Best New Artist Grammy winners: Where are they now?

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 has settled in Las Vegas for a 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 is set to release a new album in 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. The band has put out three more albums, never with the same members, but always with lead singer Amy Lee, who says the band will have a new record out in 2020.

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. Given how she just wrapped her Cry Pretty 360 arena tour, and is stepping down from hosting the CMA Awards after 12 years, it may be a while before Underwood releases her seventh album.

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 in 2020.

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 are kicking off a new tour spring 2020.

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 two nominations for the upcoming 2020 awards night.

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 (nominated for three awards at the 2020 Grammys).

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. Now, after over two years after the release of their second album The Thrill of It All, Smith is ready to release their third record featuring the hit “Dancing With a Stranger.”

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 short time Meghan Trainor has been a Best New Artist Grammy winner, she has already released two albums (Title and Thank You), and been a reality TV judge on the short-lived FOX singing competition The Four. Now, after getting married to Spy Kids star Daryl Sabara, Trainor is releasing her third album Treat Myself in 2020.

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 music has been an EP titled This Summer released in Sept. 2019.

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 most recent Best New Artist winner 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 ended 2019 with her well-received single “Don’t Start Now” off of her upcoming album Future Nostalgia.

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