BEST NEW ARTIST
This year’s best new artist class may feature a handful of teen pop stars with Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid LAROI and Tate McRae as possible contenders. Polo G, who had top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2019 and 2020, may be deemed ineligible, though if the Grammys let him compete, he’ll be a formidable candidate. And while Giveon won best new artist at the BET Awards in June, he isn’t eligible here, considering he was Grammy-nominated for best R&B album in 2020 for Take Time.
Last year, 343 artists were entered in the category.
girl in red
If I Could Make It Go Quiet, the debut set from the Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer, reached No. 67 on the Billboard 200. Standout single “Serotonin,” co-produced by FINNEAS, made the top 20 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs.
Glass Animals
The British electronic/pop band’s third studio album, Dreamland, hit No. 7 on the Billboard 200 in 2020. “Heat Waves” reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Kid LAROI
The Australian rapper-singer reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in 2020 with his mixtape F*ck Love. The single “Without You” received a remix with Miley Cyrus in April, which helped the song crack the top 10 on the
Hot 100 the following month. He previously hit the top 10 of the chart as a featured artist on Juice WRLD and Marshmello’s “Hate the Other Side.”
Coi Leray
The rapper’s platinum-certified “No More Parties” (featuring Lil Durk) hit a No. 26 high on the Hot 100. Leray was nominated for best new artist at the BET Awards.
Tate McRae
The Canadian artist’s second EP, Too Young To Be Sad, reached No. 94 on the Billboard 200. “You Broke Me First,” a single from the EP, hit No. 17 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on Mainstream Top 40 Airplay. Follow-up hits include a collaboration with DJ Regard and Troye Sivan and another with Khalid, both of which reached the latter chart’s top 25.
Arlo Parks
Parks’ debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, reached No. 4 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. She performed her single “Hope” and won breakthrough artist at the BRIT Awards in May.
Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo is vying to become the third-youngest winner in this category, trailing LeAnn Rimes, who was 14 when she won in 1997, and Eilish, who was 17 when she won two years ago.
Saweetie
The rapper has notched three top 30 hits on the Hot 100: “My Type,” “Tap In” and “Best Friend” (featuring Doja Cat). Her EP Icy reached No. 85 on the Billboard 200, while her highly anticipated debut studio album, Pretty B*tch Music, is due this summer.