The 2026 Grammy Awards are doubling down on discovery this year. All eight nominees for Best New Artist category will perform live at the 2026 Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy confirmed this on Wednesday, turning one of the ceremony’s most competitive categories into a full-scale showcase.
Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, SOMBR and The Marías are now officially part of the telecast lineup. They will take the stage alongside previously announced first performer Sabrina Carpenter.
This is the second year in a row that every Best New Artist nominee will perform on the Grammy stage. The format earned strong response at the 2025 ceremony and helped restore the category’s cultural relevance. This time, the Grammys place emerging artists at the center of the broadcast, giving their music the space to lead.
This year’s lineup reflects a broad snapshot of where new music is heading. Leon Thomas leads the field with six nominations, including multiple R&B categories tied to his album MUTT and a live recording of “Mutt” that has become a defining moment of his breakout year. Lola Young and KATSEYE follow with two nominations each, signaling pop’s continued evolution across both solo and group spaces.
The rest of the category brings its own texture. Alex Warren’s rise from online storytelling to chart success has made his nomination one of the most closely watched. Olivia Dean arrives with critical momentum behind The Art of Loving, while SOMBR’s debut album has quietly built a devoted audience. The Marías, already familiar to festival crowds and streaming charts, round out the group with a sound that continues to blur genre lines.
Sabrina Carpenter, a Best New Artist nominee last year, was announced earlier this week as the first performer confirmed for the show, creating a clear link between last year’s breakout class and this year’s new contenders.
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will air live on Sunday, February 1, from Los Angeles. Trevor Noah will return to host the event for a sixth and final consecutive year.
More performers will be announced in the coming days.
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