Best New Artist winners, ranked by popularity today

Best New Artist is perhaps the most coveted of all Grammy awards presented each February by the Recording Academy. The award is not based on the actual popularity of artists, but on the Academy voters' perception of how those artists will fare in the future. But is winning any indication of future success? The answer depends on the year, it seems—and on the personal life of the performers themselves. While some go on to record-breaking careers, others fade into obscurity.

Given all of this, it's a somewhat eclectic bunch that makes up the class of Best New Artist alumni. Styles range from soul and pop to world music and grunge rock. Stacker has organized winners based on their monthly Spotify listeners as an indicator of popularity today. Keep reading to find out where your favorites land, when they earned the distinction of Best New Artist, and if they went on to fame, notoriety, or simply the tragic end of an act disbanding.