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| Tony Kelly (producer) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tony Kelly |
| Birth name | Anthony Kelly |
| Occupation | Record producer, songwriter, musician |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Associated acts | The Notorious B.I.G., Rita Ora, Kelly Clarkson, Sean Paul, Cardi B |
| Birth place | London, England |
Tony Kelly (producer) is a British record producer and songwriter known for work across pop, R&B, dancehall, and hip hop. He has produced charting singles and albums for international artists and contributed to the careers of major performers in the United Kingdom, United States, and Caribbean music scenes. Kelly's career spans studio production, songwriting, A&R collaboration, and occasional performance collaborations in live and recorded contexts.
Born in London, Kelly grew up amid the multicultural music scenes of London, Bristol, and Birmingham. He attended local comprehensive schools before undertaking formal music and audio engineering studies at the Royal Academy of Music-affiliated programs and a technical diploma at an institute associated with University of Westminster. Early influences included exposure to pirate radio stations such as Kiss FM (UK), Capital Radio, and access to local studios frequented by artists from Jamaica and Nigeria. He trained under sound engineers who had worked with artists from Island Records, Virgin Records, and Columbia Records affiliates.
Kelly began his professional career in the late 1990s as an in-house producer for an independent label connected with Warp Records-adjacent studios and small-label distributors in East London. He progressed to freelance production, collaborating with A&R executives from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. His studio work involved mixing at facilities used by producers affiliated with Metropolis Studios, Abbey Road Studios, and SARM Studios. He has been credited on projects released through imprints tied to Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings, and Island Records.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s Kelly worked across transatlantic sessions, contributing beats, arrangements, and vocal production for performers connected with Atlantic Records, Epic Records, and Republic Records. He partnered with songwriters and producers from the circles of Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Pharrell Williams, and Mark Ronson-adjacent collaborators. Kelly's career encompasses songwriting credits registered with performing rights organizations such as PRS for Music, ASCAP, and BMI.
Kelly's production discography includes singles and album cuts for established and emerging artists. He has production or co-production credits on tracks for performers associated with Rita Ora, Kelly Clarkson, Cardi B, Sean Paul, The Notorious B.I.G. posthumous releases, and recordings involving artists from Jamaica and the Caribbean. He has worked with vocalists tied to labels such as Island Records, Interscope Records, and Columbia Records. Collaborators have included songwriters and session musicians from the networks of Sia Furler, Emily Warren, Ester Dean, Calvin Harris, Diplo, and David Guetta.
Kelly has been involved in cross-genre projects that intersect with producers and artists linked to grime figures from Tottenham and Hackney as well as pop stars from Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami. He has co-written material that appeared on soundtracks released through entertainment companies such as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and has credits on compilation albums distributed by Ministry of Sound and Defected Records.
Kelly's production style blends rhythmic elements drawn from dancehall and reggae traditions with pop songwriting frameworks associated with Swedish pop and American R&B. Influences cited by peers include producers and artists linked to Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly and Robbie, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Timbaland, The Neptunes, and Stock Aitken Waterman. His arrangements often feature programming approaches similar to those used by engineers at Electric Lady Studios and Sunset Sound. Kelly's approach to vocal production reflects techniques promoted by vocal coaches linked to Guildhall School of Music and Drama alumni and session practices from Nashville, Atlanta, and London recording communities.
Kelly's work has earned chart recognition on the UK Singles Chart, the Billboard Hot 100, and regional charts in Jamaica and Australia. Projects with artists on labels such as Republic Records and Roc Nation have reached certifications from British Phonographic Industry and Recording Industry Association of America. His contributions have been acknowledged in industry publications including Billboard (magazine), NME, The Guardian (UK), and Rolling Stone. He has been shortlisted for industry awards administered by organizations such as Ivor Novello Awards-affiliated panels and nominated in producer categories at ceremonies connected to BRIT Awards-adjacent events.
Kelly divides his time between studios in London and production residencies in Miami and Kingston, Jamaica. He has participated in charitable initiatives in partnership with organizations tied to Help Musicians UK, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, and relief efforts coordinated with United Nations-affiliated cultural programs. Kelly mentors emerging producers through workshops hosted by institutions such as BIMM Institute, Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, and outreach programs connected to Arts Council England.