Sometime in 2008, Henry Walter received a message from his lawyer.
A CD of beats created by Walter was used during a writing session for what his lawyer at the time described only as a top-notch musician.
For Walter, who spent four teenage years in Halifax before moving to Toronto in 2004, it was a moment of validation.
“It made me feel like, 'Okay, I'm not crazy. I can do it,” said Walter, known in the music community as Circut.
Beats from this song were used in a Britney Spears song. Mmm Papifrom it 2008 Circus album.
Today, Walter is an in-demand music producer and songwriter, having had a hand in some of the biggest songs of the last decade and a half, including Katy Perry. Roar, Miley Cyrus Wrecking ball and The Weeknd's Starboy.
Although Walter was previously nominated for a Grammy, he is up for seven nominations at the awards ceremony on February 1, 2026, second only to rapper Kendrick Lamar, who has nine nominations.
“I love making music,” Walter said. “I enjoy the process of making music no matter what, so this is all just icing on the cake.”
Halifax roots
But in the early 2000s, Walter was a teenager attending Armbrae Academy and then St. Patrick's High School in Halifax, trying to find his musical footing.
“The people of Halifax and [music] the scene certainly had a big impact on me,” Walter told CBC News from a recording studio in Los Angeles.
Online sources often believe Walter was born in Halifax, but he was actually born in Ottawa and lived primarily in Montreal before moving to Halifax, he said.
In Halifax, Walter learned about scratching from artists such as Scratch Busteed, who is now a world-famous DJ.
Walter used to hang out at Revolution Records on Prince Street in Halifax, where Scratch Busteed (Paul Murphy) used to work. When he wasn't serving customers, Murphy could be found spinning records on the turntables while Walter watched on.
“I think you never know who’s watching, so as an artist, put your all into what you do and be yourself,” Murphy said from Toronto, where he now lives. “And that could be enough to get someone inspired and take their career and life to a higher level.”
Walter also credits DJ IV (Brian Pelrin), a mainstay of the Halifax hip-hop scene for the past two and a half decades, as a major influence on him.
Pelrin said that he met Walter through a neighbor (musician Patrok) who was Walter's classmate. Knowing that Pelrin was a DJ, the couple went to Pelrin's home. Pelrine immediately realized that the humble Walter had talent.
“When I first met him, I thought, 'Wow, this guy is really good at this. Like, he’s very, very talented,’ and he was a scientist back then,” Pelrin said.
Eventually, the three, along with a fourth friend, Bert Knockwood, co-hosted a weekly Internet radio show called RTN (Rebel Tactics Network).
On Sundays the four would gather in a shop on Sackville Street, set up four turntables and take turns scratching. What one person will play and what another will react to, what Pelrine called question and answer. Sessions will last five to six hours, Pelrine said.
Making beats
At the same time, Walter was trying to make beats. He had no formal education and tried to learn through trial and error by observing other people.
“I would take records, cut them up and try to put them together into some kind of musical composition,” he said.
Walter could usually be found with headphones on, listening to music and trying to understand how the songs and sounds were created. He said his understanding was rudimentary.
Pelrin said people in the local hip-hop community still talk about how they missed out on the opportunity to use the beats Walter created.
Murphy described Walter as a little quiet, but not shy.
“He just had a good smile and in a way his work spoke for itself,” Murphy said.
Moving to Toronto
In 2004, Walter moved to Toronto to attend audio engineering school. Walter continued to run into Murphy there, who said Walter's work was getting better and better.
Walter later played in the electro-rap group Let's Go To War, where he was a DJ. The group released an album in 2009.
Pelrin remembers watching the band's video and feeling proud.
“Henry does it! Like, he's doing his thing… he was really pursuing his dream,” said Pelrine, who still keeps in touch with Walter.
Walter realized that he did not want to perform and tour.
“But it was a big lesson for me, just learning about that side of the business and, you know, producing an album,” Walter said.
“I look back and think, 'Man, I really didn't know what I was doing.' But there was something cool [things]there was a nugget, there was something there. I can look back and say, “Okay, I see what I was trying to do.”
Walter said he sometimes wondered if music was a career for him. He said he worked in call centers occasionally to make ends meet, but he was determined to make it work.
“I always kind of believed that everything would work out,” he said.
Although working on a Britney Spears song helped him open doors, Walter knew this was just the beginning.
WATCH | “Mmm Papi” by Britney Spears:
“I liked the song and it was funny at the time, but I also thought, I know there's more to me,” he said.
In 2012, Walter moved to Los Angeles and from there amassed recognition for the songs of music's biggest stars.
Pelrin said he sometimes goes to Walter's discography page on Wikipedia and looks up those credits.
“Every hit I liked that got airplay was written by him,” Pelrin said. “It's crazy that it got to the point where he became the second most nominated Grammy. [this year]”
Some of Walter's nominations this year include Producer of the Year in the Non-Classical category for his work as a producer, Album of the Year for Lady Gaga. chaos and Song of the Year for Lady Gaga Abracadabra.
WATCH | Abracadabra Lady Gaga:
The opportunity to work on Lady Gaga's album came through producer Andrew Watt, who is friends with Walter.
According to Walter, the pair had previously worked on a collaboration between Spears and Elton John and had long been discussing “our next big thing,” which turned out to be a Lady Gaga album.
“She’s an incredible artist,” Walter said. “I always wanted to work with her. And, you know, she became just a friend and close associate. I am so grateful and so happy to be a part of her world. This is so great.”
Abracadabra
Walter's fingerprints are especially evident in the song. Abracadabra. One day during a break in the studio, Walter decided to play the music to an unrelated track he was working on.
“She was like, 'What is this?' This is crazy.” I was like, “Oh, it's just a random beat I made.” And she was very excited about it.”
This spontaneous moment became the basis for the post-chorus of the song.
In the studio, Walter describes his approach as casual. Sometimes he massages the song, and sometimes he takes a more leadership approach.
“Everyone should always feel like they have the ability to throw out any idea and not be ridiculed for it, you know, like it's a safe space to be creative and whatever, to collaborate,” Walter said.
Walter still keeps in touch with Murphy, who is proud of Walter's success.
“It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy,” Murphy said. “He’s just a really, really nice person and a hard worker. And I’m not surprised that it ended this way.”
Walter said he thinks a lot about his time in Halifax and where he ended up. Even he can't believe it.
“I was like, wow, Lady Gaga is sitting right here and she just loved my beat that I just played and we’re making a whole album,” Walter said.
“What is my life like?”
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