BEST NEW ARTIST
THE KID LAROI
Charlton Howard, the 18-year-old Australian singer-rapper who records as The Kid LAROI, spent 2021 making good on the mainstream promise of his early recordings and dominating both streaming platforms and top 40 radio. Born in New South Wales, he eventually dropped out of high school in Sydney and crossed paths with Juice WRLD, who would mentor the teen artist prior to his untimely death in 2019. LAROI’s debut project, F*ck Love, was released on Grade A/Columbia in 2020, and an extended edition included the emo-pop singalong “Without You,” which received a remix with Miley Cyrus and reached the top 10 of the Hot 100. “Stay,” a duet with Justin Bieber released in July, became LAROI’s first Hot 100 chart-topper, ultimately spending seven nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.
OLIVIA RODRIGO
The song “drivers license” wasn’t Rodrigo’s first Hot 100 hit — the star of High
School Musical: The Musical: The Series previously cracked the chart with “All I Want” from the Disney+ series. Yet when Rodrigo’s first non-High School Musical single was released in January, a pop star was born — “drivers license” debuted at No. 1 on the chart and earned early raves from artists like Taylor Swift and Halsey. The 18-year-old native of Murrieta, Calif., spent 2021 graduating high school, filming the second season of High School Musical and achieving pop culture ubiquity with “drivers license” and follow-up No. 1 hit “good 4 u.” Her debut album, Sour, topped the Billboard 200 upon its May release, and Rodrigo made a range of prestigious appearances, from a Saturday Night Live performance to a White House visit to promote youth vaccinations. She now has the chance to sweep the Big Four categories.
ARLO PARKS
Over the past year, London’s Parks has become one of the most critically acclaimed new British artists, collecting accolades for her storytelling, lyricism and blend of folk and R&B. Collapsed in Sunbeams, the singer-songwriter’s debut album, received raves upon its January release, landing a BRIT Awards nod for album of the year and earning Parks a win for best new artist at the ceremony; the full-length also won the Mercury Prize in the United Kingdom earlier this year. Although Parks performed at British festivals like Glastonbury and The Great Escape early in her career, the pandemic prevented her from touring until September, when she embarked on an international headlining tour across North America and Europe. Parks collaborated with fellow best new artist nominees Glass Animals on their song “Tangerine,” and like Japanese Breakfast, she is nominated in the category while Collapsed in Sunbeams is up for best alternative music album.
SAWEETIE
A year after Megan Thee Stallion took home the Grammy for best new artist, another female rapper with undeniable charisma hopes to do the same. Starting in 2019, California MC Saweetie broke through with boisterous solo singles like “My Type” and “Tap In,” then focused her energy on collecting hits as a collaborator, teaming up with artists like Jhené Aiko, Little Mix, Anitta and Joel Corry on various tracks. The standout pairing was “Best Friend,” a pop-rap anthem with Doja Cat that became Saweetie’s first top 20 hit on the Hot 100, streaking to No. 14 on the chart. As she finishes her proper debut album, expected out on Warner Records in 2022, Saweetie has scored Grammy nods for best new artist and best rap song for “Best Friend.”