The 68th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony is just days away, and the celebratory week leading up to music’s biggest night has officially kicked off. The Recording Academy is slated to host a variety of events this week in Los Angeles via GRAMMY House, a multi-day immersive experience for industry professionals, fans, members, and creators alike. The schedule of events began with its first programming: the Best New Artist Spotlight. Each of the eight nominees for Best New Artist were invited to speak on what the recognition means for them as well as their experiences from the beginning of their careers to the road to the Grammy’s stage this Sunday, where each of them are set to perform.
The emerging artists featured on the panel included a broad array of artistry and personality, each with a viral hit or two, these artists have spent the past year kicking down doors in various corners of the music industry. From the soulful confidence of Olivia Dean to the dream-pop powerhouse band The Marías, each act offered a different insight on what it means to be a Best New Artist.
The showcase was held in GRAMMY House’s Greenhouse on Wednesday morning. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. took the stage briefly to introduce the Best New Artist event, as well as the first moderator of the morning: songwriter and producer Jimmy Jam. Jimmy Jam revealed how he operates on the idea that music is unity and that music will “save the world,” before he began the Spotlight event by introducing the first artist in the lineup.
Leon Thomas – A Two-Decade Musical Metamorphosis
Already a Grammy award-winning songwriter (“Snooze” by SZA) Leon Thomas’ greatest effort yet comes in the form of MUTT, his second studio album that houses a hit-single of the same name. The Best New Artist nod is only one of six recognitions Thomas is up for at this year’s ceremony, including Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song (“YES IT IS”), as well as the elusive Album of the Year. Thomas revealed that he’s going on twenty-two years of musical experience stemming from a heavily-musical family and childhood. The 32-year-old musician credited his creative development to the 10 years he spent “behind the scenes” in songwriting and producing roles. His talents go beyond musicality however, Thomas spent four seasons in a main role on Nickelodeon’s sitcom Victorious. Though choosing to omit that information during his panel, the role highlighted his talent for vocal and instrumental performance.
Thomas also mentions how he views music as a “team sport” with each project living its own world and personality. He revealed that he created a 15-page treatment for MUTT, which he presented to his record label that characterized the persona of the album, noting exactly what the color scheme, album art, and music videos will look like. His ever-evolving sound comes from inspirations such as Prince and Stevie Wonder. Thomas believes that blending of genres he’s drawn to in his music is important for Black artists. When asked how the Best New Artist nomination felt to him specifically, he revealed that he’s “not crazy” for believing in himself.
Lola Young – Channeling Confidence Through Creativity
25-year-old British artist Lola Young sat with Jimmy next, marking one of the first public appearances for the Gen-Z household name since her break from the spotlight in Fall 2025. “I’m going away for a while,” the artist took to Instagram to say in a post after she suffered a health-scare on stage at a music festival last September. Her performance on Sunday will mark her first return to the stage since the incident. Alongside Best New Artist, Young holds a nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Messy,” which has taken TikTok For You Pages by storm for the better part of two years. The artist revealed how she values poetry and lyricism when it comes to her songwriting, using it as a cathartic tool to “understand” herself better. She holds a co-sign from a number of industry giants, including Elton John, which Jimmy Jam celebrated. She noted other influences such as Amy Winehouse, Frank Ocean and Joni Mitchell.
Young advocated for “championing” new artists just as her idols have done for her, asserting that in an industry full of people trying to “pigeon-hole” or turn artists into copies of other artists, musicians should make whatever kind of music they want to make. “Don’t try to fit in,” she advises, detailing how her confidence comes by way of her creative process. Young revealed that she cried before laughing “hysterically” at the news of her nomination. “[It’s] such a big damn show,” she admits.
Olivia Dean – Empowering Emotional Complexity
Jimmy Jam introduced the next featured artist, also from “across the pond,” he states. British Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean graced the stage with a quiet elegance. Dean revealed that in her music-making process “less is more,” describing how intentionality reveals itself in the finished product. She talked about her 2025 album The Art of Loving which spawned hit, vocal-forward singles including “Man I Need” and “So Easy (To Fall in Love),” both of which became top-20 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charting entries. She attributes the body of work to her finding herself, cementing it as “life-changing.” When prompted, Dean revealed the aspect she thinks about most in her music process is the live performance. She platformed the importance of vocal storytelling found in influences such as Carole King and Adele, revealing how she gravitates to “soulful” music.
When expanding on the pop-soul track “Man I Need,” Dean noted the “emotional, complex” nature of the lyrics. Previously describing the song as “a song about knowing how you deserve to be loved and not being afraid to ask for it,” she alluded to the vulnerability often found in her songwriting. Dean feels the Best New Artist nomination is representative of the entire team behind her. “I didn’t really think this would happen to me,” she concludes.
At this point in time, moderator duties were passed onto songwriter and multi-artist collaborator Justin Tranter.
KATSEYE – Music Beyond Vocal Performance
Tranter was first joined by 6-member “global girl group” KATSEYE. Already an industry powerhouse (the group’s Instagram page is home to 8.3 million followers, the most of any highlighted nominee), KATSEYE took the stage each in an array of cohesive, stylish outfits. The group credited a bulk of their creative and collaborative processes to the variety of diversity found within. From ethnicity to personality, Filipino artist and appointed group leader Sophia Laforteza described their differences as a “broad space” to play with. ‘The limits are endless,” she mentioned. South Korean member Yoonchae Jeong detailed how their different cultural backgrounds directly influence their discography, citing fellow member Daniela Avanzini’s Latin roots heard on their single “Gabriela” (the song itself is nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category). Swiss member Manon Bannerman highlighted how while the group stays authentic to their individual selves, they are able to learn from each other.
Tranter celebrated the group’s two years of dedication and training efforts that brought them to this point in their career. Avanzini responded to the sentiment that the group is in “disbelief” at the recognition, but acknowledged the “manifesting” and hard-work that had to be done to reach this milestone. Hawaiian-born member Megan Skiendiel mentioned the “surreal” nature of the Grammy nomination. “[The nomination] means everything to us,” she stated.
East-Asian member Lara Raj cited pop-icons Britney, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga as influences on their performance style. “[We] hope people recognize the showmanship,” Raj says. “The stage is where we shine the most.” The group collectively pressed on how choreography and the “grandeur” of performance is what makes up a large portion of their musical ideology. “Music is so much more than singing a song,” Raj claims.
The Marías – Keeping It In The Family
“Starting a band with your girlfriend [pays off],” Marías member and producer/drummer Josh Conway joked when he joined Justin Tranter on stage. Alongside him were fellow band members Jesse Perlman (guitar) and Edward James (keyboard). Lead vocalist and band namesake María Zardoya was not in attendance, as she was away tending to her solo music endeavour labeled Not For Radio. The Los Angeles-native band made their start producing music for television, describing how the unused tracks eventually made up their 2017 EP Superclean Vol. 1. “Sometimes it takes ten years to blow up overnight,” Conway acknowledged when faced with the reality of the Best New Artist title. Their gradual success is not lost on them, but Conway further revealed how it surprises the band whenever the self-described “anti-hits” from their discography go viral, directly exemplifying the “sleeper” indie-pop song “No One Noticed” off their 2024 album Submarine. Tranter then praised the band and how their sound balances “timeless” yet “modern” ideas.
The Best New Artist nomination marks The Marías second overall Grammy nod, having already been nominated in 2023 for Album of the Year for their collaborative work on Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. James recognized his gratitude towards the Recording Academy for the nomination, but reveals their biggest sense of accomplishment comes from “being together for so long.” He continued by mentioning how after 10 years in the industry, they learned it’s never too late to “make good music and have fun doing it.” The trio then described how the band is a family effort, and how they surround themselves with a family-oriented community when it comes to touring and other facets of their music. They mentioned how Conway produces everything they make, and entertained the idea that it will always stay that way.
Alex Warren – A Career Cooked From Scratch
“I feel like sombr!” Alex Warren joked to the audience after a comedic bit where he tried on Tranter’s dramatic platform-heeled boots. Warren’s 2025 track “Ordinary” has been heard everywhere from Instagram Reels to department store speakers. The song served as the lead single from his debut studio album You’ll Be Alright, Kid and topped the Billboard Global 200 for ten consecutive weeks, reaching number one in over 30 countries. At GRAMMY House’s Best New Artist Spotlight, Warren revealed that his success didn’t occur overnight. Though growing up a music-lover, his passion was discouraged by most everyone around him. He revealed to Justin Tranter how he wished his creativity was promoted as a child, though he had the time to hone his skills for twenty years. In 2019, Warren became a founding member of the viral TikTok collective known as the Hype House, self-releasing his music all the meanwhile.
Through social media, Warren met his eventual wife Kouvr Annon. Warren was kicked out of his parents’ house at 18 years old and was forced to sleep in his car, in which Annon had joined him. He revealed this period of his life inspired the lyrics of “Ordinary,” directly naming his wife as the sole influence. Warren mentioned that he still loves performing the song and keeps Annon in his mind when doing so. Warren also revealed he keeps a book of song ideas and titles, where most of his discography stems from. As for inspiration, he uses everything from his romantic partnership to sore feelings over the death of his parents and the tumultuous relationship he shared with them. When prompted about his upcoming performance at the awards ceremony, he noted his nervous feelings towards the event, and how he’s his own “biggest critic.” Warren mentioned to Tranter how he was with his wife and friends when learning about his nomination. He reflected on his inability to celebrate with his parents, but channeled his gratitude by sharing the honor with his fellow nominees, calling and texting them all shortly after. “We’re all friends,” Warren mentioned happily.
sombr – Gen Z’s Igniting Force
The final breakout musician to join Tranter was Shane Michael Boose, known by his stage-name sombr, who approached the event in an eclectic, Michael Jackson-adjacent get-up. At just 20-years-old, the youngest artist in the category, sombr has already cemented himself as a creative force to be reckoned with. Tranter praised a statistic in which an impressive amount of tickets were sold in quick succession in support of this 2025 “Late Nights & Young Romance Tour.” Sombr was propelled by the success of catchy hits including “Back To Friends” and “Undressed” both of which were solely written and co-produced by the artist himself (as most of his music is). “I need to write [and] create every day,” he says, also attributing songwriting to his favorite part of his artistic process. The Gen-Z artist agrees with Tranter when he mentions how authenticity is most important to artistry, but cites The Beatles as idols and influences of his.
Just at the start of his career, sombr acknowledged the “tough” competition in his category. When asked about what being recognized by the Academy means to him, he reveals it “doesn’t make sense,” he further expands by saying recognition, or the lack thereof, will “never influence” what he makes. He continues to make light of the gravity of the situation, claiming his excitement to perform for his idols is the driving force getting him to the Grammy’s stage. Tranter wrapped up his conversation with sombr, acknowledging how important it is to have an artist such as him to be Gen-Z’s driving force when it comes to live music. Tranter thanks sombr for introducing the generation to the beauty of the concert, citing how many have experienced the musician as their first live experience. “Thank them,” sombr replies.
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Music’s biggest week continues with an extensive slate of programming, press, and excitement as we count down to the 68th Annual Grammy Awards this Sunday, February 1st. See who takes home the coveted Best New Artist award when the ceremony airs at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT on CBS &Paramount+.
The writer would like to acknowledge fellow Best New Artist nominee, Pop singer/songwriter Addison Rae, who was not in attendance for GRAMMY House’s Best New Artist Spotlight.
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