Don’t be like those people who were asking “who is Bonnie Bear?” when the Grammy for best new artist went to Bon Iver in 2012. Here’s a guide to the eight acts vying for the prize on Sunday night.
The R&B singer and songwriter Victoria Monét has been a behind-the-scenes presence in pop for well over a decade — she’s been nominated for Grammys for her work on hits recorded by Ariana Grande and Chloe x Halle. She has seven nods as a solo artist this year, including two for her breakout album “Jaguar II,” which features the sleek, sultry hit “On My Mama.”
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
2. The War and Treaty: “Lover’s Game”
The War and Treaty is the husband-and-wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, two accomplished Nashville-based musicians with tremendous voices that blend in beautiful harmony. Their sound is a mix of country, blues and soul, but this fiery title track from their 2023 debut album shows off their rock-star potential.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
3. Jelly Roll: “Son of a Sinner”
The rapper-turned-country-phenom Jelly Roll — who has scored a series of recent, raw-voiced radio hits about sin and redemption — has an opportunity to make Grammy history: At 39, he could become the oldest solo act ever to win best new artist.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
4. Noah Kahan: “Stick Season”
A proud Vermonter who seems destined to have his own Ben & Jerry’s flavor, the rising star Noah Kahan’s music blends a kind of wordy, breakneck-paced delivery with the lyricism of an unabashed romantic. On his signature hit “Stick Season,” he sounds like Mumford’s most irreverent son.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
5. Ice Spice: “In Ha Mood”
Ice Spice may be the most famous name on this list, thanks to her recent pop cultural ubiquity, her appearance on the remix of Taylor Swift’s “Karma,” and her eye-catching, rap-game-Little-Orphan-Annie ’do. The thumping “In Ha Mood” is one of many recent singles that shows off the 24-year-old M.C.’s effortless charisma and her dexterous, unbothered flow.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
6. Coco Jones: “ICU”
The 26-year-old R&B singer-songwriter and actress Coco Jones currently stars as Hilary Banks on “Bel-Air,” Peacock’s reimagining of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” but she’s also a prolific musical talent with a lush, rich voice. Her range is on full display on “ICU,” a velvety ballad also nominated for best R&B performance and best R&B song.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
7. Gracie Abrams: “Difficult”
Gracie Abrams’s breathy, hyper-personal pop has fans in high places. (Count Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo among them.) There’s a rushing kineticism to the quarter-life-crisis anthem “Difficult,” a standout from her 2023 debut full-length, “Good Riddance.”
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
8. Fred again..: “Delilah (Pull Me Out of This)”
The 30-year-old English producer Fred again.. makes uncommonly emotional dance music, building strobe-lit hooks from found sounds, random digital ephemera, and sometimes even snippets from chats with his friends that he records on his iPhone.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
