy Award for Song of the Year; Academy Award for Best Original Song
Also known as
Jimmy Napier, James Napier

People in Jimmy Napes's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jimmy Napes's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jimmy Napes?

songwriter

When was Jimmy Napes born?

Jimmy Napes was born on 18 September 1984 in London.

What is Jimmy Napes's occupation?

Jimmy Napes is a songwriter, singer, record producer, composer and musician.

What nationality is Jimmy Napes?

Jimmy Napes is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jimmy Napes

· Wikidata: Q19119517

· DBpedia: Jimmy Napes

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jimmy Napes. https://biography.guide/jimmy-napes/

MLA: "Jimmy Napes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jimmy-napes/.

Chicago: "Jimmy Napes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jimmy-napes/.

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