Best New Artist Grammy winners: Where are they now?

Multiplatinum artists, multiple judges on The Voice, indie darlings, a master jazz improvisationalist, and even an EGOT winner all started their careers with one important Grammy win: Best New Artist. No matter the talent, the winners in this category have had wildly different careers. See two decades of Best New Artists and where they are now, ahead.

Who did they beat? Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Tone Lōc, Soul II Soul

What're they up to now? Technically, there was no winner of Best New Artist in 1990 since the Recording Academy, in an unprecedented move, rescinded the award given to Milli Vanilli's Fab Morvan and Rob Piltaus once it was revealed the duo was lip-synching for their lives. Morvan and Pilatus tried to rehabilitate their tarnished reputation with a comeback album, but that was derailed when Pilatus died of an accidental drug overdose in 1998. Morvan has kept busy as a session musician, deejay, and tried his hand at a solo career.

Related: John Davis, one of the real voices behind Milli Vanilli, dies at 66

Who did she beat? The Black Crowes, The Kentucky Headhunters, Lisa Stansfield, Wilson Phillips

What's she up to now? Since winning Best New Artist, Mariah Carey has gone on to become one of the most consistent and successful hitmakers of hers or any generation. In 2019, the elusive chanteuse garnered her 19th No. 1 hit, the most by a solo artist, and second only to the Beatles. In addition to a slew of other awards and accolades, Carey has five Grammys and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.

Related: Mariah Carey's best songs: Ranking her No. 1 hits

Who did he beat? Boyz II Men, C+C Music Factory, Color Me Badd, Seal

What's he up to now? Best known for "Walking in Memphis," Marc Cohn was never able to replicate the success of his breakthrough single and eponymous debut album. Cohn recorded steadily throughout the '90s and the '00s, releasing four more albums. In 2005, he survived an attempted carjacking in which he was shot in the head. Cohn, a Cleveland native, was most recently seen in an SNL musical sketch with Pete Davidson and Method Man extolling the virtues of Staten Island.

Related: Marc Cohn shares his secret

Who did they beat? Billy Ray Cyrus, Sophie B. Hawkins, Kriss Kross, Jon Secada

What're they up to now? The first hip-hop act to win Best New Artist, Arrested Development's brand of socially conscious rap was a response to the gangsta rap that dominated the 1980s and early 1990s. Their debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of… was a critically acclaimed, multiplatinum success, but their 1994 follow-up, while also garnering strong reviews, didn't perform nearly as well, leading the group to break up in 1996. However, though their lineup has changed over the years, AD continues to record and tour with original co-founder Speech still fronting the group.

Who did she beat? Belly, Blind Melon, Digable Planets, SWV

What's she up to now? Following the success of her self-titled debut album, which earned her three Grammys including Best New Artist, Toni Braxton released the even more successful Secrets in 1996, winning another two Grammys in the process. After a much-publicized bankruptcy filing, Braxton came roaring back with The Heat, and another Grammy, in 2001. Braxton filed for bankruptcy again in 2010. But since then, the songstress has rebounded. She has a total of seven Grammys, has recorded and toured regularly, done Broadway, and has even ventured into reality television with her sisters.

Related: What the Grammys looked like in 2001

Who did she beat? Ace of Base, Counting Crows, Crash Test Dummies, Green Day

What's she up to now? Sheryl Crow had sung backup for a number of artists including Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder before hitting it big with her debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club and her breakout hit "All I Wanna Do." After her initial Grammy success, Crow has gone on to earn a total of 32 nominations so far, winning nine over her lengthy career. In 2019, Crow released what she teased might be her final, full-length album, Threads, a collection of duets, to instead focus on releasing singles and EPs.

Related: Sheryl Crow shares the stories and secrets behind her final full-length album, Threads

Who did they beat? Brandy, Alanis Morissette, Joan Osborne, Shania Twain

What're they up to now? In a field of women from a myriad of genres, Hootie & the Blowfish took home Best New Artist, despite fellow nominee Alanis Morisette winning Album of the Year. Thus was the power and influence of the Blowfish, whose debut, Cracked Rear View, became one of the best-selling albums of all time. That kind of runaway success is nearly impossible to replicate, as the band found out with their subsequent albums. Hootie himself, Darius Rucker launched a successful solo country music career but reunited with the Blowfish for their sixth album, Imperfect Circle, in 2019.

Related: Hootie & the Blowfish hit it big

Who did she beat? Garbage, Jewel, No Doubt, The Tony Rich Project

What's she up to now? At 14, LeAnn Rimes became the youngest solo Grammy winner ever, as well as the first country musician to win Best New Artist. Despite this impressive feat, Rimes had released her debut album three years prior, but she crossed over to pop success with her rendition of "How Do I Live." Over the years, Rimes would flirt with pop while remaining faithful to her country roots, releasing a stream of albums, with her 18th planned for 2022. Meanwhile, in 2020, Rimes won the fourth season of The Masked Singer.   

Related: The Masked Singer winner Sun fought to perform that stunning Billie Eilish cover a cappella

Who did she beat? Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, Hanson, Puff Daddy

What's she up to now? Though fellow nominees Fiona Apple and Erykah Badu have gone on to long, critically-acclaimed careers, Paula Cole's "I Don't Want to Wait" has been ingrained in pop culture thanks to its use in millennial touchstone Dawson's Creek. It was Cole's "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?," however, that earned her three Grammy noms, including Record of the Year. Cole's follow-up album, 1999's Amen, under the moniker "The Paula Cole Band," was too much of a stylistic departure for fans and was met with mixed reviews by critics. Still, Cole has recorded steadily over the years, releasing seven additional albums since Amen, her most recent being 2021's American Quilt.

Related: Flashback to the 1998 Grammy Awards

Who did she beat? Backstreet Boys, Andrea Bocelli, The Chicks (previously known as the Dixie Chicks), Natalie Imbruglia

What's she up to now? The 41st Grammys was really Lauryn Hill's night, not only winning Best New Artist, but taking away a then-record five trophies in total, including Album of the Year for her landmark The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, a first for a hip hop album. Following a court battle and subsequent settlement over that album's credits, however, Ms. Hill shied away from the spotlight, never recording a follow-up to her masterpiece, save for an MTV Unplugged double album. She continues to perform and occasionally reunites with her fellow Fugees, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel.   

Related: Artists who left bands for successful solo careers

Who did she beat?

Macy Gray, Kid Rock, Britney Spears, and Susan Tedeschi

What's she up to now?

Christina Aguilera, after famously beating fellow Mickey Mouse Club castmate Britney Spears, Aguilera showed a knack for evolution. She would go through a dirty era, a pinup era, and a bionic era before becoming a longtime judge on the reality show competition The Voice. After releasing a new album in 2018, Aguilera had a Las Vegas residency at the Planet Hollywood resort and casino.

Related: Christina Aguilera on her new album and comeback: "I was a little asleep at the wheel"

Who did she beat?

Brad Paisley, Papa Roach, Jill Scott, and Sisqó

What's she up to now?

Singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne had a leg up on her country-rock peer Brad Paisley, having launched her career over a decade prior on cable talent show Nashville Now. Since her breakthrough album I Am Shelby Lynne, the artist has spent the past two decades steadily releasing albums, most notably her critically-acclaimed 2017 record Not Dark Yet with sister Allison Moorer.

Who did she beat?

India Arie, Nelly Furtado, David Gray, and Linkin Park

What's she up to now?

One of the most successful Best New Artist winners there's ever been, Alicia Keys won five out of six of the Grammys she was nominated for in 2002, and has since won 10 more. Another former judge of The Voice, Keys latest album Alicia was released at the end of 2020. 

Related: Alicia Keys: The stories behind the songs

Who did she beat?

Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, and John Mayer

What's she up to now?

Breakthrough jazz artist Norah Jones beat out pop mainstays like Avril Lavigne and John Mayer at the 2003 Grammys, even winning Album of the Year for her debut. While she hasn't matched the phenomenon of Come Away with Me, Jones put out six albums since then, the most recent being in 2016, and went on tour throughout the summer of 2019.

Related: Norah Jones on new song "Wintertime" and her next chapter: "That whole album cycle push, I'm not up for it"

Who did they beat?

50 Cent, Fountains of Wayne, Heather Headley, and Sean Paul

What're they up to now?

Even as they were accepting the Grammy for Best New Artist, Evanescence already had an ever-changing lineup that excluded founding member David Hodges and Ben Moody. Lead singer Amy Lee has always remained the throughline of the band, who have another album out in 2021

Related: Evanescence's Amy Lee reveals stories behind the songs

Who did they beat?

Los Lonely Boys, Joss Stone, Kanye West, and Gretchen Wilson

What're they up to now?

Much to the chagrin of rapper Kanye West, Maroon 5 won the Best New Artist Grammy nearly three years after their debut album Songs About Jane was released. The band hasn't received much love from the Recording Academy since, but has skyrocketed in popularity, consistently staying atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and even performing the Super Bowl halftime show in 2019. Their lead singer Adam Levine is another winner who sat in The Voice judge chair for a long time, the longest of any of the other winners from the past 20 years.

Related: Three rounds with Maroon 5

Who did he beat?

Ciara, Fall Out Boy, Keane, and Sugarland

What's he up to now?

The last of these winners to serve time as a judge on The Voice, John Legend has put out an album about every three years. The musician's real success though has been as producer for film, TV, and theater, becoming the youngest EGOT winner ever in 2018.

Related: John Legend: Darkness and Light LP might "help people heal"

Who did she beat?

James Blunt, Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, and Corinne Bailey Rae

What's she up to now?

Amongst all the reality TV judges on this list is a reality TV competition winner Carrie Underwood. The American Idol star is the only finalist from the show to have won or even been nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy, and has since become one of country music's biggest superstars and has since become one of country music's biggest superstars — though she recently tried her hand at Christmas music and gospel too.

Related: Carrie Underwood on making a leap with Cry Pretty and taking women on the road: "I hate being put in a box"

Who did she beat?

Feist, Ledisi, Paramore, and Taylor Swift

What's she up to now?

Trailblazing British neo-soul singer Amy Winehouse is one of music's great tragedies. Her second album Back to Black netted her five Grammys in one night, and sustained her career for years to come, but was sadly the last one she'd ever release while still alive. Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at age 27 in 2011.

Related: Amy Winehouse: A tumultuous life

Who did she beat?

Duffy, Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum, and Jazmine Sullivan

What's she up to now?

Before her albums were musical events, Adele won the Best New Artist Grammy off her work on the album 19, representative of the age when she made it. Since then, the vocalist released her 2011 album 21 and became arguably the most successful female artist in the world. Nearly five years after her last album 25, and one breakup later, Adele seems to be gearing up to release new music soon.

Related: Adele broke her Grammy in half

Who did they beat?

Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups, and The Ting Tings

What're they up to now?

Country act Zac Brown Band hit big with their single "Chicken Fried," originally recorded in 2003, but re-released in 2008. After the band won Best New Artist at the 2010 Grammys, they have put a new album out on average every two years. The group recently won a CMA Award for the video for their 2019 single "Someone I Used to Know," and released three new songs in 2020 after they had to cancel their tour plans.

Related: Zac Brown breaks down his band's rootsy new album

Who did she beat?

Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence and the Machine, and Mumford & Sons

What's she up to now?

Esperanza Spalding, one of the most famous Grammy upsets of the past decade, won her Best New Artist Grammy over pop mainstays like Drake and Justin Bieber. The prodigy has continued to thrive in the jazz world, since winning three more Grammys, with the most recent being in 2020 for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Related: Who is Esperanza Spalding? Jazz singer talks surprise Best New Artist Grammy nomination, being friends with Prince, and more

Who did they beat?

The Band Perry, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, and Skrillex

What're they up to now?

Fronted by Justin Vernon, the Wisconsin indie rock band Bon Iver overcame rappers J. Cole and Nicki Minaj to win the Best New Artist Grammy in 2012 off their eponymous second album. The band is still together, albeit with less members, having released the 2016 album 22, A Million, and i,i.

Related: Bon Iver's Justin Vernon talks about his new album, Kanye, and why home is where the heart is

Who did they beat?

Alabama Shakes, Hunter Hayes, The Lumineers, and Frank Ocean

What're they up to now?

The band fun., consisting of Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff, and Andrew Dost, beat out acts like Frank Ocean and Alabama Shakes that are beloved by critics. However, "We Are Young" hitmakers went on hiatus in 2015, never releasing another album since their Grammy win. Now, it is mainly fun. bassist Antonoff still in the spotlight for writing and producing songs for female artists like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Lorde.

Related: Loved last night's cover of "We Are Young" on Glee? Meet the NYC indie rockers who wrote it, and hear their original

Who did they beat?

James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran

What're they up to now?

Not even in hindsight, that same night, Macklemore admitted that he and Ryan Lewis were a major upset over Kendrick Lamar. While other 2014 Best New Artist nominees like Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran have gone on to win Album of the Year and Song of the Year respectively, the duo has not been nominated for a Grammy since. After releasing the album This Unruly Mess I've Made in 2016, the duo went on hiatus. Rapper Macklemore has teased an upcoming album that will incorporate his music with magic.

Related: Macklemore on "Thrift Shop" video

Who did they beat?

Iggy Azalea, Bastille, Brandy Clark, and Haim

What're they up to now?

Sam Smith's road to the Best New Artist Grammy started in 2012 with the slow burn of their single "Latch," a collaboration with electronic duo Disclosure. Their debut album In The Lonely Hour would come in 2014, netting them 4 Grammy wins including Best New Artist. A 2016 Oscar win for the theme to James Bond movie Spectre would follow. Most recently, Smith released their third album Love Goes featuring the hit "Dancing With A Stranger" featuring Normani.

Related: Sam Smith responds to Oscars acceptance speech criticism

Who did she beat?

Courtney Barnett, James Bay, Sam Hunt, and Tori Kelly

What's she up to now?

In the relatively short time Meghan Trainor has been a Best New Artist Grammy winner, she has already released four more albums, and been a reality TV judge on the short-lived FOX singing competition The Four. Trainor also is now happily married to Spy Kids star Daryl Sabara, with the couple welcoming their first child in February 2021.

Related: Pop phenomenon Meghan Trainor talks her viral hit "All About That Bass"

Who did he beat?

Kelsea Ballerini, The Chainsmokers, Maren Morris, and Anderson .Paak

What's he up to now?

Chance The Rapper has the distinction of being the only Best New Artist winner of the past two decades to have won without ever having released a studio album. The indie rapper finally released The Big Day in 2019, the same year he appeared as a judge on Netflix reality competition show Rhythm and Flow.

Related: The Big Day is Chance the Rapper's ode to marital bliss

Who did she beat?

Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels, and SZA

What's she up to now?

Alessia Cara had big competition in fellow successful pop-R&B acts Khalid and SZA. The singer-songwriter, who broke through with her introvert anthem "Here," released her second studio album Growing Pains the same year of her Grammy win. Her latest collection of songs has been an EP titled Holiday Stuff released in December 2020.

Related: Alessia Cara previews her empowering second LP: "It's a good time to be positive"

Who did she beat?

Chloe x Halle, Luke Combs, Greta Van Fleet, H.E.R., Margo Price, Bebe Rexha, and Jorja Smith

What's she up to now?

The one of most recent Best New Artist winners is also the one who had the most competition. Dua Lipa bested Beyoncé protegeés Chloe x Halle, musical prodigy H.E.R., and country phenom Luke Combs at the beginning of 2019, and has since had a slow burn toward pop domination with her latest, critically-acclaimed album Future Nostalgia.

Related: Everything you need to know about Dua Lipa's pop superstardom

Who did she beat?

Black Pumas, Maggie Rogers, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Rosalía, Tank and the Bangas, and Yola

What's she up to now?

Winning Best New Artist was just an appetizer for the teen phenom on Grammys night. Billie Eilish ended up winning the other three big three awards (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year) too, making her the first woman to sweep all four major categories. While the global pandemic would reach America shortly after her big night, the young artist has still been able to release big singles like "Therefore I Am," and just had a documentary about her meteoric rise premiere on AppleTV+.

Related: Extremely loud and incredibly close: An inside look at the new era of music documentaries