5 Grammy Best New Artist Winners Whose Careers Faded Away

Winning the Best New Artist award at the Grammy Awards is often seen as a golden ticket to long-term success in the music industry. Over the years, iconic names such as Adele and Billie Eilish have received this honour and gone on to enjoy massive and sustained popularity across the globe.

However, not every artist who receives this accolade manages to maintain the momentum. The history of this category also reveals a less glamorous side — a number of winners have gradually vanished from the spotlight after their initial moment of fame. This recurring pattern has even led to the emergence of an informal phrase: the “Best New Artist Curse.”

Some musicians, despite being crowned the most promising new acts of their time, failed to keep up the pace and saw their careers dim over the years. Here are five Grammy winners whose stardom didn’t quite last.

The Swingle Singers
This vocal group from Paris won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1964, impressing audiences with their jazzy interpretations of classical pieces. While they did enjoy a respectable run and evolved into different line-ups over time, they never managed to achieve widespread commercial fame. Their name, once synonymous with innovation, gradually faded from mainstream recognition.

Rickie Lee Jones
Awarded Best New Artist in 1980, Rickie Lee Jones was praised for her soulful voice and unique blend of jazz, pop, and rock. Her hit single “Chuck E.’s in Love” catapulted her into the limelight, but the experimental nature of her music made it difficult to maintain mass appeal. Though she continued to release albums, her popularity dwindled in the mainstream space.

Marc Cohn
Known for his classic hit “Walking in Memphis,” Marc Cohn won the Grammy in 1992. While his debut album was well-received, the singer-songwriter struggled to replicate that success with subsequent releases. Despite a loyal fanbase, his name rarely comes up in current music conversations, illustrating a significant drop in his visibility over the decades.

Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross is perhaps the most well-known example of the so-called Best New Artist Curse. Winning five Grammy Awards in 1981, including Best New Artist, his smooth voice and yacht rock style made him a favourite at the time. However, the rise of MTV and the music video era didn’t favour his image, and his career quickly lost momentum. His initial success was never fully replicated.

Shelby Lynne
After years in the industry, Shelby Lynne won Best New Artist in 2001 — a surprising win considering she already had several albums to her name. Her introspective country and soul-infused music earned critical acclaim, but she never quite captured a larger audience. While still active, her mainstream appeal diminished soon after the award.

These examples highlight that winning Best New Artist at the Grammys doesn’t always guarantee lasting success. While the recognition opens doors, staying relevant in the ever-changing music industry requires more than just a promising start.