Recently country performers have done very well with the Best New Artist  category.  Recent winners include The Zac Brown Band (2009), Carrie Underwood (2006), Shelby Lynne (2000) and LeAnn Rimes (1996).  Before that, we have to go all the way back to Bobbie Gentry in 1967, the same year The Beatles took home the Album of the Year Award for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  (Gentry also won a GRAMMY that year for Best Contemporary Female Solo Vocal Performance for “Ode To Billie Joe.”  I’d certainly count that as country!)

You might not be aware of this, but the Best New Artist Award can be tied into NBC’s The Voice.  Christina Aguilera won the award in 1999 and Maroon 5 (with lead vocalist Adam Levine) was honored with it in 2004.  As we know, Aguilera and Levine are both coaches on the smash singing competition.  The show’s country judge, Blake Shelton, is nominated for Best Country Album for “Red River Blue”; Best Country Solo Performance for the chart-topping single “Honey Bee”; and Best Country Song for “God Gave Me You” (written by Dave Barnes).

And now, just for fun, a few random winners from the category:  Starland Vocal Band (1976), Culture Club (1983), Mariah Carey (1990) and Darius Rucker’s Hootie & The Blowfish (1995).

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live on Sunday, February 12th from the  Staples Center in Los Angeles, and will broadcast on CBS at 8pm(ET/PT).

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