The Grammy nominations this year have become pure chaos. Whether it was the shocking snubs of acclaimed works or how pop music’s hottest new stars absolutely took over the spotlight from the seasoned pros- this time around, it was impossible for the Academy to please all sides of the music industry. And, like clockwork, music fans started looking through the full list of nominees and quickly realized that a lot of the artists in the Best New Artist category were not exactly ‘new’- unless ‘new’ meant ‘been around for a while now.’

This year, the Best New Artist category included Benson Boone, Doechii, Chappell Roan, Khruangbin, Raye, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey, and Teddy Swims. Chart Data on X recently made an interesting observation that “only one 'Best New Artist' nominee at this year's #GRAMMYs released their debut single in the 2020s decade”. Sabrina Carpenter had already dropped five studio albums before being nominated for ‘Short n’ Sweet’ this year, and Khruangbin has been swirling in the alt-rock scene since their debut in 2015. 

RAYE, who put out her first EP in 2014, and Shaboozey, who made her debut with ‘Lady Wrangler’ in 2018, were also on the list. Then there was Doechii, who had three mixtapes and a couple of EPs since 2019, and Teddy Swims, who dropped his debut EP ‘Unlearning’ featuring the hit single ‘Broke’ the same year. Benson Boone was the only one who is relatively new, and released his first single, ‘Ghost Town,’ in 2021. 

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Fans are now calling for the Grammys to reassess the Best New Artist category, as it no longer reflects the spirit of recognizing fresh talent. 

The Best New Artist category has long been controversial- not just because of its inconsistencies, but also due to its ‘cursed’ reputation of being awarded to artists whose success often proved to be fleeting. As per Grammys' official guidelines, nominations for this category are based on when "the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence." And now fans wonder, why not just make that the title then?

Many criticized the criteria, feeling that new artists who have only just stepped into the industry should be given a chance to shine.

Sabrina Carpenter is one of the artists who has an extensive body of work, which has led to the most backlash over her nomination in the Best New Artist category. Her nomination has also been compared to other artists who did not make the cut in the category. Now whether this fan outrage will push the academy to tweak its criteria for the honor is yet to be seen.

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What do you think about the Best New Artist nominations for the 2025 Grammys? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!