Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 16, “Rolling Stone” is breaking down 11 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.
The key factor to winning Best New Artist at the
Grammys? Longevity. “Are you somebody that is just going to have a quick little moment, or are you going to be somebody that pushes music to a more interesting place?” Tom Poleman, the Chief Programming Officer of iHeartMedia, tells Rolling Stone. “I think there’s a lot of potential people who are doing that right now.”
Poleman is right. There’s a powerhouse group of contenders for Best New Artist this year, and many of them have been working towards this moment for a while. Geese, this generation’s most exciting rock band, have been cultivating their fanbase for a decade, while Slayyyter’s debut album (Troubled Paradise) arrived five years ago. But with albums like Geese’s Getting Killed and Slayyyter’s Wor$t Girl in America, the world is finally catching on, and so are the Grammys.
“The whole field that we’re talking about, they’re in this category for a reason,” says Alex Tear, SiriusXM’s Vice President of Music Programming. “They’re not manufactured. It’s a very diverse group, and they’re so very talented, and they’ve done the work. So it’s great to see that they’re being recognized.”
Best New Artist — Our Predictions
Ella Langley
Geese
Slayyyter
Bella Kay
Audrey Hobert
Malcolm Todd
Sienna Spiro
Ravyn Lenae
Who Will Win?
A country artist hasn’t taken home the Best New Artist award since 2010, after Zac Brown Band. Ella Langley, who broke out with the record-breaking “Choosin’ Texas,” is likely to win this one. “She’s a global beast,” Tear says. “I feel like she’s where the future of country is,” Poleman adds. “Which is really great to see. But then, she also is one of the biggest crossover artists of the year. So she’s not just having a hit, she’s really building a career that goes way beyond just a song that you hear on the radio or streams. It’s somebody that you want to see in concert, somebody that their fan base will engage with on a consistent level. I think you need to underscore the artist part of the category. It’s not just the best new song. It’s somebody who truly connects with a fan base from all angles.”
Who Should Win?
Audrey Hobert released her debut Who’s the Clown last year, and she recently debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 with her breakout hit “Sue Me.” Her whimsical pop has been gravitating with listeners, and it would be a huge achievement for her to take this home. (As she recently told Rolling Stone, it’s on her mind, as well: “I’m definitely a dreamer, and I’ve loved award shows since I was a child,” she said. “I watch every single one.) Her brother, Malcolm Todd, is a contender for this category as well.
“Man, she has a bright future,” Tear says. “There’s so much personality, and you hear the humor and the heart and the observations. Fans are totally connecting with it. Audrey is just so curious and so quirky and so cool and funny.”
Forecasting the Field
It’s anybody’s game this year, and that includes Sienna Spiro, who recently took home the awardat the 2026 VMAs. “She could be the one that may grab that shiny thing,” Tear says. “But it’s a great category with some super talented people.” Adds Poleman: “One of the best new vocals on the scene, a young talent that is creating a sound that is connecting in a commercial way. So she’s an artist that has that combination of both artistry and commercial success, which is not easy to do, but it’s happening. She blends the artistry and the commercial success in a way that very few have been able to do. It’s a true career that is developing, and you know she’ll be around for a long time to come.” Other contenders include Geese, Bella Kay, Todd, Slayyyter, and Ravyn Lenae. “It’s amazing,” Tear says of the category. “I’m a kid in a candy shop right now.”
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