Entertainment
Get To Know The Grammys Best New Artist Class Of 2024
Our who’s who of the brightest new names in music right now.
The Grammys’ Best New Artist category serves as a sort of State of the Union on who’s cool in music right now. While your grandmother probably won’t recognize these names now, she might in the near future, as past recipients of the award include Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish. Below, we break down this year’s Best New Artist class, from Gracie Abrams to husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty. Be sure to brush up before the 66th Grammy Awards airs Feb. 4.
Gracie Abrams
Who: A 24-year-old singer-songwriter and former NYLON It Girl (and daughter of Hollywood director J. J. Abrams) who’s become one of Gen Z’s biggest proper pop stars.
Where: Los Angeles, California
Known for: Big-feeling, whisper-core confessionals about young love, toxic relationships, and growing older. She’s toured with Olivia Rodrigo, was one of nine artists to open for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the U.S, and has fans in Daisy Jones & The Six actress Camila Morrone and The National’s Aaron Dessner.
Song you should hear: “Mess It Up,” a self-deprecating anthem from her debut album Good Riddance
Fred Again...
Who: One of electronic music’s most in-demand producers and DJs, and former mentee of Brian Eno.
Where: London, U.K.
Known for: Strikingly emotional, bricolage-like dance music. Borrowing audio snippets from songs and videos he finds online or voice memos from friends, he remixes them into collages that simultaneously strike the heart and push you onto the dance floor. Most recently he’s collaborated with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Four Tet, and Skrillex.
Song you should hear: “Rumble,” his Grammy-nominated track with Skrillex & Flowdan
Ice Spice
Who: The 24-year-old rapper behind the slang “Munch” (a.k.a. “a desperate man”).
Where: Bronx, New York
Known For: Her cucumber-cool flow and girlish take on NYC drill music. After seemingly springing out of nowhere in 2023 when her song “Munch” went viral, she’s rapped with PinkPantheress on their TikTok megahit “Boys a liar. pt 2,” and alongside Taylor Swift on her “Karma” remix, up for the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys this year.
Song you should hear: “Deli,” Ice Spice’s booty-shaking ode to NYC bodegas and her biggest solo track to date
Jelly Roll
Who: A tattooed and pierced crooner who began his career as a rapper and is now one of country music’s most soulful voices.
Where: Nashville, Tennessee
Known for: Soul-shattering ballads about overcoming addiction, grief, and living at rock bottom. At the center of his songs is his voice, a husked-out twang with layers of grit and grace.
Song you should hear: “Save Me,” his desperate duet with Lainey Wilson that’s nominated for a Grammy in Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Coco Jones
Who: A former Disney star who experienced a revival in her music career after releasing her 2022 R&B EP, What I Didn’t Tell You.
Where: Los Angeles, California
Known for: Her soulful voice, which channels the golden days of R&B. She’s been compared to Jazmine Sullivan and a young Beyoncé, and has collaborated with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Babyface.
Song you should hear: Her big ballad “ICU,” which is up for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song
Noah Kahan
Who: The singer-songwriter ushering in a folk revival on the Billboard charts.
Where: Strafford, Vermont
Known for: His massive 2022 record, Stick Season, that functioned as a small-town-U.S.A slice of life, touching on addiction, New England winters, and his two dogs. After being released to little fanfare, the album suddenly surged to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in summer 2023; its biggest song, “Stick Season,” ushered in collaborations with Kacey Musgraves and Hozier, and an appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Song you should hear: “Stick Season,” his biggest hit that’s been covered by Olivia Rodrigo and Zach Bryan
Victoria Monét
Who: A veteran songwriter to the stars (including Ariana Grande and Normani), who in recent years made her debut as a solo artist.
Where: Los Angeles, California
Known for: Her slick R&B- and trap-inflected pop anthems heard on hits like Grande’s “7 Rings” and “thank u, next.” Her solo albums, Jaguar and Jaguar II, expand on that sound with dabbles in dancehall and neo-soul, while traverse themes of sexuality, partying, and motherhood.
Song you should hear: “On My Mama,” up for Record of the Year and Best R&B Song
The War and Treaty
Who: Singer-songwriters Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, who are also husband and wife.
Where: Albion, Michigan
Known for: Bruising but redemptive blues-rock songs that carry the palpable weight of their real-life marriage. After years of releasing music together, they began gaining traction in the country-music scene in 2022, signing with Universal Music Group Nashville and performing with the Brothers Osborne at the Country Music Awards that same year.
Song you should hear: “Blank Page,” a piano-led conversation between husband and wife about being each other’s notebook and ink
