Inside Spotify’s Best New Artist Grammys Bash With Victoria Monét, Ice Spice, Gracie Abrams and More
Every year Grammys’ fresh faces have a moment to shine at Spotify’s annual Best New Artist nominees bash in Los Angeles.
“To me it signifies a struggle together,” Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord, said of being included in the Grammys category. “There’s this shared theme between all of us that we kind of struggled at a point in our own way. And I feel that connection.”
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The honor recognizes artists with distinctive voices; whether they’re industry veterans or newbies, it’s to toast their breakout year.
“I spent a lot of my life feeling really unseen, so it was really cool to have that moment,” Jelly Roll said of the recognition. “I felt really seen.”
He was joined at the streamer’s event by fellow nominees Gracie Abrams, Fred Again, Ice Spice, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, Victoria Monét and The War And Treaty. Each took the stage Thursday night for a mini concert held at Paramount Studios, ahead of music’s biggest night on Sunday.
For Monét, known for her work with Ariana Grande and others, it’s been the highlight of her career. She was in a hotel room in L.A. when she saw the news.
“That’s a pretty big moment,” she said of her Grammy nomination.
Meanwhile Abrams was home in New York.
“I was in my bed by myself with my heating pad on, watching the livestream,” she said — standing out in men’s Bode. “I’ve watched it every year that they’ve done it, really, as a fan. And I had no expectations. It was just kind of pure shock.”
Jones was also in bed — flying high.
“I was actually asleep [on a plane],” she said. “And I knew that once I landed I would be finding out whether I was nominated or not. So I went to sleep. The time zones changed so everyone knew before me. I woke up to all these messages, and I was really just shocked. I was anxious to land so I could call people back.”
Launch Gallery: Ice Spice, Reneé Rapp Attend Spotify’s Best New Artist Party 2024
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