These Hot 100 Hitmakers Were Passed Over for 2023 Grammy Nods for Best New Artist

30 December, 2022

Fifteen artists who had songs on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 Songs chart were entered and eligible for the Grammy Award for best new artist. Guess how many of those 15 hitmakers were actually nominated for best new artist. (Keep in mind that there are now 10 nominees for best new artist.)

Would you believe, just two? Latto, whose “Big Energy” was the No. 7 song of 2022, is nominated, as is Muni Long, whose “Hrs and Hrs” was the year’s No. 57 song.

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Among the rookies who didn’t rate best new artist nominations: Gayle, whose “abcdefu” (No. 17 for the year) was nonetheless nominated for song of the year; and Kim Petras, whose late-breaking, Hot 100-topping collab with Sam Smith, “Unholy” (No. 98 for the year) is up for best pop duo/group performance.

Also passed over: Dove Cameron, who was named best new artist at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28; Lainey Wilson, who won new female artist of the year at the ACM Awards on March 7 and new artist of the year at the CMA Awards on Nov. 9; and country star Bailey Zimmerman, who has two songs on the year-end Hot 100: “Fall in Love” (No. 54) and “Rock and a Hard Place” (No. 70).

With so many hitmakers left behind, who was nominated for best new artist? Besides Latto and Long, the nominees are Anitta, Omar Apollo, DOMi & JD Beck, Samara Joy, Måneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle and Wet Leg.

Some artists who were passed over for best new artist nods this year may be eligible again next year, though the hitmakers listed below may run afoul of one of the cardinal rules in the category. In the “rules and guidelines” handbook for the 65th annual Grammy Awards, the first guideline under “not eligible” is “any artist who achieved a breakthrough in a prior eligibility year.” If placing a song on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 doesn’t constitute “achieving a breakthrough,” it’s hard to know what does.

Here’s a complete list of the 13 new artists who were eligible for best new artist, but failed to receive a nomination, together with the ranking they hold on the year-end Hot 100:

  • Gayle, “abcdefu” (No. 17)
  • Em Beihold, “Numb Little Bug” (No. 32)
  • Cody Johnson, “’Til You Can’t” (No. 34)
  • Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange” (No. 39)
  • Dove Cameron, “Boyfriend” (No. 51)
  • Joji, “Glimpse of Us” (No. 52)
  • Bailey Zimmerman, “Fall in Love” (No. 54) and “Rock and a Hard Place” (No. 70)
  • Ckay, “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah) (No. 55)
  • Becky G, “MAMIII” (collab with Karol G) (No. 59)
  • Lauren Spencer-Smith, “Fingers Crossed” (No. 75)
  • Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never” (collab with Cole Swindell) (No. 92)
  • Tate McRae, “She’s All I Wanna Be” (No. 94)
  • Kim Petras, “Unholy” (collab with Sam Smith) (No. 98)

Paul Grein

Billboard