Look at the list of Grammy nominees for 2024, and you will see many familiar names: Taylor Swift, Jon Batiste, and Billie Eilish, among others who have racked up tens and even dozens of nominations in the past. With the same names dominating the charts—and awards shows—year after year, it’s hard not to wonder which musical newcomers made the cut in 2024 and if they’ll be able to hold their own alongside Grammy veterans.
The Grammys’ Best New Artist category is known for showcasing up-and-coming musicians who have made a big impact relative to their time in the industry. Many of the past winners in this category have since become household names, from Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, and Olivia Rodrigo in recent years to Bette Midler, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Tracy Chapman back in the early days of the award.
But Best New Artist is not the only category that features first-time nominees. Many Grammy newcomers are nominated in other categories, whether they’re considered a new artist or have been releasing music for years. This year, first-timers are up for Best African Music Performance, Best Music Video, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, to name a few.
Notably, however, many awards categories are left off the Grammys telecast. Genre categories outside of the pop mainstream frequently go untelevised but are no less important for the artists and fans of the genre. Additionally, the Recording Academy, the body behind the Grammy Awards, has received criticism for its inconsistent—and, some allege, unfair—voting process, which makes it easier for already-famous artists to score votes.
Stacker compiled a list of 10 newcomers using news reports and information from the Recording Academy to highlight just some of this year’s first-time Grammy nominees. The Grammys will be presented on Feb. 4, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST. Before you tune in, read on to learn more about the artists being recognized for their musical accomplishments for the first time.
Ice Spice’s meteoric rise to fame has been boosted by collaborations with music giants like Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj, with many christening the New Yorker the new “princess of rap.” Ice Spice received four Grammy nominations: two for her “Barbie” soundtrack collaboration with Minaj, “Barbie World,” one for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for assisting on Swift’s “Karma,” and one for Best New Artist for her debut album, “Like..?” The 24-year-old Bronx native is known for her “pop drill” sound and soft, laid-back delivery.
Best New Artist nominee Noah Kahan was launched into the spotlight with the release of “Stick Season,” his third album. The folk-pop artist’s sound is defined by strings, heavily featuring the banjo, acoustic guitar, and mandolin. Kahan’s music often deals with mental health struggles and meditations on growing up in an isolated Vermont town. Despite that small-town upbringing, Kahan has collaborated with some of the industry’s biggest names, including Post Malone, Hozier, and Kacey Musgraves.
Icelandic jazz-pop artist Laufey has made waves among younger generations with a nostalgic sound that harks back to jazz standards of the ’40s and ’50s. A classically trained musician who sings and plays piano, cello, and electric guitar, 24-year-old Laufey is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for her second album, “Bewitched.” She has cited her musical influences as including Franz Liszt and Frédéric Chopin and has collaborated with a musical hero of hers, Norah Jones.
Coi Leray is nominated in two different Grammy categories this year: Best Rap Performance for “Players” and Best Pop Dance Recording for “Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” a collab between her and DJ David Guetta and English singer-songwriter Anne-Marie.
She’s made a name for herself as both a singer and a rapper, opening for Beyoncé in Los Angeles on the “Renaissance World Tour” and collaborating with high-profile producers and artists like Guetta and Fetty Wap. The New Jersey star built a following on SoundCloud back in 2018 while working a customer service job; soon after, she was showing up on everything from the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soundtrack to the stage at the 2023 “A Grammy Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop” event.
The youngest artist on the list, 21-year-old Ayra Starr is nominated for Best African Music Performance for her song “Rush.” Born in Benin and raised in Nigeria, Starr has a unique Afropop and R&B sound that has propelled her to international stardom and a 2024 world tour. She has collaborated with artists including Stormzy, Kelly Rowland, and Wizkid, as well as producers like David Guetta.
At 24, Gracie Abrams has already toured with pop megastars like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo and is nominated for Best New Artist, thanks to her debut album, “Good Riddance.” Known for her confessional, bedroom-pop style, Abrams has collaborated with fellow Best New Artist nominee Noah Kahan and counts pop stars like Billie Eilish and Lorde among her fans.
Indie artist Caroline Rose has already released multiple albums spanning different genres, including folk, country, and pop-rock. Their fifth album, “The Art of Forgetting,” earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package, an award for the visual aesthetic of an album.
Rose was the creative force behind the album cover, which features a photo of her wearing red underwear, a red blindfold, and a fur coat, sitting in a warmly lit room filled with flames and smoke. Despite Rose’s musical shifts throughout the years, they have always had a strong and consistent visual style underscored by pops of bright red—though she maintains that their penchant for the color was purely accidental.
Mexican artist Peso Pluma is a contender for this year’s Best Música Mexicana Album Grammy for “Génesis.” At just 24 years old, Pluma has made waves on an international scale with his music, which is influenced by the regional Mexican music he grew up hearing in Guadalajara. Five of his songs have charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and he’s collaborated with Nicki Nicole and Ovy on the Drums. He’s even appeared at Coachella, surprising fans as a guest of Latin pop artist Becky G.
Singer and actor Coco Jones has been nominated for an astonishing five Grammys this year, including Best New Artist, Best R&B Album for her 2022 EP “What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe),” and both Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for “ICU.” The 26-year-old kicked off her career when she was 14, starring in the Disney musical film “Let It Shine.” Jones has since collaborated with artists like Babyface and Justin Timberlake, and her musical style plays on a traditional R&B sound with a modern twist.
South African-born Australian singer Troye Sivan received his first Grammy nominations this year, though his songs have been on and off the Billboard Hot 100 since 2014. His song “Rush,” from his third album, “Something to Give Each Other,” is nominated for Best Music Video and Best Pop Dance Recording. Sivan, an openly gay performer with a dynamic electro-pop sound, has amassed a following among younger generations of LGBTQ+ listeners and dance-pop fans over the last decade.
Story editing by Cu Fleshman. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
