Whatever happened to Grammy's Best New Artists?
Esperanza Spalding poses with her award for Best New Artist at the 53nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
Over the past half-century many of the performers honored in the Best New Artist category have gone on to stellar careers. Others failed to match their early success; groups disbanded; and some left the recording industry entirely. There were also tragic stories of bankruptcy, jail and lives cut short.
Scroll through our gallery to see every winner of Best New Artist since 1959, and how they followed their Grammy victories.
By CBS News.com senior editors Lauren Moraski and David Morgan
1959: Bobby Darin
Nominees: Edd Byrnes, Mark Murphy, Johnny Restivo and Mavis Rivers
In 1958-59 pop singer/crooner Bobby Darin had six singles on the U.S. charts, including "Splish Splash," "Early in the Morning," "Dream Lover" and "Mack the Knife." Over the next decade-and-a-half, Darin recorded 32 albums; started a label (Direction Records) to release folk music and protest songs; and acted in films such as "State Fair," "Captain Newman, M.D.," and "Hell Is for Heroes."
Darin died in 1973 at the age of 37, after surgery to correct a heart problem failed.
1960: Bob Newhart
Nominees: The Brothers Four, Miriam Makeba, Leontyne Price and Joanie Sommers
With "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart" - the first comedy album to hit Number 1 on the Billboard chart - the comedian became the first artist to win Grammys in both the Album of the Year and Best New Artist categories. [Only three others have achieved that feat: Christopher Cross, Lauryn Hill and Norah Jones.]
Newhart would release several more albums, and would star in a variety show and three sit-coms (including the classics "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart"). He also made appearances in films such as "Catch-22," "Cold Turkey," "In & Out" and "Elf."
1961: Peter Nero
Nominees: Ann-Margret, Dick Gregory, The Lettermen and Timi Yuro
The pianist released his first easy-listening album, "Piano Forte" (RCA), in 1961. Nearly 70 more Peter Nero albums would follow, in a career that has spanned classical, jazz and American standards. Nero also help found the Philly Pops Orchestra.
1962: Robert Goulet
Nominees: The Four Seasons, Vaughn Meader, The New Christy Minstrels, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Allan Sherman
Born in Massachusetts, Robert Goulet spent his adolescence in Canada, and eventually studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. In 1960 he debuted on Broadway as Lancelot in the Lerner & Loewe musical "Camelot," and quickly built a music, TV and film career.
His biggest recordings included "If Ever I Would Leave You," "My Love, Forgive Me," and "Come Back To Me, My Love."
Suffering from lung disease, Goulet died on October 20, 2007 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
1963: The Swingle Singers
Nominees: Vikki Carr, John Gary, The J's with Jamie, and Trini Lopez
Formed by Ward Swingle in Paris, the Swingle Singers was comprised of French session artists who joined to perform jazz vocals. Their renditions of J.S. Bach fugues and "The Well-Tempered Clavier" as vocals, "Jazz Sébastien Bach" (released in the U.S. as "Bach's Greatest Hits"), won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Chorus," and also won the group Best New Artist.
In the early 1970s the singers disbanded, but Ward Swingle re-formed the group in England with a new cast. Over the past half-century the Swingles' various iterations have released more than 50 recordings, won five Grammys, and had their music used in such disparate programs as "Wedding Crashers" and "Sex and the City." The group also curates the London A Cappella Festival.
Ward Swingle died on Jan. 19, 2015, in Eastbourne, England. He was 87.
1964: The Beatles
The world knows what became of John, Paul, George and Ringo - probably the easiest choice for Best New Artist the Grammy membership ever had to make. So what happened to their fellow nominees?
Petula Clark, whose hits included "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep in the Subway," also starred in the musical films "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and "Finian's Rainbow," and on Broadway in "Blood Brothers," with David and Shaun Cassidy.
Brazilian Astrud Gilberto, best known for "The Girl from Ipanema," has recorded 16 albums, and performed with such artists as João Gilberto, Stan Getz and George Michael.
Bossa nova musician and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim won the 1995 Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Performance for "Antonio Brasileiro." Jobim died in 1994.
Singer Morgana King's four-octave range graced cabarets and concert hall for more than three decades. She released 30 albums, but probably received the most exposure from her debut film role, as Carmela Corleone, wife of Don Corleone, in "The Godfather." King sang "Luna Mezz'o Mare" during the wedding reception scene.
1965: Tom Jones
Nominees: The Byrds, Herman's Hermits, Horst Jankowski, Marilyn Maye, Sonny & Cher and Glenn Yarbrough
The son of a Welsh coal miner, Tom Jones avoided a life destined in the mines thanks to a case of tuberculosis when he was 12. Instead, he trained his voice, played the pubs, and cut a demo record that launched an international career singing blues, pop, country and gospel music.
His first album, "Along Came Jones" (a.k.a. "It's Not Unusual"), hit No. 11 on the U.S. charts. More records followed, with such hits as "What's New Pussycat," "Delilah," "Green, Green Grass of Home," "She's a Lady," "Kiss" and "Sex Bomb," as well as a TV series ("This Is Tom Jones"), and even a self-parodying film appearance ("Mars Attacks!").
1967: Bobbie Gentry
Nominees: Lana Cantrell, The 5th Dimension, Harpers Bizarre and Jefferson Airplane
After skipping a year, the Grammy's Best New Artist Award went to one of the first female country artists to write and produce her own material. Bobbie Gentry became a star with her ballad, "Ode to Billie Joe" (which had actually been the B-side of her debut single, "Mississippi Delta"). It spent four weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard charts in 1967.
In addition to Best New Artist, Gentry won Grammys for Best Vocal Performance (Female) and Best Contemporary Group Performance (Vocal or Instrumental) for "Ode to Billie Joe."
Her follow-up recordings include the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," "Let It Be Me" and "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (both with Glen Campbell), "Fancy," and "But I Can't Get Back."
In the '70s Gentry retired from performing.
1968: José Feliciano
Nominees: Cream, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Jeannie C. Riley and O. C. Smith
The Puerto Rican guitarist and singer's 1968 album "Feliciano!," an Album of the Year nominee that reached Number 2 on the Billboard charts, featured his seminal cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire."
Feliciano, who was born blind, mixes various musical styles - flamenco, Latin pop, jazz, bolero - in recordings that have earned him 19 Grammy nominations and nine awards, including the Latin Recording Academy's Award for Lifetime Achievement.
1969: Crosby, Stills & Nash
Nominees: Chicago, Led Zeppelin, The Neon Philharmonic and Oliver
Call it one of the first super groups. David Crosby (The Byrds), Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield) and Graham Nash (The Hollies) were all part of popular bands before teaming to create the harmonies that make up CS&N. The trio's self-titled debut album, released in 1969, featured the songs "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Marrakesh Express." A spot at Woodstock that year helped cement their place in history -- leading to the subsequent Best New Artist Grammy win.
The trio would go on to perform with Neil Young as CSN&Y, and each member ended up pursuing solo careers over the years.
Crosby, Stills & Nash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. You can still catch these guys on the road, as they tour fairly regularly.
1970: The Carpenters
Nominees: Elton John, Melba Moore, Anne Murray and The Partridge Family
After a disappointing debut with the 1969 album "Ticket to Ride," keyboardist Richard Carpenter and his sister, drummer Karen Carpenter, hit the big time with their second album, "Close to You." Karen's mellow voice and Richard's arrangements produced such hits as the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "(They Long to Be) Close to You," "We've Only Just Begun," and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again."
The Carpenters were nominated for eight Grammys in 1970 and won two (for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus). Eight more albums followed, before Karen's tragic death in 1983, from complications arising from anorexia nervosa.
Richard Carpenter continued as a solo artist, with the 1987 album, "Time," and 1998's "Pianist - Arranger - Composer - Conductor."
1971: Carly Simon
Nominees: Chase, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, and Bill Withers
Carly Simon's 1971 self-titled debut featured the hit recording "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be," which earned her a Best Pop Female Vocalist Grammy nomination as well as the Best New Artist award.
She recorded 24 more albums, and her repertoire included such classics as "Anticipation," "You Belong to Me," "Coming Around Again," "Jesse," "Mockingbird" (with James Taylor), "You're So Vain," and "Nobody Does It Better" (from the James Bond film, "The Spy Who Loved Me").
Simon also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Let the River Run" from the Mike Nichols comedy, "Working Girl."
1972: America
Nominees: Harry Chapin, the Eagles, Loggins and Messina, and John Prine
Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley are the voices behind America and the 1971 smash hit "Horse With No Name." The track appeared on America's self-titled debut, and marked the first of a few hits for the trio.
Later on came "Ventura Highway" and "I Need You," followed by a return to the charts in the early '80s with "You Can Do Magic."
America continues to tour and release albums. In 2007 a host of musicians, who cite America as a big influence, recorded a tribute album to the group, "Here & Now."
1973: Bette Midler
Nominees: Eumir Deodato, Maureen McGovern, Marie Osmond and Barry White
Born in Honolulu, Midler's stage career included the Broadway run of "Fiddler on the Roof." But it was her performances in cabarets and gay bathhouses in the early 1970s, as well as in The Who's "Tommy," that rocketed her to stardom as "The Divine Miss M." Her hits included "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "From a Distance," "The Rose," and "Wind Beneath My Wings" (the latter two of which won her Grammys).
Midler also starred in such films as "The Rose," "Outrageous Fortune," "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Beaches," "Ruthless People," "For the Boys," and "The First Wives Club." In 2013 she returned to Broadway in the one-woman play, "I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers," and won a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for the 2017 revival of "Hello, Dolly!"
1974: Marvin Hamlisch
Nominees: Bad Company, Johnny Bristol, David Essex, Graham Central Station and Phoebe Snow
Composer and arranger Marvin Hamlisch began his career as a rehearsal pianist for Barbra Streisand for the Broadway musical "Funny Girl." In 1974 he won three Academy Awards, for "The Way We Were" (Best Original Song and Best Original Dramatic Score) and "The Sting" (Best Adaptation, for translating Scott Joplin's ragtime music).
It wasn't long before he had even greater success, with the 1975 Broadway production "A Chorus Line."
Hamlisch's other music for film includes "The Spy Who Loved Me," "Ice Castles," "Sophie's Choice," and "The Mirror Has Two Faces."
His Broadways scores include "They're Playing Our Song," "Smile" and "The Goodbye Girl."
Hamlisch died in Los Angeles on August 6, 2012. He was 68.
1975: Natalie Cole
Nominees: Morris Albert, Amazing Rhythm Aces, Brecker Brothers, and KC and the Sunshine Band
The daughter of singer Nat King Cole and Maria Hawkins Ellington (who had sung with the Duke Ellington Orchestra), Natalie's Cole's debut album, "Inseparable," introduced her Top 10 hit, "This Will Be," for which she won a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, as well as Best New Artist.
Cole was later nominated for another 19 Grammy Awards, and won seven, for her recordings of "Sophisticated Lady," "Unforgettable... with Love" (in which she dueted with her late father), "Take a Look," "When I Fall in Love" (also with Nat King Cole), and "Still Unforgettable."
1976: Starland Vocal Band
Nominees: Boston, Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, The Brothers Johnson and Wild Cherry
Starland Vocal Band (from left: Jon Carroll, Margot Chapman, Taffy Danoff and Bill Danoff) copped two Grammys in 1976, for Best New Artist and for Best Arrangement for Voices (Duo, Group Or Chorus) for their "Afternoon Delight." It was the first song the group had ever recorded, and it hit Number One.
The band starred in a 1977 summer replacement series on CBS, "The Starland Vocal Band Show," a variety series whose cast included David Letterman ("Yes, I can hear sets being clicked off all over this great land of ours!").
The band dis-banded in 1981 and went on to solo careers.
1977: Debby Boone
Nominees: Stephen Bishop, Shaun Cassidy, Foreigner and Andy Gibb
Debby Boone's pop single "You Light Up My Life," was perched at Number 1 on the Billboard charts for 10 weeks in 1977.
Having won Best New Artist, her recording career would encompass country and inspirational, winning Grammys for "With My Song" and "Keep The Flame Burning" (with Phil Driscoll).
After bowing out of recording to raise her family, Boone returned with 2005's "Reflections if Rosemary," a tribute album dedicated to her mother-in-law, singer Rosemary Clooney, who'd died in 2002.
In 2011 Boone recorded an album of standards, "Swing This!"
1978: A Taste of Honey
Nominees: The Cars, Elvis Costello, Chris Rea and Toto
It would be several years before Janice M. Johnson, Perry Kibble, Donald R. Johnson and Hazel Payne (who had first played together in 1971) would find success with Capitol Records and their disco hit, "Boogie Oogie Oogie." Renamed A Taste of Honey, the band sold two million copies of their debut album, which hit Number 1 on the charts.
With new members the band failed to score another big hit with their follow-up albums, "Another Taste" and "Twice As Sweet," and within two years, only vocalists Janice Johnson and Hazel Payne remained.
In 1984 Johnson released a solo album, "One Taste of Honey," and a second in 2000, "Hiatus of the Heart."
Hazel Payne left the group to pursue an acting career, but performed with Janice Johnson on two PBS reunion specials.
Drummer/vocalist Donald Ray Johnson continues to perform blues in Calgary, Canada, and has toured with such artists as Teddy Pendergrass, Smokey Wilson and The Isley Brothers.
Perry Kibble, who became a music producer in Canada, died of congestive heart failure in 1999 at age 49.
1979: Rickie Lee Jones
Nominees: The Blues Brothers, Dire Straits, The Knack and Robin Williams
"Chuck E's In Love" was just one of the songs on Rickie Lee Jones' debut album, a captivating blend of folk, R&B and jazz. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter, hailing from a long line of performers, was joined on her album by Dr. John, Michael McDonald and Randy Newman. An appearance on "Saturday Night Live" and an article in Time Magazine that labeled her "The Duchess of Coolsville" burnished her reputation. Nominated for five Grammys (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year), Jones won Best New Artist.
Jones would record 20 more studio and live albums, her most recent being the 2012 folk rock album, "The Devil You Know. In 1989 Jones shared a second Grammy with Dr. John for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, for "Makin' Whoopee."
She has a new album due out in Spring 2015.
1980: Christopher Cross
Nominees: Irene Cara, Robbie Dupree, Amy Holland and The Pretenders
The singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas, whose eponymous 1979 album featured such classics as "Ride Like the Wind" and "Sailing," is the only artist ever to sweep the "Big Four" Grammy categories (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist) in a single year.
His follow-ups included the chart-topping theme song from the Dudley Moore comedy, "Arthur," and the 1983 album, "Another Page."
1981: Sheena Easton
Nominees: Adam and the Ants, The Go-Go's, James Ingram and Luther Vandross
The Scottish singer made a splash with her hit singles "Modern Girl" and "9 to 5" (released in the U.S. as "Morning Train").
With the 1981 James Bond film, "For Your Eyes Only," Easton became the first singer to appear on screen performing the title song amid Maurice Binder's evocative visuals.
Easton later shared the 1984 Best Mexican-American Performance Grammy for her duet with Luis Miguel, "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres."
1982: Men At Work
Nominees: Asia, Jennifer Holliday, The Human League and Stray Cats
Australian pop-rock group Men At Work, fronted by Colin Hay (with Russell Deppeler, Greg Ham, John Rees, Jerry Speiser, Ron Strykert), was formed in 1978, but it wasn't until 1982 that their first album reached the United States, featuring the hits "Down Under" and "Who Could It Be Now"?
Two more albums followed, yet by 1986 Hay decided to call it quits and record a solo album. They reformed 10 years later -- only to disband again in 2002.
1983: Culture Club
Nominees: Big Country, Eurythmics, Men Without Hats and Musical Youth
This English act made a big impact in the early '80s with the international hit "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me." Led by singer Boy George, Culture Club (also featuring Michael Craig, Roy Hay and Jon Moss) released its debut album, "Kissing to Be Clever," in 1982, and didn't waste much time with the next effort: 1983's "Colour By Numbers," which featured the single "Karma Chameleon." It was all enough to snag Culture Club the Best New Artist win in 1983.
The band went on to release three more albums throughout the '80s and '90s. During that time, though, George's drug addiction and relationship with Culture Club drummer Moss took a toll on the band. Throughout the years Culture Club has broken up, staged reunions and found themselves on hiatus once again. A 2014 reunion tour -- with the original lineup -- was scrapped after George came down with a serious throat condition.
1984: Cyndi Lauper
Nominees: Sheila E., Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Corey Hart, and The Judds
Cyndi Lauper got her start performing in cover bands before branching out in 1983 with her debut solo effort, "She's So Unusual," which featured the hits "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Time After Time," "She Bop," and "All Through the Night." The success catapulted the Queens, N.Y., native to fame and earned her the Best New Artist award at the 27th Grammys.
She's since gone on to win a Tony and an Emmy -- now all Lauper needs is an Oscar to join the exclusive EGOT Club.
Lauper has continued to experiment with her sound; her most recent studio set, 2010's "Memphis Blues," was nominated for a Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy, and her 2012 Broadway musical, "Kinky Boots," earned her a Best Musical Theater Album Grammy (left).
1985: Sade
Nominees: a-ha, Freddie Jackson, Katrina and the Waves, and Julian Lennon
As Best New Artist, the Nigerian-born British singer Sade Adu actually shared her Best New Artist Grammy with the fellow members of her band, also called Sade - Paul S. Denman, Andrew Hale and Stuart Matthewman. Their 1985 album "Promise"(their second released in the U.S.), featured such smooth tunes as "The Sweetest Taboo," "Is It a Crime," and "Never As Good As the First Time."
Sade later received three more Grammys - for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal ("No Ordinary Love," 1993; and "Soldier of Love," 2010), and Best Pop Vocal Album ("Lovers Rock," 2010).
1986: Bruce Hornsby & the Range
Nominees: Glass Tiger, Nu Shooz, Simply Red and Timbuk3
Prior to launching his solo career, singer-pianist Bruce Hornsby played clubs and bars, served as a session musician, and toured with Sheena Easton's band. In 1986 he released "The Way It Is," the debut album from Bruce Hornsby & the Range (the Range included David Mansfield, George Marinelli, John Molo, Joe Puerta). The album's title track, with its references to the civil rights movement, hit the top of the charts and has since been sampled by various hip-hop artists. The success of the album, which also featured singles "Mandolin Rain" and "Every Little Kiss," landed them the Best New Artist Grammy.
Since then, Hornsby has put out albums with and without the Range; toured with the Grateful Dead; and formed the band, the Noisemakers. The Virginia native received another Grammy in 1990 for his reworking of "The Valley Road" with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and his track ("Song H") was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
1987: Jody Watley
Nominees: Breakfast Club, Cutting Crew, Terence Trent D'Arby and Swing Out Sister
A dance music pioneer, Jody Watley began her professional career as a teenager on the TV show "Soul Train," and became a member of the group Shalamar. Among their albums was "Uptown Festival," "Big Fun," "Three For Love," "Friends," and "The Look."
Watley then signed a solo contract with MCA, which released "Jody Watley" in 1987. Among its hits were "Looking for a New Love," "Still a Thrill" and "Don't You Want Me."
Her 2006 album, "The Makeover," paid tribute to the styles of Karen Carpenter, Chic and Diana Ross.
Watley received the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
1988: Tracy Chapman
Nominees: Rick Astley, Toni Childs, Take 6 and Vanessa L. Williams
The singer-songwriter best known for the songs "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" and "Fast Car" won three Grammys for her 1988 eponymous acoustic album, including Best New Artist. "Tracy Chapman" sold six million copies on the U.S., and hit Number One on the Billboard charts.
Chapman has released seven more albums, most recently 2008's "Our Bright Future" (a Grammy nominee for Best Contemporary Folk Album).
1989: Milli Vanilli
Nominees: Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Soul II Soul and Tone Lōc
Milli Vanilli rose to fame in the late '80s and early '90s following the release of the hit album, "Girl You Know It's True." Rob Morvan and Rob Pilatus served as the faces of the popular German duo, though the world would soon learn that they did not provide vocals on any of their recordings -- but not before Milli Vanilli swooped up the Best New Artist honor at the Grammys.
The award was later revoked -- the only time a Grammy win has ever been vacated -- and several lawsuits followed.
Morvan and Pilatus attempted to make music on their own, under a different group name, but it failed to gain any traction. Years later, in 1998, Milli Vanilli started prepping a comeback album, called "Back and In Attack," but the set never saw the light of day.
Pilatus died on April 2, 1998 at the age of 32 of a suspected alcohol and prescription pill overdose -- right before the launch of a promotional tour for the LP.
1990: Mariah Carey
Nominees: The Black Crowes, The Kentucky Headhunters, Wilson Phillips and Lisa Stansfield
Mariah Carey's killer voice (with a five-octave vocal range) burst onto the music scene in 1990 with her self-titled debut album. The Long Island native would soon become a major force on radio, scoring four No. 1 hits off her first effort, including "Vision of Love" and "I Don't Wanna Cry." Carey ended up winning Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Vision of Love," along with the Best New Artist honor. She would win three more Grammys, out of 29 nominations.
She's also dabbled in acting (in the ill-fated "Glitter" in 2001), and sat at the judges' table on Fox's "American Idol." In May 2015, she set up shop in Las Vegas for a residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
1991: Marc Cohn
Nominees: Boyz II Men, C+C Music Factory, Color Me Badd and Seal
Folk-rock singer-songwriter Marc Cohn is best known for "Walking in Memphis," the single off his 1991 self-titled debut album. The Cleveland, Ohio-born singer has said the track, which helped land him the Best New Artist Grammy, was mostly autobiographical. "Walking in Memphis" also received nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance at the 34th annual Grammy Awards.
Cohn has continually released albums and toured over the years, but has yet to score another radio hit like he did with "Walking in Memphis."
1992: Arrested Development
Nominees: Billy Ray Cyrus, Sophie B. Hawkins, Kris Kross and Jon Secada
Before "Arrested Development" became the name of a cult TV show, it was actually the name of an alternative hip-hop group formed in Atlanta in 1988. Arrested Development won two Grammy Awards in 1993 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Rolling Stone also named Arrested Development Band of the Year in 1993, thanks to the group's debut album, "3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of...," which spawned the catchy singles "Tennessee," "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendel."
The band is still together and has consistently released albums over the years, but none as successful as that first one.
1993: Toni Braxton
Nominees: Belly, Blind Melon, Digable Planets and SWV
Toni Braxton and her sisters (Tamar, Towanda, Traci and Trina) were signed to Arista in the late 1980s as The Braxtons. That led to Toni recording two songs for the soundtrack of the Eddie Murphy comedy "Boomerang," including a duet with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, "Give U My Heart."
"Toni Braxton," the R&B singer-songwriter's first album (which included the hits "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again"), hit Number 1 on the Billboard chart, and sold 10 million copies worldwide.
Seven more albums followed, including "Secrets" (15 million copies sold). Her Number 1 hit singles include "You're Making Me High," "Let It Flow" and "Un-Break My Heart."
In addition to her two 1993 Grammys, Braxton would win four more awards in the category of Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("Breathe Again," "You're Makin' Me High," " Un-Break My Heart" and "He Wasn't Man Enough"), and one for Best R&B Album, for "Love, Marriage & Divorce" (with Babyface).
Financial difficulties led to her declaring bankruptcy in 1996, but she rebounded.
Outside of recording, Braxton appeared on Broadway in "Beauty and the Beast," competed in season seven of "Dancing With the Stars," and starred in the reality TV series, "Braxton Family Values." Her memoir, "Unbreak My Heart," was published in 2014.
Braxton earned three more Grammy nominations in 2018, for "Long As I Live" and the album, "Sex & Cigarettes."
1994: Sheryl Crow
Nominees: Ace of Base, Blind Melon, Digable Planets and SWV
Sheryl Crow sang backing vocals for some high-profile singers (Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Don Henley) before launching a solo career and releasing her debut album "Tuesday Night Music Club" in 1993, with the hits "All I Wanna Do" and "Strong Enough." The single "Leaving Las Vegas" also found some chart success. It was all enough to earn Crow the Best New Artist win shortly after coming on the scene.
That wouldn't be her last Grammy win. At the same Grammy ceremony she also nabbed Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year for "All I Wanna Do." In total, she's received nine Grammys.
Crow went on to release eight more albums and nab a big radio hit with Kid Rock on "Picture."
1995: Hootie & the Blowfish
Nominees: Brandy, Alanis Morissette, Joan Osborne and Shania Twain
Formed in 1986 at the University of South Caroline, Hootie & the Blowfish came on the scene in 1994 with its debut album, "Cracked Rear View" -- still one of the Top 20 best-selling albums of all time. With radio hits "Hold My Hand," "Let Her Cry" and "Only Wanna Be with You," it was difficult to avoid this band in the mid-'90s.
Hootie & the Blowfish (Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld) took home the Best New Artist 1995 Grammy and continued putting out music until 2005. Frontman Darius Rucker continued to tour with the band over the years, but more recently has found success as a country artist. His version of "Wagon Wheel" won Best Country Solo Performance at the 56th Grammy Awards.
1996: LeAnn Rimes
Nominees: Garbage, Jewel, No Doubt and The Tony Rich Project
At age 14, LeAnn Rimes not only beat out fellow nominees Garbage, Jewel, No Doubt and The Tony Rich Project; she also became the youngest Grammy winner in history, a title she holds to this day.
The country singer's major-label debut album, "Blue," went multi-platinum, and earned her a Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy as well.
Rimes has had six more Grammy nominations since, including Album of the Year for her contribution to Vince Gill's "These Days" (2008).
1997: Paula Cole
Nominees: Fiona Apple, Erykah Badu, Puff Daddy and Hanson
The singer, songwriter and instrumentalist has toured with Peter Gabriel, Mandy Moore, and with Sarah MacLachlan's Lilith Fair. She had a Top 10 hit with her 1997 single "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (from her second album, "This Fire").
The same year she won Best New Artist, Cole received six additional Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Producer of the Year (Non-Classical).
1998: Lauryn Hill
Nominees: Backstreet Boys, Andrea Bocelli, Dixie Chicks and Natalie Imbruglia
In 1998 the singer-rapper (who's previously won two Grammys as part of the band The Fugees) released her first solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Debuting at No. 1, it copped her honors for Album of the Year, as well as four other Grammys (including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Doo Wop (That Thing)"). She was the first woman to receive 10 Grammy nominations in a single year, and the first to win five in one night. She won another as co-producer of the 1999 Album of the Year, "Supernatural" by Santana.
She bowed out of public life following her last album, "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0," in 2001, though she continued to record. Hill rejoined the Fugees for a tour in 2005, but split yet again.
In 2013 Hill served three months in federal prison on tax evasion charges.
1999: Christina Aguilera
Nominees: Macy Gray, Kid Rock, Britney Spears and Susan Tedeschi
Christina Aguilera practically grew up a star. The New Yorker got her start on "Star Search" and "The Mickey Mouse Club," where she appeared alongside Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling.
In 1999, Aguilera unveiled her self-titled debut studio album featuring the hits "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants." The set earned Aguilera the 1999 Grammy for Best New Artist.
She's been on the go ever since, serving as a mentor on "The Voice" and releasing six more studio albums -- the most recent, "Lotus," surfacing in 2012. She's received a total of five Grammys, including the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for 2002's "Beautiful," and one Latin Grammy.
2000: Shelby Lynne
Nominees: Brad Paisley, Papa Roach, Jill Scott and Sisqó
Despite winning Best New Artist for 2000, Shelby Lynne had been recording for more than a decade, beginning with her 1989 album, "Sunrise." (The Academy of Country Music Awards actually elected Lynne New Female Vocalist of the Year in 1990.)
But it wasn't until her 1999 album, "I Am Shelby Lynne," that the singer-songwriter broke out of the pack, with confessional songs told with an eclectic country sound.
After releasing a Dusty Springfield tribute album in 2008, Lynne started her own label, Everso Records. She's also taken on acting roles, playing Johnny Cash's mother in the 2005 biopic, "Walk the Line."
2001: Alicia Keys
Nominees: India.Arie, Nelly Furtado, David Gray and Linkin Park
The "Queen of R&B" was nominated for six Grammy Awards upon the release of her first album, "Songs in A Minor," and won five trophies, including Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for "Fallin'."
Keys has since been nominated for 24 more Grammys, and won 10, including: Best R&B Album for "The Diary of Alicia Keys"; Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, shared with Usher for "My Boo"; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for "No One"; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Superwoman"; Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song (with Jay-Z) for "Empire State of Mind"; and Best R&B Album for "Girl on Fire."
As an actress her film performances include "Smokin' Aces," "The Nanny Diaries," and "The Secret Life of Bees."
2002: Norah Jones
Nominees: Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne and John Mayer
The daughter of Ravi Shankar, Jones dominated the 2002 Grammy Awards, winning five trophies (for Best New Artist, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (for "Come Away With Me"), and Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for "Don't Know Why").
She would later earn 14 more Grammy nominations, and four awards.
2003: Evanescence
Nominees: 50 Cent, Fountains of Wayne, Heather Headley and Sean Paul
Originally formed in 1995, the Little Rock, Ark., rock/metal band - comprised of David Hodges (left, keyboard), Amy Lee (right, vocals) and Ben R. Moody II (lead guitarist) - won two Grammys for their debut major label album, "Fallen": Best New Artist, and Best Hard Rock Performance (for "Bring Me to Life").
Less than two months before the Grammy ceremony, however, Hodges left the band to record with Trading Yesterday (a.k.a. The Age of Information). He later released several solo albums.
Moody left Evanescence in 2003 during the group's "Fallen" tour. After several solo records, he helped form the Gothic metal band, We Are the Fallen.
Lee remained with the band, seeing through the much-delayed 2011 release of its third album, titled "Evanescence," which debuted on the Billboard charts at Number 1.
2004: Maroon 5
Nominees: Los Lonely Boys, Joss Stone, Kanye West and Gretchen Wilson
Before there was Maroon 5, there was Kara's Flowers. Singer Adam Levine and some of the original Maroon 5 members founded that group back in 1994 while still in high school. They released "The Fourth World" in 1997, but after a lukewarm response decided to revamp the band's sound, add guitarist James Valentine to the line-up, and call themselves Maroon 5.
By 2002, the Levine-fronted Los Angeles-based band had "Songs About Jane," the hit album featuring the massive hit "Harder to Breathe." Soon, Maroon 5 walked away with the 2004 Grammy for Best New Artist. Four more studio albums (and plenty more radio hits) followed. In total, Maroon 5 has received three Grammys from 12 nominations.
Levine, meanwhile, has gone on to become a huge success on his own. He has served as a mentor on "The Voice," and was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2013.
2005: John Legend
Nominees: Ciara, Fall Out Boy, Keane and Sugarland
The singer-songwriter's debut studio album, "Get Lifted," earned Legend Grammys for Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for "Ordinary People"), as well as Best New Artist, out of eight total Grammy nominations that year. He's since earned 36 nominations and 12 Grammys.
His subsequent albums include "Once Again," "Evolver," "Wake Up!" (with The Roots), and "Love in the Future."
Legend also shared a Golden Globe Award (and an Academy Award) for Best Original Song, for "Glory," from "Selma."
2006: Carrie Underwood
Nominees: James Blunt, Chris Brown, Imogen Heap and Corinne Bailey Rae
The winner on the fourth season of "American Idol," Underwood released her debut album, "Some Hearts," which contained the hits "Don't Forget to Remember Me," "Wasted" and "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (for which Underwood also won the Best Female Country Vocal Performance Grammy).
As of 2022, Underwood has won eight Grammys, in addition to nine Country Music Association Awards, 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 25 CMT Music Awards.
2007: Amy Winehouse
Nominees: Feist, Ledisi, Paramore and Taylor Swift
After her 2003 debut album, "Frank," Winehouse's second album, "Back to Black" earned her five Grammys, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year (for "Rehab"). Her bluesy voice was hailed by such writers as The New Yorker's Sasha Frere-Jones, who said, "She sounded like an original sixties soul star" capable of "utterly weird phrasings" that no one could match.
Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011, at her home in London. Her last recording -- a duet with Tony Bennett, "Body and Soul" -- was released posthumously, and won her a sixth Grammy.
2008: Adele
Nominees: Duffy, Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum and Jazmine Sullivan
2008 was just the start for Adele, who received four Grammy nominations and two awards for "Chasing Pavements" (from her album, "19").
She subsequently won more than a dozen additional Grammys honoring her 2011 album "21"; her 2011 live performance of "Set Fire to the Rain" at the Royal Albert Hall; the title song from the 2012 James Bond film, "Skyfall"; her 2015 album "25" and song of the year, "Hello."
2009: The Zac Brown Band
Nominees: Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups and The Ting Tings
In 2008 the country music group (featuring (Coy Bowles, Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, Chris Fryar and John Hopkins) released their second album, "The Foundation," which hit Number 2 on the Billboard Country. It featured the Number 1 country hits "Chicken Fried," "Toes" and "Highway 20 Ride."
After Clay Cook (a former member of the Marshall Tucker Band) joined Zac Brown's group, two more studio albums followed: "You Get What You Give" and "Uncaged."
The band subsequently won the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals Grammy for "As She's Walking Away" (featuring Alan Jackson), and Best Country Album (for "Uncaged").
2010: Esperanza Spalding
Nominees: Drake, Florence + The Machine, Justin Bieber and Mumford & Sons
Spalding was the first jazz performer to win the Best New Artist Grammy.
She followed with three more Grammys - Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) - for "Radio Music Society," and Best Instrumentalist Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), for 2014's "Swing Low."
2011: Bon Iver
Nominees: The Band Perry, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and Skrillex
Folk band Bon Iver, led by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon (left), had released two albums prior to its 2011 Best New Artist win. "For Emma, Forever Ago," the band's debut, surfaced in 2007 -- four years before Bon Iver's sophomore effort, "Bon Iver, Bon Iver."
At the 2012 Grammy ceremony Bon Iver not only scooped up Best New Artist, but "Bon Iver, Bon Iver" also won Best Alternative Music Album. The track "Holecene" received nominations for both Song and Record of the Year.
By the end of 2012, though, during a Bon Iver concert in Dublin, Ireland, Vernon announced it would be their "last performance as a band ... at least for a while." It wasn't until 2016 that the band released a new album, "22, A Million," which would receive a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Their next album, "i,i," would be nominated for three Grammys, including Album of the Year.
2012: fun.
Nominees: Alabama Shakes, Hunter Hayes, The Lumineers and Frank Ocean
The singles "We Are Young," "Some Nights" and "Carry On" pushed fun. into the spotlight in 2012 -- and soon the indie pop group (featuring Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff) found themselves on the Grammy stage to accept the Best New Artist honor and Song of the Year for "We Are Young."
The tracks appeared on the sophomore album from the band, which followed 2009's "Aim and Ignite."
Antonoff also found success with his side project, Bleachers.
2013: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Nominees: James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran
The hip hop duo (comprised of rapper Ben Haggerty and DJ Ryan Lewis) released two EPs in 2009 and 2010 before the debut of their album, "The Heist." It bowed at Number 2 on the Billboard chart, and feature two Number 1 singles: "Can't Hold Us" (featuring Ray Dalton) and "Thrift Shop" (featuring Wanz).
Nominated for seven Grammys (including Album of the Year), Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won four awards, including Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance (for "Thrift Shop"), as well as Best New Artist.
2014: Sam Smith
Nominees: Bastille, Brandy Clark, Iggy Azalea and Haim.
In 2015 Sam Smith won four Grammys (including Best New Artist) for his album, "In the Lonely Hour." During the year that followed, Smith received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for his theme to the James Bond thriller, "Spectre," "Writing's on the Wall."
2015: Meghan Trainor
Singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor ("Title") came out on top as Best New Artist over fellow nominees, Australian singer Courtney Barnett ("Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit"); English singer-songwriter James Bay ("Chaos and the Calm"); country artist Sam Hunt ("Montevallo"); and singer-songwriter Tori Kelly ("Unbreakable Smile ").
2016: Chance the Rapper
Nominees: Kelsea Ballerini, The Chainsmokers, Maren Morris, Anderson Paak.
Chance the Rapper has been nominated for seven Grammys. He's won two other awards, for Best Rap Album ("Coloring Book"), and Best Rap Performance (for "No Problem," with Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz).
2017: Alessia Cara
Nominees: Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels, and SZA.
Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara, who rose to prominence by posting videos of covers on YouTube, was nominated for three other Grammys, including Song of the Year and Best Music Video (for "1-800-273-8255," with Logic and Khalid), and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, with Zedd, for "Stay." She followed up her platinum debut album, "Know-It-All" with her 2018 album, "The Pains of Growing."
2018: Dua Lipa
Nominees: Chloe x Halle, Luke Combs, Greta Van Fleet, H.E.R., Margo Price, Bebe Rexha and Jorja Smith.
Several hit singles, including "Be the One," "New Rules," "Hotter than Hell," "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" and "Last Dance," came out of the debut, eponymous 2017 album by singer-songwriter Dua Lipa. "Electricity" (with Silk City) also earned Lipa the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. The first single off her 2020 album, "Future Nostalgia," was "Don't Start Now."
2019: Billie Eilish
Nominees: Black Pumas, Maggie Rogers, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Rosalía, Tank and the Bangas, and Yola.
The winner for Best New Artist also copped Best Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album ("When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"), and both Record and Song of the Year ("Bad Guy"). Since then, Eilish has won two more Grammys, including Record of the Year (for "Everything I Wanted"), and a Grammy and an Oscar for the James Bond theme song "No Time to Die." She repeated her debut album's chart-topping success with her second album, "Happier Than Ever."
2020: Megan Thee Stallion
Nominees: Ingrid Andress, Phoebe Bridgers, Chika, Noah Cyrus, D Smoke, Doja Cat and Kaytranada.
A winner for Best Rap Song for the #1 hit "Savage," Megan Thee Stallion also won Best Rap Performance for "Thot S**t."
2021: Olivia Rodrigo
Nominees: Arooj Aftab, Jimmie Allen, Baby Keem, Finneas, Glass Animals, Japanese Breakfast, The Kid Laroi, Arlo Parks, and Saweetie.
The singer-songwriter who came up through the world of Disney TV ("High School Musical: The Musical: The Series") broke out with her debut single, "Drivers License" (a Grammy-winner for Best Pop Solo Performance), off her #1 Billboard album, "Sour" (Best Pop Vocal Album). Other hits included "Déjà Vu," "Good 4 U," "Traitor" and "Brutal."
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