Winnings awards is not the point of making music, but it doesn’t always hurt to receive one. With all of the hard work that goes into crafting a recording, both behind the scenes and out in front of people, it’s nice to have some recognition.

There are nearly 100 groups of Grammy Awards in particular, ranging in genre of music and type of work, but there is one segment of the ceremony that holds just a bit more weight. These awards are known as the “General Field” and they include the following six categories: Record, Album and Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) and Songwriter of the Year.

Here we’re focusing on Best New Artist — below you’ll find the rock acts that have been nominated for the award, and those who have won it.

It’s important to remember that the word “new” in this case doesn’t always mean that the artist just hit the market, only that in some way, their recent work has established their public identity.

According to the Recording Academy’s official description, the award “recognizes an artist whose eligibility-period release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.”

For example, the 2026 winner of the Best New Artist award was given to British singer Olivia Dean — although her debut album had been released three years earlier, her more contemporary and more commercially successful work is what earned her the award.

1965

It should surprise no one that the Beatles won Best New Artist in 1965, where the band was presented their awards by Peter Sellers, which you can watch below. And that wasn’t the only Grammy the Fab Four won that night, also taking home Best Performance by a Vocal Group for A Hard Day’s Night.

Watch Peter Sellers Give the Beatles Their Grammys in 1965

1966

The following year, the Byrds, Herman’s Hermits and Sonny & Cher made for some promising contenders, but it was Tom Jones who ended up on top in 1966.

Listen to the Byrds’ ‘So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’

1968

In 1968, Jefferson Airplane made the cut for Best New Artist nominations, though the award ultimately went to Bobbie Gentry. Things turned out just fine for Jefferson Airplane, who won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

Watch Jefferson Airplane Perform Live in 1968

1969

1969 was an interesting mix of nominees, including country and gospel singer Jeannie C. Riley and Jose Feliciano, the man who wrote “Feliz Navidad.” Cream was in there too, but Feliciano wound up the winner. That same year, Cream played their very last concerts together.

Watch Cream Perform at Their Farewell Concert in 1968

1970

Led Zeppelin was in the running, and so was Chicago, but the winner was Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1970. “I don’t think anybody gets into this business to win awards but we knew we had something different,” Graham Nash recalled to grammy.com in 2017. “David Crosby and I were on his boat in Mexico when we got the call that we had won. We had just sailed through the Panama Canal and were on our way to San Francisco. We got the call and I think we smoked another joint to celebrate. Winning Best New Artist was just verification of the fact that we all thought we were on the right path.”

Listen to Crosby, Stills & Nash’s ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’

1971

Not everyone can say that they beat out none other than Elton John for a Grammy, but the Carpenters can — they did it in 1971. That same night, Karen and Richard Carpenter also won Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus for their recording of “(They Long to Be) Close to You.”

Watch the Carpenters Accept Best New Artist in 1971

1972

1972 was quite the year for Carly Simon, who won Best New Artist in 1972, beating out Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Bill Withers and others. Seven months later, she released the No. 1 hit album No Secrets, featuring her now signature track, “You’re So Vain.”

Listen to Carly Simon’s ‘You’re So Vain’

1973

Best New Artist was a jam-packed category in 1973, featuring America, Harry Chapin, Eagles, Loggins and Messina and John Prine. But it was America, still fresh on the heels of their 1972 self-titled debut album that included “A Horse With No Name,” that took home the prize.

Listen to America’s ‘A Horse With No Name’

1975

At the time of this writing in May of 2026, Bad Company has never won a Grammy award. Their one and only experience came in 1975 when they were nominated for Best New Artist, ultimately losing to the composer and future EGOT holder Marvin Hamlisch.

Watch Bad Company Perform at the Grammy Museum in 2013

1976

Here’s the ironic thing about the 1976 Grammys: although KC and the Sunshine Band did not win in the Best New Artist category, two of their members, Harry Wayne Casey (aka KC), and bassist Richard Finch, they ended up winning Best Rhythm & Blues Song as songwriters for “Where Is the Love” as recorded by Betty Wright.

Listen to Betty Wright’s ‘Where Is the Love’ 

1977

Boston had their shot at Best New Artist in 1977, along with one-hit wonder Wild Cherry of “Play That Funky Music” fame. (Starland Vocal Band, famous for “Afternoon Delight,” won instead.)

Watch Boston Perform Live in 1977

1978

Andy Gibb may not have been in the Bee Gees with his older brothers, but he was nominated for Best New Artist in 1978 for his own career. Foreigner was one of his competitors that year, a band that has been nominated for three Grammy Awards over the years but has never won.

Watch Foreigner Perform Live in 1978

1979

In 1979, the New Artist lineup was strong: The Cars, Elvis Costello (“whose very consideration came as a surprise,” wrote The New York Times then), Chris Rea, Toto and that year’s winner, A Taste of Honey.

Listen to Elvis Costello’s ‘This Year’s Girl’

1980

In 1980, the unlikely duo of Debbie Harry and George Burns presented the Best New Artist award, which went to Rickie Lee Jones. Her fellow nominees included the Blues Brothers and Dire Straits. (Dire Straits was also nominated that year for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with “Sultans of Swing.”)

Watch Dire Straits’ Music Video for ‘Sultans of Swing’

1981

Christopher Cross was the king of the 1981 Grammys. He won five total awards that evening, making history as the first artist to sweep all of the “Big Four” categories, including Best New Artist. The Pretenders were also nominated for that award.

Watch Christopher Cross Win Record of the Year at the 1981 Grammys

1982

It was an eclectic mix in 1982 running for Best New Artist, including Luther Vandross, Adam and the Ants and the Go-Go’s, all of whom lost to Sheena Easton.

Watch Sheena Easton Accept Best New Artist in 1982

1983

Quite a few of the decade’s most recognizable names appeared in the Best New Artist category in 1983, including Men at Work, Asia, the Human League and Stray Cats. Ultimately it was Men at Work who took home the award, also performing their hit song “Down Under” at the ceremony.

Watch Men at Work Perform ‘Down Under’ at the 1983 Grammys

1984

Three years after their formation, Culture Club took home the Best New Artist award in 1984, the same year Michael Jackson set the record for most nominations (12) in a single evening. Also in the running was Eurythmics, who performed “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” that night.

Watch Eurythmics Perform at the 1984 Grammys

1985

“I should have wrote the list!” Cyndi Lauper exclaimed when she took the stage to accept Best New Artist in 1985, thanking her friends and colleagues. She beat out the likes of Sheila E., Frankie Goes to Hollywood and others, though it most definitely would not be the last time she landed on a Grammy nomination list.

Watch Cyndi Lauper Accept Best New Artist in 1985

1986

A little over five years since his father’s death, Julian Lennon was nominated for Best New Artist at the 1986 Grammys. It was Sade who won, but Lennon would never forget that evening.

“I was very young, naive — I think it was probably the first time I had ever been to the Grammys, so it was big ordeal,” he recalled to Something Else! in 2014. “You’re surrounded by all of your peers, and everybody you’ve ever loved in music. It was very nerve wracking, sitting in the audience.”

Watch Julian Lennon Recall His 1986 Grammy Experience 

1991

Mariah Carey won Best New Artist in 1991, but the Black Crowes were in there, too. It would be over 30 years until they were nominated for a Grammy again.

Watch the Black Crowes Perform ‘She Talks to Angels’ in 1991

1995

In 1995, Sheryl Crow and Green Day both made the Best New Artist nominee list, and it was Crow who came out on top, also winning Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, plus Song and Record of the Year with “All I Wanna Do.”

Watch Sheryl Crow Perform ‘All I Wanna Do’ at the 1995 Grammys

1996

If people weren’t aware of Alanis Morissette before the 1996 Grammys, they most definitely were afterward because the Canadian singer-songwriter took home four huge awards: Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.

Watch Alanis Morissette Perform ‘You Oughta Know’ at the 1996 Grammys

2000

Both Kid Rock and Susan Tedeschi were nominated for Best New Artist in 2000, but it was Christina Aguilera who received the award.

Watch Kid Rock Perform at the Grammys in 2000

Rock’s 45 Biggest Grammy Winners