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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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
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm
GRAMMY.com

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

May 15, 2017 – 2:36 am

James Blake : Overgrown

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

Kendrick Lamar

May 15, 2017 – 2:36 am

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

May 15, 2017 – 2:36 am

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

May 15, 2017 – 2:36 am

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

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

Ed Sheeran

May 15, 2017 – 2:36 am

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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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?

Turntable playing a vinyl record
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What's The Difference? GRAMMY For Album vs. Record Of The Year Explained

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If you don't know, now you know—here's the lowdown on two of music's most well-known yet often-confused terms, especially as they pertain to the GRAMMY Awards
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 9, 2018 - 9:01 am

How many albums are in your record collection? You see, confusion between the terms "album" and "record" are nothing new, as vinyl albums and vinyl records are often called “records”—but this terminology has roots in the history of both.

In the early days of vinyl, a 45-rpm (meaning "revolutions per minute") disc would hold one recording on each side, with an "A-side” —usually the hit single—and a "B-side," meaning a second single, outtake or sleeper hit.

Later, when long-playing records came around at 33 1/3-rpm, more music could be stored on each side because the rotation speed was slower, and "tracks" were born. A series of recorded songs, or tracks, could now fit on a single vinyl and make it an album.

Makes sense? Good! Now let's see how this applies to two GRAMMY Award categories in the General Field: Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year…

Album Of The Year, Explained

Fast-forward to today, when music is enjoyed in a multitude of formats: So, what makes an album eligible for the Album Of The Year category of the GRAMMY Awards? According the Recording Academy official Awards Department guidelines, recordings must contain at least five different tracks and a total playing time of 15 minutes or a total playing time of at least 30 minutes with no minimum track requirement.

Jan 28, 2018 – 10:50 pm

Watch: Bruno Mars Wins Album Of The Year

Voters in this category are expected to consider the quality and artistry of the collection of tracks as a whole, and this GRAMMY is awarded to any artist, featured artist, songwriter of new material, producer, recording engineer, mixer, and mastering engineer with at least 33 percent playing time of the album. For example, last year at the 60th GRAMMY Awards, Bruno Mars' 24K Magic won Album Of The Year.

Record Of The Year, Explained

On the other hand, the Record Of The Year category awards a single track and recognizes the artist’s performance as well as the overall contributions of the producer(s), recording engineer(s), and/or mixer(s), and mastering engineer(s). Bonus points if you read up on how this category is distinguished from Song Of The Year (hint: Song Of The Year is a Songwriter(s) Award…).

May 20, 2015 – 12:38 pm

Whitney Houston Wins Record Of The Year

For example, at the 59th GRAMMY Awards, Adele's mega-hit "Hello" won Record Of The Year. Her album 25 also won Album Of The Year, but "Hello," being an individual track on that album, was eligible and victorious for Record Of The Year.

In both cases, with Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year, recordings must be released in the proper eligibility period and available to the public as stand-alone purchases or audio-only streams, although exceptions are made for opera and music video/film.

For further information on the contrast between these formats, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame is filled with both, clearly labeled. For more helpful information on the GRAMMY Awards process, including key dates, a process overview and FAQs, head over to GRAMMY101.com.

See The Full List Of Nominees For The 61st GRAMMY Awards

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse Best New Artist winner for 2007 | Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

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How Does An Artist Qualify For The Best New Artist GRAMMY Category?

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Take a closer look at the Recording Academy's qualification rules to determine which artists can be considered in the Best New Artist category
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 8, 2018 - 8:59 am

Each year the selection of GRAMMY nominees is the result of careful consideration and voting by Recording Academy members, who must both follow hard-and-fast rules as well as exercise their expert musical judgement. The Best New Artist category highlights newcomers — whether a solo artist, duo or group — but since "new" is a relative term, let's take a closer look at how making the cut is determined.

First of all, eligible artists must have achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and impacted the musical landscape during the year's eligibility period. This speaks to the essence of why Best New Artist is one of the most-anticipated categories each year, honoring exciting new talent in the music world. But sometimes rising stars take a while to reach this point, so numerical limits also help define the criteria for being "new" in this category.

The first numerical rule boils eligibility down to the number of an artist's releases. The minimum required is five singles or tracks or a complete album. The maximum is either three albums or a total of 30 singles or tracks previously released. Having more than this number of releases results in being ineligible even when an artist breaks through into public consciousness and impacts the musical landscape in a given eligibility period.

However, even if this numerical release criterion is met, an artist may still be deemed ineligible if the artist achieved previous prominence, meaning the artist came into prominence prior to the current eligibility year.

Another numerical limit is that an artist cannot have been considered more than three times previously for Best New Artist. This also applies to solo artists who emerge from having performed as a member in previous groups. That's right, being previously considered three times either as a solo artist, in a previous band, or some mixture of the two means an artist is not eligible for Best New Artist consideration.

For more valuable and illuminating information on all things GRAMMY Awards process, head over to GRAMMY101.com, or reach out to the Awards Help Desk at 877.637.6816, and don't forget to tune in Feb. 10.

See The Full List Of Nominees For The 61st GRAMMY Awards