In advance of the 61st annual Grammy Awards, Pittsford native Teddy Geiger sat down with CBS This Morning to talk about being nominated and about the decision to come out as transgender.

“In My Blood,” penned by Geiger, Shawn Mendes, Scott Harris and Geoffrey Warburton, is up for Song of the Year, an award honoring songwriters. Mendes recorded the song.

A former teen heartthrob who had a Top 40 single in 2006 with “For You I Will (Confidence),” Geiger told the morning show in an interview that aired Wednesday that “In My Blood” was inspired by and captures the common experience “of really wanting to do something and being afraid.”

Which is how Geiger felt before revealing her truth about gender identity to friends — and then the world.

“People have their image of you or their ideas about who you are, and it can be frustrating,” said Geiger, who now lives in Los Angeles. In addition, “When I was growing up, I didn’t know of anybody who was trans. There was always like this shame, anxiety thing around all of that, even if I wasn’t actively expressing it.”

Geiger is one of three trans women to receive Grammy nominations this year, CBS This Morning noted, adding that a win would be historic.

“It’s cool for people to be able to see that and to have more artists and people who are trans just, like, doing things and being visible,” Geiger said.

Geiger has worked with Mendes on several other singles. She has also co-written songs for Maroon 5, James Blunt, One Direction and Christina Aguilera, among others. Geiger had major roles in the 2006 CBS series Love Monkey and the 2008 movie The Rocker.

The Grammys air live at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, on CBS.

More:Pittsford native Teddy Geiger talks publicly about transitioning