Gracie Abrams Wins New Artist of the Year at 2025 AMAs

If you're curious about Gracie Abrams' New Artist of the Year win at the 2025 AMAs, here's what you should know. She beat out five major nominees, including Chappell Roan and Shaboozey, both carrying seven nominations each. She was on tour when she won and delivered a pre-recorded acceptance video. Her album The Secret of Us debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and hit one billion Spotify streams in just nine days. There's plenty more to uncover below.

Key Takeaways

• Gracie Abrams won New Artist of the Year at the 2025 AMAs, which aired live on CBS on May 26, 2025, in Los Angeles.
• She beat five notable nominees, including Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, and Benson Boone, all first-time nominees in the category.
• Abrams delivered her acceptance speech via a pre-recorded video, lasting under one minute, promoting her ongoing tour.
• The win followed major milestones, including The Secret of Us debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200 and topping charts in five countries.
• The AMA win reinforced her industry momentum, complementing her iHeartRadio Breakthrough Artist award and Grammy nominations earned the same year.

Who Is Gracie Abrams and Why Did She Win New Artist of the Year?

Gracie Abrams didn't stumble into the spotlight — she built her way there, one emotionally raw song at a time. Born September 7, 1999, in Los Angeles, she's the daughter of director J. J. Abrams, and that familial influence clearly shaped her creative instincts. Her early songwriting began at just eight years old, long before anyone was paying attention.

She signed with Interscope Records in 2019, released breakthrough EPs, earned Grammy nominations, opened for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, and landed a #1 hit with "That's So True." Her debut album Good Riddance and sophomore record The Secret of Us proved she wasn't a moment — she's a movement. Winning New Artist of the Year at the 2025 AMAs simply made it official. She attended The Archer School for Girls before enrolling at Barnard College to study international relations, ultimately stepping away to pursue music full time.

Every Artist Nominated for New Artist of the Year at the 2025 AMAs

All six nominees for New Artist of the Year at the 2025 AMAs were first-timers, making the category one of the most competitive debut appearances of the night. You'll notice their debut influences span a wide range of sounds, reflecting strong genre crossover throughout the lineup.

Benson Boone earned recognition for "Beautiful Things," while Chappell Roan scored seven total nods, including Artist of the Year. Shaboozey also pulled seven nominations, bridging country and general categories with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)."

Teddy Swims competed in Favorite Male Pop Artist and Song of the Year with "Lose Control." Tommy Richman landed in Favorite R&B Song for "Million Dollar Baby." Together, they represented pop, country, and R&B, proving emerging talent now dominates multiple corners of the music landscape. That same night, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars took home the award for Collaboration of the Year for "Die With A Smile."

Fans curious about how the voting broke down across nominees can use a vote percentage calculator to quickly understand how each candidate's share of votes compares to the total.

Gracie Abrams Was on Tour When She Won

When Gracie Abrams won New Artist of the Year at the 2025 AMAs, she was deep into The Secret of Us Deluxe Tour, her fourth concert tour supporting her second studio album.

Her tour schedule had her performing across major venues throughout 2025, from European and Asian dates starting in February to a packed North American leg kicking off in July. You can imagine the backstage insights that moment created — winning a major award while actively headlining arenas like Madison Square Garden and the Kia Forum.

She'd already played Boston's TD Garden, Toronto's Budweiser Stage, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre before wrapping the tour in Mexico City on August 27. The win hit differently knowing she earned it mid-tour. Throughout every night of the tour, Role Model joined her on stage as a special guest on all dates.

What Her Video Acceptance Message Said

Unable to attend in person due to her tour commitments, Gracie Abrams delivered a pre-recorded video message that aired during the live AMAs broadcast on CBS and Paramount+. The short segment, lasting under one minute, showed her speaking directly to camera after presenters announced her as "Your New Artist of the Year."

She opened with genuine surprise and gratitude, acknowledging the AMA audience before thanking fans whose support drove the fan reactions that helped fuel her rapid rise. Her industry acknowledgments included her team, collaborators, mentors, and family, all of whom she credited for her breakthrough success.

She tied the win to her recent album and single releases, encouraged continued fan engagement, promoted her ongoing tour dates, and signed off with excitement for future projects.

She Also Won Breakthrough Artist at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards

Gracie Abrams also picked up Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, adding another major win to her growing list of accolades.

Her iHeartRadio acceptance came via video message, where she thanked Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and several other artists who shaped her journey. The event aired live on FOX, capturing the full win announcement for viewers at home.

Beyond the award itself, her live performance integration of "That's So True" reinforced her breakthrough status, connecting the moment directly to her "The Secret of Us Deluxe" album.

The primary acceptance video pulled 64K views, while a separate win highlight clip earned 15K views on FOX's channel, proving her growing audience was paying close attention to every milestone she hit.

How "The Secret of Us" Drove Her to This Moment

The Secret of Us didn't just launch Gracie Abrams into a new chapter — it built the foundation for every win she's collecting now. The album impact was immediate. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and topped charts in five countries, including the UK and Australia.

You can measure its reach through one striking streaming milestone: it hit one billion Spotify streams by June 30, 2024 — just nine days after release. Singles like "Risk," "Close To You," and "That's So True" kept climbing long after drop day.

Her collaboration with Taylor Swift on "us." earned a Grammy nomination. Every sold-out show, every trending sound, every award traces back to this album. It didn't just make noise — it made her undeniable. The album was written and produced alongside Aaron Dessner, whose fingerprints are all over its folk-pop sound.

What Sets Gracie Abrams Apart From the Other 2025 New Artist Nominees

Winning at this level doesn't happen in a vacuum — it happens because one artist pulls measurably ahead of the field.

Gracie Abrams brings intimate storytelling that cuts deeper than most artists twice her age.

Her razor wit sharpens every lyric, making her songs feel both personal and globally aware.

She doesn't just perform — she commands a room with humor, sensitivity, and bold artistic conviction.

You see this in her live shows, her TV appearances, and her interviews.

She's funny, opinionated, and genuinely enthralling.

Where other nominees built buzz, Gracie built a full artistic identity.

Her Grammy nomination, TIME100 Next recognition, and now this AMA win aren't coincidences.

They're proof that she's not just new — she's different, and that difference is exactly why she won. Achieving all of this by age 26 makes her trajectory even more remarkable, signaling that her best work is still ahead.

How Winning New Artist of the Year Changes Gracie Abrams' Trajectory

When you win New Artist of the Year at the AMAs as a first-time nominee, the industry takes notice in a way that no amount of buzz can manufacture. For Gracie Abrams, this trophy isn't symbolic — it's structural. It accelerates career acceleration by placing her name alongside multi-platinum peers like Lainey Wilson and award-sweeping icons like Billie Eilish.

Her iHeartRadio Breakthrough Artist win compounds that momentum, giving her dual-platform credibility that booking agents and promoters can't ignore. Audience diversification follows naturally — fans who discovered her through the AMAs' fan-voted process now connect her music to a broader cultural moment. Arena bookings, increased media coverage, and future award category eligibility all shift from possibility to probability the moment that trophy lands in her hands. The 2025 AMAs aired live on CBS on May 26 in Los Angeles, giving Abrams' win a primetime national platform that dramatically expanded her public profile overnight. Fans looking to explore more about her award wins and career milestones can find organized facts through category-based discovery tools that present key details like titles, countries, and dates in a concise, accessible format.