Meet Addison Rae & More of the Grammys 2026 Best New Artist Nominees

by

Chappel Roan, Megan Thee Stallion, Christina Aguilera, John Legend.

Being nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys is a huge honor, and the list of nominees is always full of talent. Interestingly, the artists who didn’t win the award are just as successful and well-known. Think of stars like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Nicki Minaj – they were all nominated but didn’t take home the trophy!

Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Leon Thomas, Sombr, Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias, and Lola Young are hoping to be recognized when Trevor Noah hosts the Grammy Awards for the last time on February 1st. You can find the complete list of nominees here.

Warren, 25, admitted on CBS Mornings in January that he wasn’t a standout singer growing up. He wasn’t particularly gifted, and his choir teacher didn’t have much faith in him.

You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about how perceptions of artists change over time. I remember growing up and realizing that my voice – a little rough around the edges – wasn’t what people expected. Back then, the spotlight was on artists like Justin Bieber – the heartthrobs writing catchy songs. And honestly, I didn’t fit that mold. I was just a regular kid, not the typical pop star image.

With his popular song “Ordinary,” which he wrote for his wife, Kouvr Annon, the former Hype House member proved he was actually quite exceptional.

Fellow TikToker Rae also feels she has something to prove. 

She admitted to Billboard that she was initially disappointed in herself, explaining that she had set very high expectations. However, she eventually learned to let go of those expectations and moved past her disappointment.

The 25-year-old explained that they believe hard work and dedication can achieve anything. Initially, many people doubted their musical abilities, which was discouraging. However, their deep love for music kept them going despite the early challenges, as it’s such a central part of their life.

And once people got a taste of songs like “Diet Pepsi,” they drank it all up. 

Get to know the stories behind the Best New Artist nominees before they arrive at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1st.

Lola Young, a singer from the U.K., first gained recognition as a finalist on the talent show Got What It Takes? in 2016. She then released her first single, “6 Feet Under,” in 2019.

While her song “Conceited” briefly appeared on the UK charts in 2023, she achieved global recognition in 2024 with her hit single “Messy.” “Messy” reached the top spot in both the UK and the United States, among other countries.

Lola described her song as relatable, telling Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in January 2025 that it’s about not always living up to perfect standards. She explained, “It’s not about the ‘clean girl’ image all the time. Sometimes you just haven’t washed your socks, and that’s okay—you don’t need to wash them every day, it’s unrealistic!”

Lola’s third studio album, I’m Only Fking Myself, released in 2025, has been a global hit. The album’s title is quite bold and attention-grabbing.

Leon Thomas started his career as a young performer, appearing in popular shows like Broadway’s The Lion King and The Color Purple, as well as on Nickelodeon’s iCarly. He became widely known for his role as Andre Harris on the Nickelodeon series Victorious, where he starred alongside Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande.

He went on to co-produce and co-write her 2013 albums, Yours Truly and Christmas Kisses. He also worked with artists like Post Malone, Kehlani, and Ty Dolla $ign. In 2013, Leon released his first single, “Hello How Are You,” which featured Wiz Khalifa.

Although an earlier song wasn’t a hit, Leon achieved greater success in 2018 with his single “Favorite.” Later, in 2024, his song “Mutt” – also the title of his album – climbed to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned double platinum certification in October 2025.

Leon is up for six Grammys in 2026, including Best New Artist. He’s also nominated for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album for his album, Mutt.

Addison Rae, already famous from TikTok and her role in He’s All That, is reaching a new milestone in her career. She’s received her first Grammy nomination as a singer, marking a significant achievement after years in the spotlight.

Her nod for Best New Artist comes just months after releasing her debut studio album, Addison, which contains the hit singles “Diet Pepsi,” “Aquamarine,” “High Fashion,” “Headphones On” and “Fame Is a Gun.”

After almost ten years together, the indie pop band The Marías – featuring lead singer María Zardoya, along with Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman, and Edward James – finally landed a song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The band’s song “No One Noticed,” which peaked at number 22 on the charts, is a deeply emotional and slower-paced track, according to the lead singer. In a February 2025 interview with Billboard, she expressed hope that listeners are still drawn to songs that evoke strong feelings, even if those feelings are sad.

The group felt a wide range of emotions when they received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2026.

The band shared on Instagram, celebrating their recent award nomination and reflecting on their journey. They wrote, “It feels amazing to be nominated! It’s taken us ten years of hard work to finally get this recognition.”

KATSEYE is a Los Angeles-based girl group consisting of Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Manon Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, Yoonchae Jeong, and Sophia Laforteza. The group was formed during the 2023 YouTube talent competition, The Debut: Dream Academy, and their journey was later chronicled in the 2024 Netflix docuseries, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.

In 2025, the group played a mix of their popular songs, “Gnarly” and “Gabriella,” before the MTV VMAs. They also won the award for Push Performance of the Year at the show for their song “Touch.”

“I can’t believe this is happening!” Lara exclaimed as they accepted the award. “This is all completely new to us – it’s the first time we’ve ever done anything like this. We’ve faced many challenges together, so this moment feels incredibly rewarding. It’s proof that all our hard work has paid off and inspires us to continue moving forward.”

Alex Warren received a surprising and meaningful nomination for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammys. He started making music as a teenager following the loss of his father to cancer. He later faced further hardship, as his mother, who struggled with substance use, asked him to leave home at 18, forcing him to live in his car. Sadly, she passed away from liver and kidney failure when he was 21, as he shared with Billboard.

These life events have shaped his music.

The singer shared in October that while they love their career, the losses they’ve experienced—like the passing of their parents and losing their childhood—have shaped them into the artist they are today. They feel they have a story to share and hope it can help others.

Alex released his first full album, You’ll Be Alright Kid, in July 2025, following his 2024 EP You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1). It quickly reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the song “Ordinary,” which was written about his wife, Kouvr Annon, became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Besides being a musician, Alex is also popular on social media as a founding member of Hype House.

Sombr barely knew what his life had in store. But now, he’s a Grammy nominee.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE where he went to school! It’s LaGuardia, the Fame high school! Can you even imagine?! But get this – he was SO popular, after “Caroline” blew up in 2022, he actually left to pursue music full-time. Like, he didn’t even finish! It’s just… amazing. He knew he had to follow his dream, and I totally get it!

He said that after the song went viral in April 2025, his life completely changed. “I was flooded with emails from every record label,” he told People magazine.

Sombr first released his EP, In Another Life, in 2023. Then, in 2025, he put out his first full album, I Barely Know Her, which reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album included his hit songs “Back to Friends” and “Undressed.”

The musician, whose full name is Shane Michael Boose, explained in a preview for his upcoming Saturday Night Live performance that his stage name, Sombr, is based on his initials, SMB.

Man, you need to learn more about Olivia Dean.

The British singer recently received two Grammy nominations – for Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year (non-classical) thanks to her popular song, “Man I Need.” But she’s actually been gaining recognition for a while now.

Olivia went to The Brit School, a famous performing arts school also attended by stars like Adele, Jessie J, and the late Amy Winehouse. By 2021, Amazon Music recognized her talent by naming her Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

Two years after starting her career, she released her first album, Messy, which quickly reached No. 4 on the U.K. charts and included the popular song “Dive.” Her second album, The Art of Loving, came out in 2025 and went all the way to No. 1. Notably, she became the first British woman since Adele to have three songs reach the top 10 in the U.K. charts.

As for how she’d describe her style?

Olivia recently told ELLE that she simply creates the kind of music she enjoys listening to herself. She loves genres like soul, jazz, and bossa nova, and listens to them constantly. She doesn’t try to force a specific style; she just makes music she genuinely likes.

Read More

2026-01-31 16:18