Being nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys is a sign that you have truly made a mark on the industry, even if you don’t take home the award at the show.
Winning the category can set you up for a huge career, but it isn’t the end of the road if an artist loses. In fact, it’s undeniable that some stars who lose the honor are more successful than the winners in the long run.
After all, the Recording Academy doesn’t have a crystal ball, and they can’t exactly predict the future.
With the nominations for the 2025 ceremony arriving on Friday (November 8), we looked back at previous Best New Artist winners.
It turns out that some of music’s biggest stars have been overlooked in the category. For instance, you might be surprised to know that Taylor Swift was up for Best New Artist, but it went to one of her (very talented) competitors.
We pulled together a list of 20 musicians who were nominated in recent years but didn’t win the Grammy. Find out who beat out the likes of Justin Bieber, Drake and Nicki Minaj and prepare for some surprises.
Scroll through the slideshow to see a list of popular artists who did not win Best New Artist at the Grammys…
