Breaking Down the 2019 Best New Artist Grammy

• The Best New Artist category at the 2019 Grammys is rich with talent. 
• Unlike in years past, many of the nominees are actually fairly new.
• Who’s going to win? Who definitely won’t? And who shouldn’t even be here? 

The nominations for Best New Artist at the 2019 Grammys (Sunday, Feb. 10th) often spark heated debate. The parameters are incredibly vague and the winners usually aren’t “new” in any real sense.

The Recording Academy states that, “An artist will be considered for Best New Artist if their eligibility year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.”

But complaining about the selection process isn’t productive and, at the end of the day, this year’s nominees are mostly pretty new, if you squint a little.

Here are the eights artists who received nominations, in alphabetical order, along with their age(s) and genre(s). After the list, get ready for some lukewarm takes on who is/isn’t going to win, who shouldn’t be on the list, and who we think got snubbed.

Best New Artist Nominees (2019)

Who will win the Best New Artist Grammy?

H.E.R. Why? Pretty simple: she’s the only BNA nominee who’s also up for Album of the Year. When a BNA nominee is also nominated in the general categories, that’s a good sign they’re going to win. (See Alessia Cara last year and Sam Smith in 2015.)

Also, H.E.R. (real name, Gabi Wilson) totally deserves it. Have you listened to “Focus”?

The hyper-suave production does for her soulful voice what a dark red tie does for Ryan Gosling’s pale blue eyes.

If anyone is going to sneak up at steal the award, it’s Dua Lipa. She’s been the most pervasive of the nominees, in terms of seeping into the public consciousness, and that’s a big part of winning a Grammy.

Who definitely won’t win the Best New Artist Grammy?

Jorja Smith. The 21-year-old Brit just isn’t going to be able to stand out, nominated alongside other breakout R&B stars like H.E.R. and Chloe X Halle.

But do yourself a favor and listen to “The One” the next time you find your resolve in need of steeling.

Who shouldn’t even be nominated?

Luke Combs. This isn’t a “country sucks” thing, I promise. There is plenty of solid country music deserving of attention (see Margo Price).

Luke Combs just doesn’t bring anything new to the genre. His breakout 2016 hit, “Hurricane,” was a tired ballad about seeing your ex at the bar.

On top of that, the imagery in his lyrics is completely oblivious and self-centered, given the devastation wreaked by actual hurricanes in recent years.

Rain was dropping
Thunder ‘n lightning
You wrecked my whole world when you came
And hit me like a hurricane
You hit me like a hurricane

Ok Luke, calm down. I’m sure your heart was roiling at the time, but as I tell my three-year-old nephew after he stubs his toe, “it’s gonna feel fine in a minute.” Maybe don’t compare yourself to a hurricane victim.

I wonder what Luke will write the next time he’s missing his ex. “I need you to walk around that bend/Like federal employees need the shutdown to end.”

Who got robbed of a BNA nomination?

Ella Mai. Alright, maybe “robbed” is an overstatement. One thing that stands out about this year’s frontrunners is the strength of their songwriting, made all the more impressive by their tender ages.

Ella Mai isn’t going to wow anyone with her lyrics, but still, I could listen to “Boo’d Up” on repeat for about an hour and a half.

The 24-year-old London native can take solace in the fact that Best New Artist is not a now-or-never award. Hell, Luke Combs’ only studio album to date was released in 2017. A couple hit singles this year would be more than enough to put Ella Mai back in the BNA running in 2020.