INDIO, CA - APRIL 12: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) (L-R) Jennie Kim, Rosé, ... [+]
At this point, it can be difficult to predict who may or may not be nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys for the sole reason that who is eligible and who isn’t is often a point of contention. Some acts who only have a few songs out may wind up being up for the prize, while others who have released a number of albums or mixtapes throughout the years are selected as potential winners, even if they no longer appear to be “new” to most in the know.
There are bound to be one or two surprises come nomination day, but there are some figures who seem destined to be included in this vertical, which is the only one at the Grammys where a musician can be chosen just once.
Below are my predictions for Best New Artist.
Very Likely
By my personal count, I believe there are eight names that have a really great shot at being nominated for Best New Artist...which means that if all of them do wind up earning a coveted spot, all the other musicians mentioned in the other sections of this piece are out of luck.
In the pop field, Ava Max, Conan Gray, Lewis Capaldi and Blackpink could all be named, though any of them might be excluded in favor of other talents. Country newcomer and American Idol contestant Gabby Barrett’s debut single “I Hope” recently became the rare country top 10 hit on the Hot 100, so she’s probably a lock. R&B powerhouse Summer Walker deserves a spot, while rappers Megan Thee Stallion (if she’s eligible, which she seems to be) and Pop Smoke have more than earned this form of recognition. The latter act has already passed away, but hopefully that doesn’t keep voters from including him, as his legacy deems him worthy.
Possible
There are a number of names who have landed big hits or broken out in a major way this year, but looking at how crowded this category may be already, it’s tough to say if any of them will be nominated come this December. Doja Cat, Tones and I, Alec Benjamin and Jack Harlow have all enjoyed some chart success, but will Grammy voters love them enough, or appreciate their work enough, to sub some of them in lieu of others mentioned above?
Long Shot
As always, there are quite a few other musicians who are eligible or who have accrued enough chart or sales success to pop up on the radar of voters, but I’m not necessarily putting my money on any of them at this moment.
Hip-hop artists Don Toliver, Saweetie, 24kGoldn, Iann Dior, Arizona Zervas, Trevor Daniel, Joji, Lil Mosey, Saint Jhn and The Kid Laroi have all kickstarted brilliant careers, but it's possible voters didn’t get to know them well enough to nominate them.
K-pop powerhouses SuperM, NCT 127 and Monsta X all broke out and achieved things very few from South Korea have in U.S. history in the past eligibility period, but if there’s one spot for someone from that burgeoning field this time around, I believe Blackpink will win that race.
Pop musicians and groups like Benee, Powfu, Gus Dapperton, Beabadoobee and JP Saxe all landed global hits, but they’re far from household names at this point.
Country singer-songwriters like Ingrid Andress, Parker McCollum and both Tenille Townes and Tenille Arts have started to make a name for themselves, but it’s tough to say if their minor chart wins have been large enough for them to earn a nod in the Best New Artist category.
