It’s probably safe to say that nobody, including Esperanza Spalding herself, expected what unfolded at the 2011 Grammy Awards…
Against titans of pop like Justin Bieber, Drake, and Florence + The Machine, the jazz bassist-vocalist took home the coveted Best New Artist award—creating one of the most electrifying upsets in recent music history.
Her stunned smile onstage during the acceptance speech (keep scrolling for the video) said it all.
A Rising Star from Portland
Born in Portland, Oregon, in 1984, Esperanza Emily Spalding was musically precocious—onstage as a violinist by age five, mastering multiple instruments and earning scholarships to both Portland State University and Berklee College of Music.
By the tender age of 20, she was already teaching at Berklee, one of the most prestigious music schools in the world.
Grinding Toward Breakthrough
Her debut Junjo (2006) paved the way for her self-titled follow-up in 2008, showcasing her multilingual singing in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
But it was 2010’s Chamber Music Society that truly broke through—rising to number 34 on the Billboard 200 and staying on the charts for over 70 weeks, thanks to chart-topping contemporary jazz traction.
The Day the Grammys Changed Everything
Fast forward to February 2011—Spalding walked into the spotlight as the underdog.
When Best New Artist was announced, “jaws dropped,” media reports recalled. A jazz musician beating mainstream favourites felt almost unbelievable.
Her acceptance speech spoke volumes: “Thank you to the Academy for even nominating me in this category.”
Her win marked her as the first jazz artist ever to claim the Best New Artist Grammy, an extraordinary feat that rewrote the category’s history.
The Grammy Aftershocks
Esperanza Spalding’s Grammy victory wasn’t just symbolic—it had an immediate impact.
Chamber Music Society re-entered the Billboard charts as new listeners discovered her music. College radio, major festivals, and late-night programs responded in kind.
Spalding became a bridge between jazz aficionados and mainstream audiences—an artist loved for both her skill and spirit.
But not everyone welcomed the upset. Reports at the time noted backlash online, with Justin Bieber’s supporters (predicatably!) taking to social media in numbers.
Not a One-Time Wonder
Unsurprisingly to her legions of existing fans, The Grammy win was not a fluke—it ushered in more acclaim.
In 2012, her album Radio Music Society earned Grammys for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement, underlining her sustained impact.
Her artistic curiosity led her next to reinvent herself under an alter-ego, “Emily,” in Emily’s D+Evolution (2016), blending jazz, funk, and rock.
She followed that by live-recording Exposure over 77 hours via Facebook, and then released 12 Little Spells—a track-a-day project that highlighted each body part with music. That project later won her a Grammy in 2020.
Why It Still Matters
The 2011 Grammy moment wasn’t just a surprise—it cracked the door open for jazz in a pop-dominated spotlight.
And Spalding? She kept walking through it, redefining what a jazz career could look like in the 21st century.
Her win remains one of the Grammys’ great shockwaves—a reminder that sometimes the music industry’s most unforgettable moments happen when no one sees them coming.
Esperanza Spalding: Selected Discography
Looking to dig deeper into her music? Here’s a recommended listening list to ghet your started…
- Chamber Music Society (2010)
- City of Roses (from Radio Music Society, 2012)
- Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
- Exposure (2017)
- 12 Little Spells (2018)