Which award did Adele win at the 2009 Grammys for overall new-artist achievement?

At the 2009 Grammys, Adele won Best New Artist for her overall breakthrough as a recording artist.

The award came at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in February 2009, after the success of her debut album, 19. It recognised Adele's emergence on the international music scene rather than a single song or album category.

Adele also won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the same ceremony for “Chasing Pavements.” That distinction explains why the other options can seem plausible: Best Pop Vocal Album, Song of the Year and Album of the Year are separate Grammy categories, but none was her overall new-artist honour that year.

Her Grammy success expanded dramatically with her second album, 21. At the 2012 ceremony, that album helped her win six awards, including Album of the Year, making the earlier Best New Artist victory an important starting point in her Grammy history.