From For You Page to Grammy Stage: The Tiktok Generation Takes Over

The 2026 Grammys’ Best New Artist Category is feeling more like a scroll through your TikTok “For You” page than ever before. When the Recording Academy announced the nominees for best new artist — Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, Sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young — it was a bold indicator that the Grammy pipeline now runs straight through TikTok. In a world where 15-second clips can launch a career, the Grammys are acknowledging that virality now matters just as much as talent. 

Although they were both a part of the TikTok “Hype House”, Addison Rae and Alex Warren represent two sides of the TikTok-to-Grammy pipeline. Rae, who cultivated her following through her viral dance videos, leveraged that success by releasing her debut album “Addison,” which includes her hit tracks “Diet Pepsi” and “Fame is a Gun.” Her success shows how social media influence, when used intentionally, can turn into mainstream music success. 

Warren, on the other hand, achieved massive online success with his song “Ordinary,” which went viral on TikTok and dominated the charts, but the rest of his music has barely made a ripple, revealing the difference between hype and longevity as an artist. One viral song can make someone famous overnight, but it also can expose a thin foundation without a full and cohesive album supporting it which Warren fell flat on.

Both artists rely on social media to fuel their music careers, but in my view, Rae made the smarter pivot. She rebranded herself with intention from Tiktok influencer to a credible pop artist, while Warren’s strategy seems to depend on lightning striking twice, which almost never works. TikTok may be powerful, but it isn’t a substitute for artistic range. 

This divide shows up across the best new artist lineup. KATSEYE, a global girl group who only debuted in June of 2024, exploded online after releasing their first single “Touch,” and more recently with dance trends being created to some of their songs like “Gnarly” and "Gabriella." Similarly, Sombr’s “back to friends” and “12 to 12” have become popular TikTok sounds to use for breakup videos and movie clip edits. These artists represent TikTok’s fast, algorithm-driven rise, where virality can happen before an artist fully develops. 

In contrast, both Olivia Dean and The Marías built followings through albums and touring before Tiktok boosted songs like Dean’s “Man I Need” and The Marías “No One Noticed.” Dean earned early praise for her debut studio album “Messy” in 2023, gaining support in the U.K. and E.U., and The Marías built a dedicated indie following through touring and albums like “CINEMA” and “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which were both beautiful and cohesive works that mixed dream pop and jazz with Latin influences. Rather than being the foundation of their success, TikTok acted as an amplifier for their music. 

The platform’s impact is undeniable at this point. According to the 2023 TikTok Music Impact Report conducted by Luminate, TikTok users in the U.S. are 70% more likely to discover new music on Tiktok compared to the average user of other social media or short-form video platforms, and compared to average consumers, Tiktok users are significantly more likely to stream music. “Roughly 9 out of 10 TikTok users in each of the markets included in this study use at least one music streaming service,” states the report.

Sure, Tiktok is rewriting how hits form, but that doesn’t automatically make every viral artist award-worthy. In my opinion, the distinction between the algorithm era of music discovery and growth through craft and consistency matters, especially for an award meant to recognize long-term potential, not just short-term visibility.

So who should win? To me, Leon Thomas is a clear frontrunner as the only nominee in the Best New Artist category also nominated for album of the year, one of the Grammy’s “big three” awards. Thomas, already an accomplished songwriter and producer, won a Grammy last year for best R&B song for “Snooze” with SZA which he co-produced. His album “Mutt” blends neo-soul, R&B and rock in a way that shows off his songwriting and vocal-range.

Most known for playing Andre on “Victorious,” Thomas’ first album “Genesis” was released in 2018. His longevity and critical acclaim in the music space prove that he’s surpassed his Nickelodeon days and is building a distinct artistic identity, making him my choice for best new artist. The one complaint I’ve seen across different comment sections and videos is that Thomas isn’t really a “new” artist, as he’s been writing and producing for some of the biggest names in the industry for well over a decade now, since he was a teenager. 

On the Grammy’s website, the major requirements for Best New Artist are that “eligible artists must have achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and impacted the musical landscape during the year's eligibility period,” and who also have completed a full album or five singles or tracks. When they say “new,” they don’t necessarily mean new to music, but that the music is new to the general public. I think changing the category name to “best breakthrough artist” would be more accurate to what qualifies an artist for the award. 

Meanwhile, some of the year’s strongest new artists didn’t even make the cut for a nomination. Ravyn Lenae, whose single “Love Me Not” made waves across the charts and online, while Role Model has steadily built a fanbase through festival appearances and opening on tour for singer Gracie Abrams, who was nominated in the Best New Artist category in 2024.

From TikTok stars to full-fledged musicians, the 2026 Best New Artist race reflects a shift in the way the Recording Academy picks their nominees, showing that virality and artistry are now competing for the same spotlight. With the line between the two becoming increasingly blurred, the winner will say a lot about what the Recording Academy has chosen to prioritize. If the Grammys want to honor artists who will still matter five years from now, they should choose someone whose music holds up outside of a 15-second clip.