Year Winner Nominations
2009 Adele, Duffy, Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum, Jazmine Sullivan
2008 Amy Winehouse Feist, Ledisi, Paramore, Taylor Swift, Cobra Starship
2007 Carrie Underwood James Blunt, Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae
2006 John Legend Ciara, Fall Out Boy, Keane, Sugarland
2005 Maroon 5 Los Lonely Boys, Joss Stone, Kanye West, Gretchen Wilson
2004 Evanescence 50 Cent, Fountains of Wayne, Heather Headley, Sean Paul
2003 Norah Jones Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, John Mayer
2002 Alicia Keys India.Arie, Nelly Furtado, David Gray, Linkin Park
2001 Shelby Lynne Brad Paisley, Papa Roach, Jill Scott, Sisqó
2000 Christina Aguilera Macy Gray, Kid Rock, Britney Spears, Susan Tedeschi


[edit] 1990s
Year Winner Nominations
1999 Lauryn Hill Backstreet Boys, Andrea Bocelli, Dixie Chicks, Natalie Imbruglia
1998 Paula Cole Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, Puff Daddy, Hanson
1997 LeAnn Rimes Garbage, Jewel, No Doubt, The Tony Rich Project
1996 Hootie & the Blowfish Brandy, Alanis Morissette, Joan Osborne, Shania Twain
1995 Sheryl Crow Ace of Base, Counting Crows, Crash Test Dummies, Green Day
1994 Toni Braxton Belly, Blind Melon, Digable Planets, SWV
1993 Arrested Development Billy Ray Cyrus, Sophie B. Hawkins, Kris Kross, Jon Secada
1992 Marc Cohn Boyz II Men, C+C Music Factory, Color Me Badd, Seal
1991 Mariah Carey The Black Crowes, The Kentucky Headhunters, Lisa Stansfield, Wilson Phillips
1990 Milli Vanilli [2] Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Soul II Soul, Tone Lōc


[edit] 1980s
Year Winner Nominations
1989 Tracy Chapman Rick Astley, Toni Childs, Take 6, Vanessa L. Williams
1988 Jody Watley Breakfast Club, Cutting Crew, Terence Trent D'Arby, Swing Out Sister
1987 Bruce Hornsby & The Range Glass Tiger, Nu Shooz, Simply Red, Timbuk3
1986 Sade a-ha, Freddie Jackson, Katrina and the Waves, Julian Lennon
1985 Cyndi Lauper Sheila E., Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Corey Hart, The Judds
1984 Culture Club Big Country, Eurythmics, Men Without Hats, Musical Youth
1983 Men at Work Asia, Jennifer Holliday, The Human League, Stray Cats
1982 Sheena Easton Adam & the Ants, The Go-Go's, James Ingram, Luther Vandross
1981 Christopher Cross Irene Cara, Robbie Dupree, Amy Holland, The Pretenders
1980 Rickie Lee Jones The Blues Brothers, Dire Straits, The Knack, Robin Williams


[edit] 1970s
Year Winner Nominations
1979 A Taste of Honey The Cars, Elvis Costello, Chris Rea, Toto
1978 Debby Boone Stephen Bishop, Shaun Cassidy, Foreigner, Andy Gibb
1977 Starland Vocal Band Boston, Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, The Brothers Johnson, Wild Cherry
1976 Natalie Cole Morris Albert, Amazing Rhythm Aces, Brecker Brothers, KC and the Sunshine Band
1975 Marvin Hamlisch Bad Company, Johnny Bristol, David Essex, Graham Central Station, Phoebe Snow
1974 Bette Midler Eumir Deodato, Maureen McGovern, Marie Osmond, Barry White
1973 America Harry Chapin, The Eagles, Loggins and Messina, John Prine
1972 Carly Simon Chase, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, Bill Withers
1971 The Carpenters Elton John, Melba Moore, Anne Murray, The Partridge Family
1970 Crosby, Stills & Nash Chicago, Led Zeppelin, Oliver, The Neon Philharmonic
[b][Edited 2/9/09 11:09am]

Most years it's spot on; the artist goes on to have futher success. Some years it is not so spot on.

Paula Cole
Arrested Development
Mark Cohen
Milli Vanilli
A Taste of Honey
Starland Vocal Band

1960s
Year Winner Nominations
1969 José Feliciano Cream, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Jeannie C. Riley, O. C. Smith
1968 Bobbie Gentry Lana Cantrell, The Fifth Dimension, Harpers Bizarre, Jefferson Airplane
1967 No award given
1966 Tom Jones The Byrds, Herman's Hermits, Horst Jankowski, Marilyn Maye, Sonny & Cher, Glenn Yarbrough
1965 The Beatles Petula Clark, Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Morgana King
1964 The Swingle Singers Vikki Carr, John Gary, The J's with Jamie, Trini Lopez
1963 Robert Goulet The Four Seasons, Vaughn Meader, The New Christy Minstrels, Peter, Paul and Mary, Allan Sherman
1962 Peter Nero Ann-Margret, Dick Gregory, The Lettermen, Timi Yuro
1961 Bob Newhart The Brothers Four, Miriam Makeba, Leontyne Price, Joanie Sommers
1960 Bobby Darin Edd Byrnes, Mark Murphy, Johnny Restivo, Mavis Rivers

>>>1982 Sheena Easton Adam & the Ants, The Go-Go's, James Ingram, Luther Vandross <<


damn , that was a deep year

newpower99 said:

But how do they determine "new artist?" Adam & The Ants released Dirk Wears White Sox in 1978 and Kings of the Wild Frontier in 1980

NDRU said:

Thats an excellent question. I know there is some stipulation to being nominated for the award but I am unsure as to what it is.

NDRU said:

I have never understood that. Ledisi just released her 4 or 5th cd last year. Lauryn Hill was in the Fugees, and Sisqo was with Dru Hill.

Same for Amy. Did they not include her debut becaust it wasn't released in the U.S.?

Interesting to look back and see which picks fizzled, which runner-ups went on to eclipse the winners, etc.

Also interesting to me: I actually don't even recognize some of the nominee names from the last few years! Maybe they're responsible for some of the "music" I hear in passing and can't run away from fast enough?!

Wowugotit said:

Who should have gotten the award that year?

CandaceS said:

Interesting who never made the list.....

Wowugotit said:

I also think Christopher Cross beating out the Pretenders in 1981 is a crime.

sextonseven said:

good question. Not the best year, and they definitely made the right choice even if A.D. didn't do much afterwards

Graycap23 said:

In the case of Ledisi, it was the first year she released a recording that was eligible to be nominated for a Grammy. Her prior recordings were independently released and NOT eligible. My guess is because she ran her own company and sold them by herself.

As for Lauryn Hill, Sisqo, Jody Watley, etc. They were considered "New" artists because they released solo projects. Jody is the only one that perplexed me. She released an album on the SOLAR label many years before her MCA debut. Sure, the album was mostly Shalamar tracks, but it still had her on it as the main performer.

I have always thought this award was the award of doom. When someone wins this category (in most cases), they tend to disappear or have the sophomore slump. Hell, most of them, you never hear from them again.

When Erykah Badu first came out, she said this was the one Grammy that she did NOT want to win. Simply because the category is jinxed.

Graycap23 said:

I don't see Prince or Madonna anywhere. No Springsteen or Jackson 5/Jacksons/MJ either. But Katrina and the Waves were nominated!?

daPrettyman said:

Kool.
Thanks.

CandaceS said:

Do you think Prince should have been nominated for best new artist based on For You?

sextonseven said:

yeah I think the best artists are often not the ones who have huge hits on their first albums

sextonseven said:

Artist missing from this list:
Prince
P-Funk
Bootsy
Lionel Richie
Kraftwerk
Peter Gabriel
Run DMC
Mary J Blige
Mint Condition
Rick James
D'Angelo
Maxwell.....and a host of others

NDRU said:

I don't think Prince's first album is anything noteworthy. It's pleasant enough, but to be singled out for a best new artist award is undeserving to me.

sextonseven said:

Is the award about the artist of the project?

sextonseven said:

Soft and Wet was the BOMB.....and still is.

Graycap23 said:

If an amazing artist releases a mediocre first album, he or she should not get an award. If an artist with average talent releases a fantastic record, they will get an award.

Graycap23 said:

Artist. It's not based on your album.

If Prince had made an impact like he did in 1979, he possibly would have been nominated. Besides, wasn't "You Light Up My Life" and Andy Gibb better than Prince at that time?
[Edited 2/9/09 12:30pm]

daPrettyman said:

I agree with you there. If Prince's 1979 album--much better than For You--was his first then he would have been grammy worthy.

sextonseven said:

and not just much better, but it was a bigger hit, wasn't it? The common thread among these nominees is that they had huge hits with their "first" albums. Of course they could have just called Prince his "first" album like Back To Black.

daPrettyman said:

Says who?.....lol.
[Edited 2/9/09 13:52pm]

NDRU said:

At least with Amy, you could go with the excuse that Frank was never released in the states, but then there are artists like No Doubt which had two albums out here before they were nominated for best new artist in 1997 for Tragic Kingdom.

The interesting thing is this is the most "bogus" award of all. The grammys have actually changed over the years. One of the bogus things was back in 1986, disqualified, was Whitney Houston, reason, she had a duet with Teddy Pendergrass called "Hold Me" on his album the year earlier, which at the time was a violation of the rules. HOWEVER the year before , Cyndi Lauper won Best New Artist, despite having been signed already with her group "Blue Angel" and though Blue Angel were not charting, this at the time was a CLEAR violation of the rule. Another year this BOGUS bullshit was pulled was in 1987. Richard Marx was disqualified for a song that he did on the "Nothing In Common" soundtrack a year earlier, also disqualified were Expose for the reason that the album "exposure" was recorded with other members a year prior and then re-worked with the famous lineup that had the success, so they were cut, HOWEVER, Jody Watley won, and yet was featured as a member of Shalamar. And though this rule has now been changed, back then you could NOT be a member of a group and then go solo and be nominated, hence, Paul McCartney not being nominated or Ringo Starr etc...