Grammys 2026: How Addison Rae, Alex Warren and More Musicians Scored Their Handiest Sleek Artist Nominations
Alexa, play “Weight-reduction procedure Pepsi” by Addison Rae, “Regular” by Alex Warren, “Dive” by Olivia Dean and extra catchy songs from the roster of 2026 Grammys Handiest Sleek Artist nominees.
Chappel Roan, Megan Thee Stallion, Christina Aguilera, John Tale.
It's a listing any artist price their chart-topping hit would admire to be on. But the factual news for these nominated for Handiest Sleek Artist at the 2026 Grammys is that the roster of folk that lost the favorite trophy is every bit as impressive. (We're looking at you, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Nicki Minaj.)
Aloof, Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Leon Thomas, Sombr, Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias and Lola Younger would very unprecedented desire to listen to their name known as as Trevor Noah hosts tune's greatest evening for the sixth and supreme time Feb. 1. (Glimpse the paunchy listing of nominations here.)
“I procure my total lifestyles, I wasn't the final observe singer in my class,” Warren, 25, acknowledged on CBS Mornings in January. “I wasn't fabulous. My choir teacher did now now not procure in me, to shriek the least.”
His vocals are rather raspy, he continued, and “I procure relish as if I changed into rising up, that wasn't the mumble that folk cherished. They cherished the Justin Bieber writing songs about girls, factual-looking dude. And I changed into a full white dinky one.”
But alongside with his standout notice “Regular,” written for foremost other Kouvr Annon, the frail Hype Home member showed he changed into the rest but, .
Fellow TikToker Rae moreover feels she has one thing to existing.
Making the pivot from social media sensation to He's All That actress to bona fide pop massive name, “I procure at the origin I changed into pretty let down on my bear in a amount of systems because I had such excessive expectations,” she confessed to Billboard. “After which over time I correct roughly entirely let that depart and released it.”
On legend of, finally, the 25-365 days-mature shared, “I procure relish I will variety the rest that I work demanding at and establish my thoughts to and I procure that a amount of folk didn't feel that contrivance about tune from me, at the origin. Yeah, it changed into with out a doubt demanding first and foremost to now now not give up on it. But I in fact relish it so unprecedented, it's ingrained in my lifestyles.”
And once folk got a taste of songs relish “Weight-reduction procedure Pepsi,” they drank it all up.
Sooner than she and her fellow Handiest Sleek Artist nominees hit the carpet out of doors L.A.'s Crypto.com Area Feb. 1, compare out the journeys that introduced them there.
Lola Younger
British singer Lola Younger rose to fame after turning staunch into a finalist on the U.K. abilities competition sequence Purchased What It Takes? in 2016. Three years later, she released her debut single, “6 Toes Below.”
In 2023, her song “Arrogant” reached No. 63 in her native United Kingdom. But it indubitably changed into a 365 days later that she earned world fame, charting at No. 1 at dwelling and in a foreign nation, including in the United States, with her single “Messy.”
Calling it “a song that looks to resonate because folk can characterize,” Lola suggested Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in January 2025, “it’s now now not everyday dapper lady ravishing. Some days, you haven't washed your socks. You don't bear to dapper your socks on each day foundation. It's ridiculous.”
Lola has moreover carried out world success with her third studio album, the provocatively titled 2025 file I'm Handiest F–king Myself.
Leon Thomas
First rising to fame as rather one actor, acting in Broadway shows akin to The Lion King and The Color Purple alongside with Nickelodeon's iCarly, Leon Thomas got his gargantuan wreck playing Andre Harris on the cable community's sequence Victorious alongside Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande.
He later worked with the latter as a coproducer and cowriter on her 2013 albums Yours In actuality and Christmas Kisses and moreover collaborated with artists akin to Publish Malone, Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign. That same 365 days, Leon released his debut single, “Howdy How Are You,” that comprises Wiz Khalifa.
While the notice did now now not chart, Leon chanced on extra success alongside with his 2018 single “Favourite” and later, his 2024 notice “Mutt,” from his album of the identical name, reached No. 10 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 Singles Chart and changed into licensed double platinum in October 2025.
Moreover to Handiest Sleek Artist, Leon is nominated for five additional 2026 Grammys, including Handiest R&B Album and Album of the Year for Mutt.
Addison Rae
While now now not precisely an unknown name, Addison Rae is charting in fresh territory. Years after turning into the debate of TikTok, the He's All That actress is finally getting her accolades as a singer with her first-ever Grammy nomination.
Her nod for Handiest Sleek Artist comes correct months after releasing her debut studio album, Addison, which contains the hit singles “Weight-reduction procedure Pepsi,” “Aquamarine,” “Excessive Vogue,” “Headphones On” and “Popularity Is a Gun.”
The Marías
After nearly a decade as a band, indie pop neighborhood The Marías—named for lead singer María Zardoya, the quartet moreover entails Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman and Edward James—made its debut on the Billboard Sizzling 100 Singles Chart.
“No One Seen”, which reached No. 22, “will get you on your feels—it’s pretty emotional, and roughly gradual,” the frontwoman acknowledged in a February 2025 interview with Billboard. “It gives me hope that folk are gentle originate to taking note of a song over and over that makes them yowl.”
And the neighborhood drew all of the sentiments when they had been nominated for a 2026 Grammy Award for Handiest Sleek Artist.
“Your greatest fresh artist nominated band!!!!” the band wrote on Instagram. “Incessantly it takes 10 years to blow up overnight. Joyful with us.”
KATSEYE
Made up of Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Manon Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, Yoonchae Jeong and Sophia Laforteza, Los Angeles lady neighborhood KATSEYE changed into fashioned all the contrivance in which by the 2023 abilities competition The Debut: Dream Academy, which changed into documented on YouTube. The six had been later the point of curiosity of the 2024 Netflix docuseries Pop Celebrity Academy: KATSEYE.
In 2025, the neighborhood performed a medley of their greatest hits, “Gnarly” and “Gabriella,” all the contrivance in which by the MTV VMAs pre-label. On the ceremony itself, they acquired Push Efficiency of the Year for “Contact.”
“That is so crazy,” Lara acknowledged all the contrivance in which by their acceptance speech. “That is all very fresh to us. That is our first time ever doing this. We've been by loads collectively. So, having this 2d feels so rewarding and feels relish every part has paid off and fuels us to defend going.”
Alex Warren
The 2026 Grammy nominations had been the rest but standard for Alex Warren as he changed into nominated for Handiest Sleek Artist.
He started writing tune as a teen after his father died of most cancers. As Alex shared with Billboard, his mother—who battled with substance use and kicked him out the home when he changed into 18 to dwell in his car—handed faraway from liver and renal failure when he changed into 21.
These lifestyles occasions bear fashioned his tune.
“My occupation is fabulous, but at the identical time, I procure every part that I’ve lost—my folks, my childhood—that's correct one thing that has led me to be the actual person I’m this day, the musician I’m this day,” the singer suggested the outlet in October, “and I indubitably bear a account to give an clarification for and with rather of luck [can] serve some folk.”
Alex's debut album You’ll Be Alright Tiny one—a notice-as much as his 2024 EP You'll Be Alright, Tiny one (Chapter 1)—dropped in July 2025 and landed the No. 5 put on the Billboard 200 chart. And the standout notice “Regular,” inspired by his foremost other Kouvr Annon, topped the Billboard Sizzling 100.
Moreover to being a musician, Alex is a social media massive name as one among the founding contributors of Hype Home.
Sombr
Sombr barely knew what his lifestyles had in store. But now, he’s a Grammy nominee.
Raised in Sleek York, the singer attended LaGuardia Excessive College—a.good ample.a. the arts college that inspired Popularity—but dropped out after the success of his 2022 notice “Caroline.”
“The next morning, my lifestyles changed into changed,” he suggested Individuals in April 2025 about the virality of the song. “Every file designate changed into in my email inbox.”
Sombr went on to birth his 2023 EP In Yet any other Life adopted by his 2025 debut album I Barely Know Her, which came in at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and contained his standard tracks “Aid to Company” and “Undressed.”
As for the contrivance in which he got his name Sombr, the musician—whose steady name is Shane Michael Boose—noted in a promo clip for his November Saturday Evening Stay look that it’s a play on his initials SMB.
Olivia Dean
Man, you bear to learn extra about Olivia Dean.
The British singer changed into now now not too long ago nominated in two Grammy classes, including Handiest Sleek Artist and Songwriter of the Year in the non-classical neighborhood for her hit “Man I Need.” On the other hand, her massive name has been rising for moderately some time.
Olivia attended The Brit College—yes, the identical performing arts college that counts Adele, Jessie J and the gradual Amy Winehouse as alumni. And by 2021, Amazon Song had named her Step forward Artist of the Year.
Two years later, she dropped her debut album Messy, which rocketed to the No. 4 put on the U.K. charts and contained hits relish “Dive.” She went on to birth her sophomore album The Art of Loving in 2025, which soared to No. 1. In spite of every part, her bio notes Olivia grew to change into the foremost British feminine to bear 3 U.K. top 10 singles since Adele.
As for the contrivance in which she’d picture her vogue?
“I’ve continually correct made tune that I with rather of luck would bear to listen to to. It’s in fact as straightforward as that,” Olivia explained to ELLE in September. “I in fact relish soul tune. I in fact relish jazz. I in fact relish bossa nova. I’m taking note of it ceaselessly. I’m now now not relish, ‘I’m going to make this jazzy, soul tune because that will almost definitely be cool.’ I correct relish it.”
Source credit : eonline.com
