Who was the first winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist?

Bobby Darin was the first winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Darin won the inaugural Best New Artist award at the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960. The award recognized recordings released during the previous eligibility period, including the breakthrough success that established him as a major new performer.

Born Walden Robert Cassotto, Darin had already built momentum with “Splish Splash,” a 1958 million-selling single he co-wrote and recorded. He then broadened his image with pop standards and swinging performances, including “Mack the Knife,” which won Record of the Year at the same 1960 ceremony.

The category is sometimes misunderstood as an award for an artist’s very first recording. Grammy eligibility instead centers on a breakthrough into public consciousness, so an artist may have released earlier material and still qualify. Darin’s win established a category that later became one of the Grammys’ four General Field awards.