Know who’s had a good year? Malay. The Grammy-winning, BMG-affiliated producer, writer and musician, aka James Ryan Ho, (pictured at left) worked on Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Alessia Cara’s “Wild Things” and ZAYN’s debut, and is now in the studio with Sam Smith on the Capitol star’s sophomore set.

Speaking of BMG writers, keep an eye on Earl St. Clair, a fledgling Def Jam artist whose Hollywood showcase on 10/5 drew a phalanx of hipsters; the funk-soul dynamo’s energy, fired by a horn-driven band, is stunning to behold