It’s Time to Meet the Best New Artist Nominees at This Year’s Grammys
Take this as a sign to add them to your playlists if you haven’t already.
Every year, the Recording Academy honors rising artists on music’s biggest night with their own dedicated category at the Grammy Awards. That sort of recognition marks a major milestone in each respective nominee’s career, as their star inevitably rises and more eyes are drawn to their work. While any Grammy nod is special, the Best New Artist category is especially iconic, as previous nominees include cultural phenomena like The Beatles, Justin Bieber, Sam Smith, and, yes, even Taylor Swift. That doesn’t even cover the folks who took home the award—ahem: Lauryn Hill, Chappell Roan, Dua Lipa, and Megan Thee Stallion, to name a few.
Now that all that name-dropping is out of the way, it’s time to meet this year’s nominees, who are set to perform at Spotify’s annual Best New Artist party and hit the Grammys stage on February 1. For starters, KATSEYE became one of the biggest global girl groups (if not the biggest) since debuting on Netflix’s Pop Star Academy. Then, there’s Sombr, whose moody situationship anthems took over radio waves and broke streaming records. Addison Rae and Alex Warren, who went from TikTok’s top Hype House influencers to bona fide recording artists, are also nominated in the coveted category. Those are only a few of the folks up for the golden gramophone this year, so let us introduce you to all the 2026 Best New Artist Grammy nominees!
Olivia Dean
Songs you’ve heard: “Man I Need,” “So Easy (To Fall In Love),” and “Nice to Each Other”
Olivia Dean has been an artist to watch since she dropped her debut album, Messy, in 2o23, but she reached a new audience overseas thanks to her sophomore effort, The Art of Loving. Along with buttery smooth vocals, Olivia is known for blending pop, jazz, and R&B elements throughout her discography. She’s landed opening slots for artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Sam Fender, and her hit single “Man I Need” has been on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 22 weeks (and counting!).
Leon Thomas
Songs you’ve heard: “Mutt,” “Breaking Point,” and “DIRT ON MY SHOES (feat. Kehlani)”
Let’s get one thing straight: Leon Thomas has been a legend since he voiced Tyrone on The Backyardigans and played Andre on Victorious. Since then, he’s made a name for himself in music thanks to collaborations with artists like Ariana Grande (“Honeymoon Avenue”) and SZA (“Snooze”). But his solo projects, including his 2024 breakout MUTT, have solidified his staying power in R&B and beyond. Leon isn’t only up for the Best New Artist award, either—he’s also nominated for Album of the Year, Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song, Best Traditional R&B Performance, and Best R&B Performance.
Addison Rae
Songs you’ve heard: “Diet Pepsi,” “Headphones On,” and “Aquamarine”
Addison Rae went from TikTok’s premier dancing diva to one of the most promising pop acts of the 2020s. After she dropped her debut single, “Obsessed,” in 2021, she stepped away from music when the internet criticized her ability to crossover. She then soft-launched a new musical era with co-signs from Charli xcx and Troye Sivan when she released her AR1 EP in 2023, and in 2025, she came back swinging with a full-length self-titled debut album that debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. With her bubbly attitude, dancing skills, and callbacks to 90s Madonna, 2000s Britney, and 2010s Lana Del Rey, Addison proved that she’s worthy of being a Main Pop Girl.
The Marías
Songs you’ve heard: “No One Noticed,” “Sienna,” and “Run Your Mouth”
The Marías aren’t the first band to deal with bouts of relationship drama. Like their predecessors, Fleetwood Mac, No Doubt, and The White Stripes, The Marías began breaking out into the mainstream after a public breakup between founding members María Zardoya and Josh Conway. The result? Several group therapy sessions and their sophomore album, Submarine, which details the waves of falling in and out of love. Since their inception, the band has produced alternative dreamscapes laced with Spanglish musings, which landed them co-signs and collabs with fellow Latine artists Bad Bunny and Selena Gomez. After a stunning festival run from Coachella to All Things Go, The Marías proved that their relationships can evolve in more ways than one.
Sombr
Songs you’ve heard: “Back to Friends,” “Undressed,” and “12 to 12”
Shane Boose, aka Sombr, found solace in music from a young age, and at only 20, he’s become one of the biggest artists to debut in the digital age. He’s the epitome of an overnight sensation, really—in 2022, his song “Caroline” went viral on TikTok, and he was met with multiple record deal offers. Since then, his songs “12 to 12,” “Undressed,” and “Back to Friends” all made their way onto the Billboard Hot 100, and the latter became his first song to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. Oh, and how could we forget? He received a co-sign from Taylor Swift…on national television. He was always meant to be a star.
KATSEYE
Songs you’ve heard: “Gnarly,” “Gabriela,” and “Touch”
Girl groups are so back, and we have KATSEYE to thank. After training with HYBE and Geffen Records for nearly two years and competing on a reality show, Yoonchae, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, Daniela Avanzini, and Manon Bannerman became the girlies behind the global group. Aside from their high-energy viral choreo (we bet you know which song they’re performing based on this image alone), KATSEYE has quickly become a cultural phenomenon thanks to outrageous tracks like “Gnarly” and “Touch.” Their record-breaking crowd at Lollapalooza last year proved that they’re in it for the long haul.
Alex Warren
Songs you’ve heard: “Ordinary,” “Eternity,” and “On My Mind (feat. ROSÉ)”
Ah, yes, another Hype House member who made it in Hollywood’s ever-changing music scene. Alex Warren had one of the biggest (if not the biggest) song of 2025 with “Ordinary.” The hopeful track has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for almost an entire year, and it snagged the No. 1 spot for 10 consecutive weeks. (Dear reader, it’s still in the top 5.) Alex’s success goes beyond his single, too, as his debut album, You’ll Be Alright, Kid, reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Lola Young
Songs you’ve heard: “Messy,” “Conceited,” and “Like Him (with Tyler, the Creator)”
Lola’s viral hit, “Messy,” was everywhere this year and even got Sofia Richie Grainge dancing. The track topped the charts in both the U.S. and the UK. The unapologetic artist broke through with her gritty vocals and diary-entry lyricism on her third album, I’m Only Fucking Myself. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that her chops garnered attention from major musicians like Tyler, the Creator, and earned her major nods at the 2025 BRIT Awards. Lola also received the Ivor Novello Rising Star award, a prestigious honor for British, Irish, or UK-resident songwriters.
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