- Best new artist is one of the most high-profile Grammy Awards.
- Major stars like Adele, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and The Beatles have won in the past.
- However, not-so-famous artists have also won, including Esperanza Spalding and Christopher Cross.
Best new artist is one of the “Big Four” categories at the Grammy Awards, a huge honor for any rising music star.
The category is also somewhat controversial. Qualifications have shifted over the years, but in general, artists don’t actually need to be “new” in order to be nominated. They just need to be “new” to the mainstream.
These days, screening committees are tasked with evaluating whether artists “had attained a breakthrough or prominence prior to the eligibility year.” In short, the award is meant to distinguish the artist who had the shiniest banner year — and has an even brighter future.
This hasn’t always worked out as planned. While some of the best new artists have gone on to superstardom, just as many winners have faded from the spotlight.
We rounded up 11 of the most famous best new artists in Grammys history, as well as 11 of the least famous.
(Note: We only considered artists who won 10 or more years ago. For those who won more recently, their fame is too fresh to gauge objectively. Each category is listed below in reverse chronological order.)
