Singer-songwriter Victoria Mon茅t won best new artist at the
Mon茅t, 34, won the category against Gracie Abrams, Fred Again.., Noah Kahan, Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Coco Jones and The War and Treaty. She emerged as a frontrunner early 鈥� and reigned in 鈥� as the only best new artist nominee also nominated in one of the top three general field categories: record of the year.
Mon茅t thanked the Champagne servers first before adding her team, her fellow nominees and her mother, a single mom 鈥渞aising this really bad girl.鈥�
鈥淚 just want to say to everybody who has a dream. I want you to look at this as an example.鈥�
She said the award represented a 15-year pursuit and she likened herself to a plant. 鈥淢y roots have been growing underneath ground, unseen for so long. And I feel like today, I鈥檓 sprouting.鈥�
The best new artist award, which went to jazz artist last year, is one of the Grammys鈥� most-anticipated as it is often seen as a bellwether for future success. Recent winners include , Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa. Other winners include Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Amy Winehouse, Adele and Chance the Rapper.
The award goes to an artist who releases, during that year鈥檚 eligibility period, the first recording that establishes their 鈥減ublic identity,鈥� according to . For Mon茅t, a longtime songwriter for other artists including Ariana Grande and Chloe x Halle, that was her debut solo album: 鈥淛aguar II.鈥� The album鈥檚 breakout hit, 鈥淥n My Mama" peaked at number 35 on the and was named one of the .
With seven nominations, Mon茅t tied for the second-most this year, alongside Phoebe Bridgers and behind SZA. Mon茅t鈥檚 nominations also made history: Her 2-year-old daughter Hazel became the youngest ever nominee for her appearance on 鈥淗ollywood,鈥� nominated for best traditional R&B performance.
鈥淲e had like a toddler extravaganza where we had all of her friends from school dressed in like, tuxedos and things, and we had a mock red carpet鈥� at the Black Music Action Coalition dinner ahead of the Grammys. 鈥淪he hated it,鈥� she laughed. 鈥淗opefully we can get one good shot because I know when we, you know, when she鈥檚 older, she鈥檚 going to really appreciate it.鈥�
They did, in fact, get their photo, though Hazel turned her face away from the throng of photographers snapping photos Sunday.
While it was Hazel鈥檚 first trip to the Grammys, it was not Mon茅t's first rodeo 鈥� just her first as a soloist. In 2020, she was nominated in the album and record of the year categorys as a producer on Ariana Grande鈥檚 鈥渢hank u, next.鈥�
following those nominations, Mon茅t said: 鈥淣aturally when I wrote my goals list, I wanted to be just as successful as Kanye in the Grammy category, or as Bey, or as the greats. I was like, 鈥業 want 16 Grammys.鈥� It was a big number.鈥�
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Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy contributed to this report.
Elise Ryan, The Associated Press
