Who was the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist?

Bobbie Gentry was the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Gentry received the honor at the 10th Annual Grammy Awards in 1968, following the breakout success of “Ode to Billie Joe.” Her victory came during the first decade of the Grammy Awards, when the Best New Artist category was still establishing its identity.

She was also a major winner that night. “Ode to Billie Joe” won Record of the Year, and Gentry won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her self-written song stood out for its narrative mystery, Southern setting, and restrained arrangement, helping make her one of the most distinctive new voices of 1967.

The category’s first overall winner was Bobby Darin in 1959, so Gentry was not the first Best New Artist winner. She was the first female recipient. The award recognizes an artist’s breakthrough year, not necessarily a debut single or a person who has never recorded before.