The Youngest Artists to Ever Be Nominated for a Grammy Award

Stars don't always have to wait to find success at the Grammys — in fact, sometimes they don't even have to wait until they're old enough to drive

01 of 24

Deleon Richards

Allstate Gospel SuperFest 2015 - Red Carpet
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Gospel singer Richards is the youngest Grammy nominee in history. She started touring at age 5, and by 8, she was nominated for her first Grammy.

02 of 24

Blue Ivy Carter

Blue Ivy Carter
Blue Ivy Carter. Allen Berezovsky/Getty

Just after turning 9, JAY-Z and Beyoncé's eldest child won best music video for her part in Mom's "Brown Skin Girl" at the 2021 show. She sings a few lines on the track and received a writing credit, as well.

Earlier in 2020, Blue received her first-ever BET Award nomination — and won, too!

03 of 24

Billy Gilman

43rd Annual Grammy Awards
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At 12 years old, Gilman made a splash in country music with his first single, "One Voice." The song was nominated for best male country vocal performance. After his early success, he went on to compete on The Voice in 2016.

04 of 24

Michael Jackson

Jackson 5 & Gladys Knight & The Pips At The Grammys
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When Deleon Richards broke the record of youngest Grammy nominee, she nabbed the title from Jackson, who got his first nomination at age 12 for the song "ABC," which he performed with his brothers in The Jackson 5.

05 of 24

Zac & Taylor Hanson

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For their earworm of a tune "MMMBop," Hanson received three Grammy nominations, which made brothers Zac and Taylor two of the youngest Grammy nominees ever. At the time, Zac was 12 and Taylor was 14.

06 of 24

LeAnn Rimes

The 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards
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Rimes was just 14 years old when she won two Grammy Awards: one for best new artist and the other for best female country vocal performance. This made her the youngest Grammy winner in history.

07 of 24

Luis Miguel

2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards - Rehearsals
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Now a household name, the Latin artist was successful from the start, winning his first Grammy for best Mexican/Mexican-American album when he was just 14 years old.

08 of 24

Lorde

56th GRAMMY Awards - Press Room
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Her song "Royals" hit the airwaves when she was just 16, and a few months after her 17th birthday, Lorde won the award for best pop solo performance and song of the year.

09 of 24

Justin Bieber

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The now-28-year-old was only 16 when he nabbed nominations for best new artist and best pop vocal album.

10 of 24

Nick & Joe Jonas

51st Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals
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The youngest Jonas Brothers bandmate (but not the youngest Jonas brother) was just 16 when the trio earned a nomination for best new artist in 2009. The next time the group was considered for the best pop group performance award thanks to their hit song "Sucker," Nick was 27 years old.

The Jonas Brothers' middle sibling was similarly young when they received the new artist nod. Three full years older than his little brother, Joe was 19 years old. (The band's eldest, Kevin, was already 21 at the time.)

11 of 24

Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell

Billie Eilish
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The brother-sister duo each broke records in 2020. Eilish, who was 17 at the time she was nominated, was the youngest artist to be recognized for the award show's top four categories: album of the year, record of the year, song of the year and best new artist — and she won them all. Meanwhile, O'Connell was the youngest producer ever to be nominated for producer of the year (not alongside a collaborator), according to Billboard.

In 2021, they picked up two awards together and are nominated for best song written for visual media in 2023.

12 of 24

Britney Spears

The 42nd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arista Records Pre-GRAMMY Party
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When Spears was first nominated for a Grammy in 2000, she was 18 years old — and brought her mom Lynn as her date to the ceremony.

13 of 24

Chris Brown

The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red Carpet
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The R&B singer earned two nominations at age 17 in 2007. Brown was nominated in the best new artist category and his self-titled debut record was considered as the best contemporary R&B album. He commemorated the milestone occasion by bringing his then-5-year-old nephew as his date to the show.

14 of 24

GAYLE

2022 AMA's Arrivals
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This Texas-born, Tennessee-raised singer might only be 18 years old, but she's already being considered for 2023's song of the year award with her angsty anthem "abcdefu." The song, which garnered major attention after going viral on TikTok, topped charts around the globe, coming in at No. 3 in the United States and No. 1 in the United Kingdom.

Regardless of whether or not GAYLE takes home the Grammy, 2023 will certainly be a milestone year for the songwriter. She's set to open for Taylor Swift in multiple cities on The Eras Tour. Fans abroad can also catch GAYLE on the European leg of Pink's Pink Summer Carnival Tour.

15 of 24

Taylor Swift

50th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals
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The megastar received a best new artist Grammy nod at just 18. Though she didn't win in the category, Swift's first nomination in 2008 was indicative of the many more to come. Two years later, she took home four of the eight awards for which she was considered.

Including her recent 2023 nominations, the "All Too Well" singer now boasts an astonishing record of 46 Grammy nominations, 11 of which she's already won in previous years.

16 of 24

The Kid LAROI

Grammy Awards Arrivals
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At just 18 years old, Australian musician The Kid LAROI became a contender in two Grammy categories: best new artist and, for his contributions to Justin Bieber's Purpose, the coveted album of the year award.

17 of 24

Halle Bailey

Halle Bailey of Chloe X Halle attend the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019
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Halle, who is just 21 months younger than her sister and collaborator Chloë, was only 18 years old when the musical duo was nominated for two awards at the 2019 Grammys. (Chloë was 20 at the time.)

Chloe x Halle received nods in the best new artist and best urban contemporary album categories. The sibling singers didn't take home the gramophone trophy, but bigger things were just around the corner for Halle. In July 2019, Disney announced that the younger Bailey had been cast to play Princess Ariel in the 2023 live action adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

18 of 24

Avril Lavigne

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In the year of "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi," Lavigne picked up eight Grammy nominations at the sweet young age of 18 (though she didn't go onto win any of them).

19 of 24

Olivia Rodrigo

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Olivia Rodrigo. getty

In 2022, a 19-year-old Olivia Rodrigo took home three of the seven awards for which she was nominated. Her first nods turned first wins include best new artist, best pop vocal album for her debut Sour and best pop solo performance for her viral hit "drivers license."

20 of 24

Justin Timberlake

Singer Justin Timberlake of NSYNC attends the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards Pre-Party Hosted by Clive Davis on February 22, 2000
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Alongside his fellow 'NSYNC bandmates, Timberlake became a Grammy nominee times two in the year 2000, when he was 19. The boy band's songs "Music of My Heart" and "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" were up for consideration in the best pop collaboration and best country collaboration categories, respectively.

Timberlake has received a total of 38 nominations — only eight of which he shares with the other members of NSYNC — and he's won a total of 10 awards, all as a solo artist.

21 of 24

Jordin Sparks

Singer Jordin Sparks arrives to the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards at the Staples Center on February 8, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.
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The American Idol champion scored her first Grammy nod in 2009 for her song "No Air," a duet with Chris Brown. At the time of the ceremony, Sparks was just 19 years old.

22 of 24

Destiny's Child

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Before Beyoncé released her first solo album (and subsequently took over the world), she was nominated for her first Grammy with Destiny's Child at the 2000 ceremony, for best R&B song and best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals. At the time, all the group's members were only 19. Bey now holds the record for most Grammys won by a female artist, with 28.

23 of 24

Christina Aguilera

42nd Annual Grammy Awards - Pressroom
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The "Genie in a Bottle" singer took home the Grammy for best new artist in 2000, when she was only 19.

24 of 24

Rihanna

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Another 19-year-old Grammy nominee was Rihanna, who went on to win one award for best rap/sung collaboration for "Umbrella" with JAY-Z.

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