Who won Best New Artist at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards?

Alessia Cara won Best New Artist at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.

The ceremony took place on January 28, 2018, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, honoring music released during the preceding eligibility period. Cara’s win was her first Grammy Award. She was nominated in four categories that night, including Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her collaboration with Zedd on “Stay.”

Cara competed for Best New Artist against Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels, and SZA. Her breakthrough had been fueled by songs such as “Here,” “Scars to Your Beautiful,” and “Stay.” The award recognizes an artist whose eligible releases create a significant breakthrough and impact on the musical landscape; it does not necessarily mean the artist began recording that year.

A common misunderstanding is that “new artist” means a completely unknown newcomer. Grammy eligibility rules allow artists with earlier releases to qualify under specific conditions, so the category is better understood as recognizing a major breakthrough.