Justin Tranter

Early years

Justin Tranter and his three older brothers were raised by his parents in Lake Zurich, Illinois. He studied musical theatre at the Chicago Academy for the Arts from 1994–98. While at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, he started an annual AIDS Benefit.

After graduation from high school Tranter moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music. Along with songwriting, he also took classes in business management, in preparation for a career in music. Tranter graduated from Berklee in three years, with a GPA of 3.9 and a degree in songwriting. While at Berklee, Justin founded Musicians With a Mission, a scholarship fund for LGBT youth education.

In 2003, Justin won an Outmusic Award for the song "Blend In," co-written with Stephanie Delk, from "Scratched."

Music career

In 2004, Tranter joined forces with fellow Berklee graduates, Cole Whittle, Dan Crean, and Aaron Lee Tasjan (who has since been replaced by Stevy Pyne) to form Semi Precious Weapons. He and Semi Precious Weapons opened for Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball from 2009-2011.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2012, Tranter signed a new publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music to write songs for other artists. He started collaborating with artists like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Hailee Steinfeld, as well groups like Fifth Harmony and Fall Out Boy. Tranter and his frequent writing partner, Julia Michaels, collaborated on numerous Billboard hits including two songs, Good for You and Sorry, that held the number one spot on Pop Radio for three weeks each. Tranter and Michaels also teamed-up to co-write Gwen Stefani's third solo album entitled This Is What the Truth Feels Like.

In December 2015, Tranter was named one of Rolling Stone's "20 Biggest Breakouts of 2015" for his songwriting contributions to the 2015 pop charts.

Tranter has since written for musicians ranging from Britney Spears to Linkin Park, as well as providing backup vocals for The Knocks and on Kygo's song "Carry Me", which was taken from his debut album, entitled Cloud Nine.

At the 2017 BMI Pop Awards hosted by Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Tranter was named 2017 Pop Songwriter of the Year and collected awards for co-writing four of the top songs of the year.

Advocacy

Tranter began his activism with the initiation of an annual AIDS benefit while attending high school at the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. His advocacy continued while attending Berklee where he founded Musicians With a Mission, a scholarship fund for LGBT youth education. In 2016, after flying to Orlando to help with the aftermath of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, Tranter joined with frequent collaborator, Julia Michaels, and GLAAD CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis to find a way to make a larger contribution. Through Interscope Records, and joined by many talented artists and the music community, they brought about the release of the charity single "Hands" to raise funds for Equality Florida Pulse Victims Fund, GLAAD, and the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida.

In February 2017, Tranter joined the National Board of Directors for GLAAD, an organization that promotes LGBTQ acceptance in the entertainment and news industries. As part of the GLAAD Media Awards in May and June 2017, Tranter raised $123,000 for GLAAD by auctioning off four individual songwriting and recording sessions.

Tranter is also a long-time vegan, vegetarian since 1995 and a supporter of Mercy for Animals.

Design career

Tranter's jewelry company, Fetty, grew out of necklaces he designed to sell as merchandise for the Semi Precious Weapons shows. These rock-and-roll inspired pieces consist mostly of heart and weapon themed charm necklaces and earrings.

In 2008, he designed a limited-edition sneaker for DKNY.

Television appearances

Tranter has appeared as a guest on the E! cable network show Chelsea Lately. In December 2008, he also appeared as a coach on the MTV reality show MADE in which he helped a young girl transform into a "rock star". Tranter appears in the diner in the music video for Telephone by Lady Gaga.