At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, Samara Joy McLendon, a jazz vocalist from New York City’s Bronx, was named Best New Artist.
She was nominated alongside Anitta, Omar Apollo, DOMi & JD Beck, Muni Long, Latto, Maneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle, and Wet Leg in the category. Olivia Rodrigo, a previous winner of the same title, gave the artist the award.
In her acceptance speech at the 2023 Grammys, the artist expressed her awe and gratitude for receiving the award.
She stated, ”
“I’ve been watching you on TV for quite some time….. Thank you very much for this honor, and thank you to everyone who has listened to and supported me… I’m grateful to be here because of who I am… to be here simply by being myself, by being the person I was born to be.”
Samara won Best Jazz Vocal Album for her recent song, Linger Awhile, in addition to Best New Artist.
Where was Samara Joy McLendon born? Ethnicity, Nationality, Family, Education
She was born and raised in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City. She was born on November 11, 1999, and grew up in a musical family. Her grandparents, Elder Goldwire, and Ruth McLendon were members of the Philadelphia-based gospel group The Savettes. She told NPR that her immediate family was also musically inclined.
She stated, ”
“Because my father is a bassist, there was a lot of funk, soul, and R&B. But he was also the one who grew up and played mostly in church.”
McLendon chose music as her major after being inspired by her musical background, which led her to enroll in the jazz studies department at the State University of New York. There, she was tutored by Jon Faddis, a lecturer and trumpet player.
Samara rose to prominence while attending Fordham High School for the Arts in high school. She was a member of the school jazz band and won the “Essentially Ellington” competition at Fordham University in New York City.
Samara McLendon received the International Jazz Vocalist Award in 2019 to continue her success. She graduated magna cum laude in 2021 and released Samara Joy, her debut studio album, with Matt Pierson, who later became her manager.
During this time, she also posted several TikTok performances that went viral and received over one million views. She received a Grammy nomination for her second album, Linger Awhile, which was released in 2022.
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