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Oldest and Youngest Grammy Nominees of 2023

Oldest and Youngest Grammy Nominees of 2023

The 2023 Grammy Awards are upon us and so too is the tradition of celebrating music in all its glories and permutations. Presented by the Recording Academy, the ceremony honors artists of not just varying backgrounds and talents, but generations as well. One might call it par for the course, considering the industry’s broader history of culling performers from every conceivable age group. 

This begs the question: who are the oldest and youngest artists nominated at this year’s ceremony? Representing the youth are teen phenoms such as American singer Gayle, who signed her first record deal in 2020. Now 18 years old, her viral hit “abcdefu” is up for Best Song of the Year. Just one year her senior is jazz drummer JD Beck, who’s been nominated in the respective categories of Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. (In another field, here are the actors who won an Oscar before 30.)

On the older side of the aisle are musical icons such as 74-year-old Ozzy Osbourne, who’s been nominated in three separate categories for the album “Patient Number 9” and its two lead singles. Yet that’s nothing compared to 89-year-old Willie Nelson, who’s been nominated for a whopping four Grammy Awards. What’s even more surprising is that he isn’t even this year’s oldest nominee. (These are the oldest famous entertainers in history.) 

To determine the oldest and youngest 2023 Grammy nominees, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the ages of all Grammy-nominated musicians. Nominees were ranked based on their age as of January 31, 2023. (The ages of some nominees are not publically available.) Deceased nominees were not considered. Data on nomination categories is from The Recording Academy.

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

20. Ozzy Osbourne
> Age: 74
> Category: Best Rock Performance, Best Metal Performance, Best Rock Album
> Nominated for: Patient Number 9, Degradation Rules, Patient Number 9

Source: elchicodelaleche / Flickr

19. Ry Cooder
> Age: 75
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: Get On Board

Source: armadilo60 / Flickr

18. Tim O’Brien
> Age: 76
> Category: Best American Roots Song
> Nominated for: Prodigal Daughter

Source: Michael Putland / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

17. Edgar Winter
> Age: 76
> Category: Best Contemporary Blues Album
> Nominated for: Brother Johnny

Source: bigdrumthump / Flickr

16. Steve Gadd
> Age: 77
> Category: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
> Nominated for: Center Stage

Source: Ian Gavan / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

15. Dolly Parton
> Age: 77
> Category: Best American Roots Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance
> Nominated for: Someday It’ll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version), Does He Love You – Revisited

Source: Rick Kern / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

14. Diana Ross
> Age: 78
> Category: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
> Nominated for: Thank You

Source: Matt Roberts / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

13. Charlie Musselwhite
> Age: 79
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: Mississippi Son

Source: danielshen / Flickr

12. Flora Purim
> Age: 80
> Category: Best Latin Jazz Album
> Nominated for: If You Will

Source: JannHuizenga / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

11. Peter Rowan
> Age: 80
> Category: Best Bluegrass Album
> Nominated for: Calling You From My Mountain

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

10. Taj Mahal
> Age: 80
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: Get on Board

Source: Skip Bolen / Getty Images

9. Aaron Neville
> Age: 82
> Category: Best American Roots Performance
> Nominated for: Stompin’ Ground

Source: Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images

8. Judy Collins
> Age: 83
> Category: Best Folk Album
> Nominated for: Spellbound

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

7. Ron Carter
> Age: 85
> Category: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
> Nominated for: Remembering Bob Freedman

Source: runder / Flickr

6. Bill Anderson
> Age: 85
> Category: Best American Roots Performance
> Nominated for: Someday It’ll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version)

Source: bantam10 / Flickr

5. Buddy Guy
> Age: 86
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: The Blues Don’t Lie

Source: Michael Putland / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

4. Willie Nelson
> Age: 89
> Category: Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Song, Best Country Album, Best Roots Gospel Album
> Nominated for: Live Forever, I’ll Love You Till The Day I Die, A Beautiful Time, The Willie Nelson Family

Source: Fin Costello / Redferns via Getty Images

3. Wayne Shorter
> Age: 89
> Category: Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best Improvised Jazz Solo
> Nominated for: Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival, Endangered Species

Source: peroleh / Flickr

2. John Mayall
> Age: 89
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: The Sun Is Shining Down

Source: John Phillips / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

1. Mel Brooks
> Age: 96
> Category: Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording
> Nominated for: All About Me!: My Remarkable Life In Show Business By Mel Brooks

Source: Joe Scarnici / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

1. Gayle
> Age: 18
> Category: Song Of The Year
> Nominated for: abcdefu

Source: Courtesy of DOMi & JD Beck via Facebook

2. JD Beck
> Age: 19
> Category: Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
> Nominated for: Not Tight

Source: Courtesy of Anne Wilson via Facebook

3. Anne Wilson
> Age: 20
> Category: Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
> Nominated for: My Jesus

Source: Jerritt Clark / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

4. DOMi
> Age: 22
> Category: Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
> Nominated for: Not Tight

Source: Noam Galai / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

5. Samara Joy
> Age: 23
> Category: Best New Artist
> Nominated for: N/A

Source: Terence Rushin / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

6. GloRilla
> Age: 23
> Category: Best Rap Performance
> Nominated for: F.N.F. (Let’s Go)

Source: Leon Bennett / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

7. Myles Frost
> Age: 23
> Category: Best Musical Theater Album
> Nominated for: MJ The Musical

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

8. Steve Lacy
> Age: 24
> Category: Record Of The Year
> Nominated for: Bad Habit

Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

9. Latto
> Age: 24
> Category: Best New Artist
> Nominated for: Latto

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

10. Jack Harlow
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Rap Performance
> Nominated for: First Class

Source: Jeff Schear / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

11. Ace G
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Rap Performance
> Nominated for: Churchill Downs

Source: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

12. Christian Nodal
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
> Nominated for: EP #1 Forajido

Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images News via Getty Images

13. Amanda Gorman
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
> Nominated for: Call Us What We Carry: Poems

Source: Bryan Bedder / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

14. Jaquel Spivey
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Musical Theater Album
> Nominated for: A Strange Loop

Source: Noam Galai / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

15. Omar Apollo
> Age: 25
> Category: Best New Artist
> Nominated for: Omar Apollo

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

16. Camila Cabello
> Age: 25
> Category: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
> Nominated for: Bam Bam

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

17. H.E.R.
> Age: 25
> Category: Record Of the Year, Album Of The Year, Best Dance/Electronic Recording
> Nominated for: Good Morning Gorgeous, Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe), Intimidated

Source: Araya Doheny / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

18. Nija Charles
> Age: 25
> Category: Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
> Nominated for: Nija Charles

Source: Rich Fury / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

19. Zach Bryan
> Age: 26
> Category: Best Country Solo Performance
> Nominated for: Something In The Orange

Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

20. Madison Cunningham
> Age: 26
> Category: Best American Roots Performance
> Nominated for: Life According To Raechel

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