Ed Sheeran, Best New Artist GRAMMY nominee

Ed Sheeran

Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

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What qualifies a Best New Artist GRAMMY winner as 'new'?

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:08 am

With the recent launch of The Recording Academy's and Pepsi's Best New Artist program, in our latest installment of Ask The GRAMMYs we feature a question pertaining to eligibility for the Best New Artist category:

Ed Sheeran was nominated for a GRAMMY last year and this year he is nominated in the Best New Artist category? What exactly qualifies an artist as "new"? — Joanna X

Thanks for your question, Joanna X.

Our Best New Artist category probably has the most complicated set of rules of any of our categories. Essentially, a "new artist" is defined for the GRAMMY process as any performing artist or established performing group who releases, during the eligibility year, the recording that first establishes the public identity of that artist or established group as a performer. A GRAMMY nomination in a performance category in a prior year disqualifies an artist from competing in this category, unless the nomination came from a single or a guest spot on another artist's recording, and the artist hadn't yet released a full album.

In Ed Sheeran's case, he was nominated for songwriting last year, not performing, and so remained technically eligible.

Still not completely clear? We hope not, and for more information on the GRAMMY Awards process, check out our handy infographic.

And for exclusive content on Sheeran and the rest of this year's Best New Artist nominees, visit GRAMMY.com.

(Have a specific GRAMMY Awards process question? Need the 411 on The Recording Academy's advocacy-related work in Washington? Are you curious about MusiCares or the GRAMMY Foundation? Ask The GRAMMYs is your opportunity. Send your burning GRAMMY-related question via email to askthegrammys@grammy.com. And don't forget to tune in to Music's Biggest Night, the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards, on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT.)

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Exploring The Best New Artist Nominees

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A look at the nominees for Best New Artist for the 56th GRAMMY Awards
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

You've seen the list of nominees, now take a closer look at the Best New Artist nominees for the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Best New Artist

The Best New Artist race features artists who released albums that charted on the Billboard 200 in 2013: James Blake (Overgrown, No. 32), Kendrick Lamar (Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, No. 2), Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (The Heist, No. 2), Kacey Musgraves (Same Trailer Different Park, No. 2), and Ed Sheeran (+, No. 5).

The category includes four first-time nominees — Blake, Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Musgraves — and returning nominee Sheeran, who is looking to win his first career GRAMMY.

 

James Blake

James Blake : Overgrown

Blake has one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of his career.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar - Poetic Justice (Explicit) ft. Drake

Lamar's seven nominations this year include Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album for Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - WHITE WALLS - FEAT. SCHOOLBOY Q AND HOLLIS (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have seven nominations this year, including Album Of The Year for The Heist.

Kacey Musgraves

watch%3Fv%3DkQ8xqyoZXCc%3Flist%3DUUosnVpvQYMR58p8A8tBY-dw

Musgraves has four nominations this year, including Best Country Album for Same Trailer Different Park.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran - The A Team [Official Video]

Sheeran has two nominations this year and one prior GRAMMY nomination, a Song Of The Year nod last year for "The A Team."

Who will take home the GRAMMY for Best New Artist? Tune in to the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 26, 2014, taking place at Staples Center in Los Angeles and airing live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

 

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The 56th GRAMMY Awards: The Guessing Game (Part 2)

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THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 3:22 pm

(Editor's Note: The winners for the 56th GRAMMY Awards are not known until they are announced during the Pre-Telecast and GRAMMY telecast on Sunday, Jan. 26. The following blog offers predictions that do not reflect the opinions of The Recording Academy, GRAMMY.com or Recording Academy voting members. The Academy's voting members, all involved in the creative and technical processes of recording, participate in the nominating process that determines the finalists in each GRAMMY category; and the final voting process that determines the GRAMMY winners. For more information on the GRAMMY Awards process, visit GRAMMY.org.)

The pundits are pontificating, the more than 12,000 Recording Academy voters have cast their ballots, and the 56th GRAMMY Awards, airing on CBS Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, is just around the corner, so what better time to survey this year's GRAMMY field and offer a few observations?

As I pointed out in my first blog, in which I peered into the crystal ball for the nominations, the following are my personal educated guesses in the General Field and select GRAMMY categories from my perspective as a longtime professional observer.

Record Of The Year
Certainly no one can quibble with this year's nominees. There's consensus that Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams' "Get Lucky," Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," Lorde's "Royals," Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams' "Blurred Lines" and Bruno Mars' "Locked Out Of Heaven" were the most ubiquitous songs of the past year, both in terms of airplay and critical acclaim. That said, Mars, with four current nominations and a total of 14 prior GRAMMY nominations and one win (Best Pop Male Vocal Performance for "Just The Way You Are" in 2010), seems ripe for recognition — complete with the heat surrounding his upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance — though any of the other four wouldn't be a surprise.

Album Of The Year
This category includes a nominee from pop (Sara Bareilles), dance (Daft Punk), country (Taylor Swift), and two hip-hop artists (Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis). Album Of The Year has a diverse history (recent winners include Mumford & Sons, Adele, Arcade Fire, Swift, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss), and the presence of two rap acts might split that vote. Could that open the door for Bareilles, or another coronation for Swift, whose Fearless garnered the nod in 2009? That's what I'm thinking.

Song Of The Year
The competition is strong in this category, which recognizes songwriters, with Record Of The Year nominees "Locked Out Of Heaven" and "Royals" represented, Pink Featuring Nate Ruess' "Just Give Me A Reason" and Katy Perry's tour de force "Roar." But here's guessing that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Same Love" captures the political zeitgeist this year, just as the Dixie Chicks ("Not Ready To Make Nice") and Bruce Springsteen ("Streets Of Philadelphia") have in years past.

Best New Artist
Once again, a mixed genre bag, with UK dub-step artist James Blake, Compton, Calif., hip-hop hopeful Kendrick Lamar, country newcomer Kacey Musgraves and Brit folkie Ed Sheeran forming a strong batch of contenders. However, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' DIY success story and overturning of hip-hop orthodoxy in areas of bling and sexuality could just make the difference here.

Best Pop Solo Performance
Could this be where Justin Timberlake gets his due for the smash "Mirrors"? Or will Bareilles' "Brave" get the nod? Also in the mix are Perry's "Roar," Mars' "When I Was Your Man" and Lorde's "Royals." With not-so-perfect 20/20 foresight, I'm going with JT here.

Best Pop Vocal Album
A tough one to call, with pop starlet Lana Del Rey (Paradise) and the presence of General Field nominees Lorde (Pure Heroine), Mars (Unorthodox Jukebox) and Thicke (Blurred Lines) all accounted for, but I think this is where Timberlake (The 20/20 Experience — The Complete Experience) will reign.

Best Rock Performance
Deserving veterans David Bowie ("The Stars [Are Out Tonight]"), Led Zeppelin ("Kashmir"), Jack White ("I'm Shakin"), and Queens Of The Stone Age ("My God Is The Sun") are all represented here, along with last year's Best New Artist nominees Alabama Shakes ("Always Alright"), but I don't think newcomers Imagine Dragons' Record Of The Year nominee "Radioactive" will be denied.

Best Rock Song
Paul McCartney and Nirvana ("Cut Me Some Slack"), the Rolling Stones ("Doom And Gloom") and Black Sabbath ("God Is Dead?") are nominated, along with Muse ("Panic Station") and Gary Clark Jr. ("Ain't Messin 'Round), but I believe the presence of Dave Grohl with a living legend like Macca makes "… Slack" a "cut" above the rest.

Best Rap Album
Lamar (Good Kid, M.A.A.D City) and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (The Heist) face off against the reigning hip-hop triumvirate of Jay Z (Magna Carta … Holy Grail), Kanye West (Yeezus) and Drake (Nothing Was The Same). My call? Lamar edges out his Seattle rivals to snare the prize.

Best Country Album
If Swift (Red) doesn't claim Album Of The Year, this will be a worthy consolation over a strong field, including Musgraves (Same Trailer Different Park), Jason Aldean (Night Train), Tim McGraw (Two Lanes Of Freedom) and Blake Shelton (Based On A True Story).

You've read my predictions. Who do you think GRAMMY voters will choose?

Zac Brown Band at the 2010 GRAMMYs

Zac Brown Band at the 2010 GRAMMYs

 
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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Zac Brown Band Win Best New Artist At The 2010 GRAMMYs

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Following the release of their major-label debut single, "Chicken Fried," and the subsequent album, 'The Foundation,' the Georgia country outfit had arrived
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 31, 2020 - 9:57 am

Let's take a trip back to the 2010 GRAMMYs, when Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" was crowned Song Of The Year, Taylor Swift's Fearless snagged Album Of The Year and Zac Brown Band earned the coveted Best New Artist win.

For the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, GRAMMY.com celebrates frontman Zac Brown's 42nd birthday today (July 31) by revisiting the country rock band's first-ever GRAMMY win.

Zac Brown Band Win Best New Artist

Watch as Brown and bandmates Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell Hopkins, Coy Bowles and Chris Fryar accept their Best New Artist win, fittingly presented by GRAMMY-winning country superstar Keith Urban, with big smiles. (Then-newest member Clay Cook is represented by a printout of his face).

Watch: GRAMMY Rewind: Jennifer Lopez (In The Green Versace Dress) & David Duchovny Present Best R&B Album At The 2000 GRAMMYs

"There's so many people that we wanna thank, and it's such an honor to be on this stage," Brown said as he proudly held the golden gramophone. The band was able to take a moment to thank just about everyone that was a part of their breakthrough year—right before the exit music began to play.

The beloved Georgia group beat out fellow 2010 Best New Artist nominees Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups and The Ting Tings.

Vote: Poll: What's Your Favorite Song On Taylor Swift's 'Folklore'?

Later in the evening, Zac Brown Band also made their GRAMMY stage performance debut, playing a medley of "America The Beautiful," "Dixie Lullaby" and their breakout No. 1 country hit, "Chicken Fried," alongside GRAMMY-winning songwriting/guitar legend Leon Russell.

That same year, Zac Brown Band were also nominated for Best Country Album for their 2008 major-label debut LP, The Foundation, and Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Chicken Fried."

Since their big night, they have won two more GRAMMYs, for a grand total of three career GRAMMYs to date. They received three more nominations at the 2011 GRAMMYs, when they took home their second win for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "As She's Walking Away" featuring Alan Jackson.

Happy birthday, Zac!

Quarantine Diary: Charley Crockett Is Filming Three Music Videos At Sam's Town Point In Austin

Rio Cinema in London

Rio Cinema in London

Photo: Barry Lewis/InPictures/Getty Images

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UK Government Pledges Arts Relief Package: "Biggest Ever One-Off Investment In UK Culture"

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Cultural institutions, including music venues, will be sharing funds from the "£1.15 billion support pot for cultural organizations in England," as the announcement states. £880 million of that money will be offered as grants and the rest as loans
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 7, 2020 - 1:17 pm

On July 5, the British government announced a £1.57 billion ($1.96 billion USD) coronavirus relief package for the gravely affected arts and culture sector of the country, including music venues, theaters, museums, galleries, independent cinemas, cultural institutions and freelance workers in the arts. No information on how to apply for funds—which will be distributed as loans and grants—has been given yet.

The news comes days after a coalition of over 1,500 British musicians, including Dua Lipa, the Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora, urged the government to assist the £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion) live music sector with the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign.

Read: Congress Works To Improve COVID-19 Relief For Creators

"Our world-renowned galleries, museums, heritage sites, music venues and independent cinemas are not only critical to keeping our economy thriving, employing more than 700,000 people, they're the lifeblood of British culture," wrote Rishi Sunak, U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the announcement. "That's why we're giving them the vital cash they need to safeguard their survival, helping to protect jobs and ensuring that they can."

"I understand the grave challenges the arts face and we must protect and preserve all we can for future generations. Today we are announcing a huge support package of immediate funding to tackle the funding crisis they face. I said we would not let the arts down, and this massive investment shows our level of commitment," U.K. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden added.

The immediacy of the "immediate funding" is unclear, as applications and guidelines are not yet available. As Billboard reports, "Exactly how much funding will benefit the music sector, and what the process will be for allocating the funds, has not yet been fully fleshed out."

"We don't know the breakdown of how much will go to live music venues versus other sectors as applications are not open yet," the spokesperson says. "They will be soon."

Explore: Resources for Music Creators & Professionals Affected By COVID-19: Asia, Europe & The U.K.

All applicable cultural institutions, including music venues, will be sharing funds from the "£1.15 billion support pot for cultural organizations in England," as the announcement states. £880 million of that money will be offered as grants, while the remaining £270 million will be repayable loans. An additional £188 million will be allocated to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The government will determine who the grants are allocated to in partnership with "expert independent figures from the sector including the Arts Council England and other specialist bodies such as Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. [Additionally,] repayable finance will be issued on generous terms tailored for cultural institutions to ensure they are affordable."

Read: #TheShowMustBePaused Creators Brianna Agyemang & Jamila Thomas Talk Vision, Next Steps

As Billboard highlights, "The funding will also target employment, including freelancers in the music industry. More than 350,000 people in the recreation and leisure sector have been furloughed since the pandemic began. (The U.K. live music sector supports 210,000 jobs)."

"Eligibility for grants and loans must be as broad as possible to ensure maximum take up from across the industry from those in desperate need of help," Tom Kiehl, acting CEO at U.K. Music, told the outlet.

More Support: The Best Apps & Tools For Recording And Monetizing Music In The COVID-19 Era

For more information on COVID-19 relief for those in the music industry, please visit MusiCares useful resource page. You can also find more info on applying for a one-time grant from the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, or donating to the Fund, if you are able.

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