Is There a Best New Artist Curse? What Happened to These 30 Grammy Winners

Year won: 1990

Were they cursed? Yes, very much so actually. After they won the Grammy, Los Angeles Times writer Chuck Philips revealed that lead vocals on the record were not actually Milli Vanilli members Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, and their award was taken back. It was the first time in history that a Grammy was rescinded from its winner. They attempted a comeback in 1998 (with their own singing voices), but sadly, Pilatus died from a drug overdose before the album could be released.

Year won: 1991

Was she cursed? It's hard to imagine Mariah Carey as a "new artist" in any capacity, but the '90s really were a great time for her (not to mention us). We're talking about classics like "Fantasy," "Dreamlover," and "Always Be My Baby" — not to mention "All I Want For Christmas Is You," which we can all agree is timeless. Her career has prevailed over three decades, and you can't argue that she'll go down in history as one of the best vocalists and best songwriters of our time. Nineteen No. 1 hits don't lie!

Year won: 1994

Was she cursed? No, and here's why: if you went through a breakup in the 1990s, chances are you listened to a lot of Toni Braxton. She cemented her place in R&B music history with songs like "Another Sad Love Song" and "Un-Break My Heart." This R&B superstar is still making music and touring. Her most recent project, "Spell My Name", was released in 2020, and she and her sisters starred in seven seasons of WeTV's "Braxton Family Values."

Year won: 1995

Was she cursed? Hell no! Sheryl Crow is still rocking. Crow is one of the most successful country artists of all time and found major success on the pop charts. In 2019, she released an album, "Threads," that she said would be her last full album, but she promised she would continue to release new individual songs.

Year won: 1998

Was she cursed? Yes, she was. Most people thought Paula Cole kind of fell off the face of the earth after winning the Grammy, but in reality, she's been performing this whole time. Unfortunately, none of her albums have lived up to the success of "This Fire," which gave us hits like "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" and the memorable "Dawson's Creek" theme song "I Don't Want to Wait." Since 2013, Cole has been a member of the voice faculty at Boston's Berklee College of Music.

Year won: 1999

Was she cursed? This is an especially tough one, but we have to admit that yes, Lauryn Hill's career was cursed. After she took home the best new artist award — one of five Grammys she nabbed that year — she dropped out of the public eye due to dissatisfaction with the music industry and an overall indifference to fame. Since then, Hill has released a few songs and done a few festival appearances, but her erratic behavior has made fans skeptical of a proper comeback. In 2012, she pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion and served a three-month prison stint. In 2022, she planned to embark on a reunion tour with the Fugees, but it was ultimately canceled. Yes, we'll always have "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and "Ex-Factor," but we're still holding out hope that Hill will have a full musical resurgence.

Year won: 2000

Was she cursed? Not at all. Christina Aguilera is an undeniable force in the pop music industry. Since winning the best new artist award, she has gone through a number of transformations — including bubblegum pop star, "dirrty" bad girl, and old Hollywood screen siren — but has still dominated the charts with her many hits. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and has inspired younger artists like Demi Lovato, Jordin Sparks, and Lady Gaga. She's also served as a voice coach on NBC's "The Voice."

Year won: 2002

Was she cursed? Alicia Keys's career has been going strong since she hit the scene with "Fallin'" back in the early 2000s. She's still creating hits, whether it's on her own (like with 2012's "Girl on Fire") or with other artists (see JAY-Z's "Empire State of Mind," which people still sing at full volume when it comes on in an NYC bar).

Year won: 2003

Was she cursed? Yes. Norah Jones rose to fame after her songs "Don't Know Why" and "Come Away With Me" hit the charts, but after winning the best new artist award, she never had a major breakout again. But like many other artists on this list, she continues to make new music. She's also collaborated with other artists like Green Day, Foo Fighters, and OutKast, and she's performed anonymously in a rock band called El Madmo.

Year won: 2004

Were they cursed? In a word: yes. While Amy Lee and the Evanescence boys have been recording and touring since the mid-2000s, they haven't had any huge hits since winning the Grammy. They announced their official hiatus in 2012, saying they would be "taking a break" to "figure things out." They returned in 2015 and have released two albums since.

Year won: 2006

Was he cursed?: Absolutely not. In 2018, Legend became the first Black man to EGOT — that is, the first black man to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. He's objectively one of the most successful people to ever win best new artist.

Year won: 2008

Was she cursed? Amy Winehouse's career definitely took a hit after she won the Grammy, due mostly to her drug and alcohol dependence; her personal troubles had a huge impact on her public image. Sadly, Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in July 2011. Five months after her death, an album of previously unreleased material, titled "Lioness: Hidden Treasures," was released. It debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart, giving Winehouse the biggest first-week sales of her career.

Year won: 2009

Was she cursed? Not even for a second. Adele followed up her debut album, "19," with "21," "25," and "30," and all three albums hit No. 1 worldwide. Her No. 1 singles include "Rolling in the Deep," "Someone Like You," "Set Fire to the Rain," "Hello," and "Easy on Me." She has 15 Grammys total, plus an Oscar for "Skyfall."

Year won: 2011

Was she cursed? Nope. Esperanza Spalding's win actually made her more visible, since most people hadn't really heard of her before she became "the girl who beat Justin Bieber." She was the first-ever jazz artist to nab the award, and she's been working steadily ever since.

Year won: 2012

Were they cursed? No. As a band, they put out four critically successful albums. Plus, Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon has collaborated with everyone from Kanye West to Taylor Swift (yes, really).

Year won: 2014

Were they cursed? Yes. Though the duo were successful in the immediate aftermath of their win, they're usually mentioned these days as more of a punchline than anything else. Macklemore's most recent album, "Gemini," came out in 2017.

Year won: 2015

Were they cursed? No. Smith's 2017 album, "The Thrill of It All," and 2020 album, "Love Goes," both performed well. They also won an Oscar in 2016 for their song "Writing's on the Wall" for the James Bond film "Spectre."

Year won: 2018

Was she cursed? Too soon to tell. Alessia Cara released her third album, "In the Meantime," in 2021 and has continued to release singles. None of her new music has been a major hit yet, but there's still time for her to break through.

Year won: 2019

Was she cursed? Definitely not. Dua Lipa's 2020 album, "Future Nostalgia," was a massive hit, as was her song "Levitating."