Breaking down the Grammy Award for: Best New Artist

The Grammy for Best New Artist, one of the most sought-after awards in music, is also considered by many to be a "kiss of death" or curse to one's career. Is this valid paranoia? Let's see how NARAS has fared over the past decade:

2009: ADELE
Other nominees: Duffy, Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum, Jazmine Sullivan
Grade: INCOMPLETE
Clearly it's too early to tell if the Grammy gods did well with this one, although I think they're gonna end up being right on. Duffy was over-hyped by her label, and the Jonas Brothers proved in their Grammy performance just how bad they really are. Jazmine and (especially) Lady Antebellum both have the potential for bright futures, so I look forward to seeing where this goes.


2008: AMY WINEHOUSE
Other nominees: Feist, Ledisi, Paramore, Taylor Swift
GRADE: C-
If Amy can get her act together, we can at least upgrade this to a "B." But there's no denying that Taylor Swift is a bona fide superstar already. Feist is great, but she can thank Apple for this nod. Ledisi is talented but she didn't stand a chance at winning; her loyal following will keep her in the business for a long time. Paramore will have a solid career if they can stop arguing.



2007: CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Other Nominees: James Blunt, Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae
GRADE: A
If I wrote this before last weekend, I'd have to notch this as a "B," since Chris Brown has all the tools to be the next Usher and more. Looks like he really shot himself in the foot with his latest drama. Corinne is talented but she'll never be Carrie in terms of success; James was a one-hit wonder, and as for Imogen...sorry hipsters, you're not gonna win this battle.

2006: JOHN LEGEND
Other Nominees: Ciara, Fall Out Boy, Keane, Sugarland
GRADE: B+
Fall Out Boy is already on a downward spiral toward irrelevance, as is Ciara. Keane and Sugarland are great talents, but John Legend defines the term "critic's darling" and was made to win this award.



2005: MAROON 5
Other Nominees: Los Lonely Boys, Joss Stone, Kanye West, Gretchen Wilson
GRADE: B-
Kanye is a megastar, but Maroon 5 is arguably just as huge at this point. I was tempted to give this one an "incomplete," but M5 has proven to be worthy of this award, even with only two albums.

2004: EVANESCENCE
Other Nominees: 50 Cent, Fountains of Wayne, Heather Headley, Sean Paul
GRADE: C
A pretty weak year, in hindsight. Evanescence had their time in the spotlight, but it's hard to argue against 50's success.



2003: NORAH JONES
Other Nominees: Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, John Mayer
GRADE: C+
I can see this being a controversial grade already. Sure, Norah had two huge albums... but for 7-time Grammy winner Mayer to NOT have this award seems silly in 2009.

2002: ALICIA KEYS
Other Nominees: India.Arie, Nelly Furtado, David Gray, Linkin Park
GRADE: A+
Perhaps the most talented bunch of the 2000s; but this is a no-brainer (sorry, Linkin Park). Those who dubbed Alicia as "all hype" back in the day are eating their words now.


2001: Shelby Lynne
Other Nominees: Brad Paisley, Papa Roach, Jill Scott, Sisqo
GRADE: D
The "D" isn't for picking a bad winner, but bad nominees altogether. Who got shunned? Nelly, Nickelback, and Dido, just to name a few. Contrary to the strong class of 2002, this is the weakest field from the new millennium. With respect to Ms. Scott, Paisley probably deserves the award. (My deepest apologies to fans of "Thong Song.")


2000: Christina Aguilera
Other Nominees: Macy Gray, Kid Rock, Britney Spears, Susan Tedeschi
GRADE: B+
Notice the three TRL nominees; this was a very interesting time in pop music. It seems laughable that Britney was even nominated, but even Kid Rock stood the test of time longer than any of us imagined. A hat tip to Ms. Tedeschi, but Christina takes the cake.


That's one D, four Cs, three Bs, and two As. Not as bad as I thought. But let's not forget about some huge mishaps from years past, including:

1998: Paula Cole over Erykah Badu
1992: Marc Cohn over Boyz II Men
1990: Milli Vanilli over Indigo Girls
1982: Sheena Easton over Luther Vandross
1981: Christopher Cross over The Pretenders
1977: Starland Vocal Band over Boston
1973: America over The Eagles

Hey, at least they were right about The Beatles.