Since 1959, when the Grammys introduced their best new artist category, just 12 artists have been nominated in each of the “Big Four” categories (album, record and song of the year plus best new artist) in the same year. Remarkably, nine of the 12 artists are female soloists. That includes the two artists who achieved the feat this year—Billie Eilish and Lizzo. Here’s a complete list.
Bobbie Gentry, 1967. Gentry, who was 25 at the time, was nominated for her debut album Ode to Billie Joe and the intriguing story song that was its title track. She won best new artist and in two other categories. Gentry hasn’t won another Grammy since that night.
Christopher Cross, 1980. Cross, then 29, was nominated for his eponymous debut album and his hypnotic ballad “Sailing.” He won in all four categories and for best arrangement accompanying vocalist(s). Cross also hasn’t won another Grammy since that night.
Cyndi Lauper, 1984. Lauper, then 31, was nominated for her first solo album, She’s So Unusual, and, in a unique occurrence, two different works for record and song of the year. The zesty “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was nominated for record; the poignant “Time After Time,” which Lauper co-wrote with Rob Hyman, was nominated for song. She won best new artist.
Tracy Chapman, 1988. Chapman, then 24, was nominated for her eponymous debut album and her surprise hit, “Fast Car.” Chapman, the first African-American artist to be nominated in each of the Big Four categories in one year, won best new artist and in two other categories.
Mariah Carey, 1990. Carey, then 20, was nominated for her eponymous debut album and her sleek ballad “Vision of Love,” which she co-wrote with Ben Margulies. She won best new artist and best pop vocal performance, female.
Paula Cole, 1997. Cole, then 29, was nominated for her debut album, This Fire, and her hit “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” She won best new artist. Cole hasn’t even been nominated for another Grammy since that night.
India.Arie, 2001. The singer, then 26, was nominated for her debut album, Acoustic Soul, and her single, “Video.” She co-wrote the song with Carlos “Six July” Broady, Reginald Harris and Shannon Sanders. India.Arie is the only artist to receive noms in each of the Big Four categories who didn’t win in any of them. In fact, she went 0-7 that year (though she came back to win two Grammys the following year).
Amy Winehouse, 2007. Winehouse, then 24, was nominated for her second (and final) studio album Back to Black and her retro-sounding hit “Rehab.” Winehouse, the first English artist to be nominated in each of the Big Four categories in the same year, won for record and song of the year, best new artist and in two other categories.
fun., 2012. The trio—the only group to be nominated in each of the Big Four categories in the same year — was nominated for its second (and still most recent) album, Some Nights, and its power ballad “We Are Young,” featuring Janelle Monáe. (The trio, consisting of Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost and Nate Ruess, co-wrote the smash with its producer, Jeff Bhasker.) fun. won song of the year and best new artist.
Sam Smith, 2014. Smith, then 22, was nominated for their debut album In the Lonely Hour and for the “Darkchild Version” of smash hit “Stay with Me” (which Smith co-wrote with James Napier and William Phillips). Smith won record and song of the year, best new artist and best pop vocal album. Smith hasn’t been nominated for another Grammy since that night.
Billie Eilish, 2019. Eilish, 17, is nominated for her first full-length album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and her quirky hit “bad guy” (which she co-wrote with her producer/brother, Finneas O’Connell). Eilish is the youngest artist to receive noms in each of the Big Four categories in the same year.
Lizzo, 2019. Lizzo, 31, is nominated for the deluxe edition of her third album, Cuz I Love You, and her genre-blending smash “Truth Hurts” (which she co-wrote with her producer Ricky Reed, Steven Cheung and Jesse Saint John).