Days ahead of the 2026 Grammys, Elton John encourages young artists to follow their dreams while introducing the Best New Artist nominees in a short film from Spotify.
Premiering exclusively via Rolling Stone, Trust in Your Sound opens with footage of this year’s nominees — Olivia Dean, Sombr, Addison Rae, Katseye, the Marías, Lola Young, Leon Thomas, and Alex Warren — from childhood through the present. It depicts a young Warren strumming an acoustic guitar, an adorable María Zardoya is grinning at a camera, Thomas recording in the studio, Young running through her vocals, and more.
“When you start to make music, you just have to follow what’s inside of you,” John says in the narration. “Take a chance. Always be brave. Don’t be cautious. Just go for what you believe in.”
The short film will air as a commercial during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, which take place on Sunday, live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Hosted by Trevor Noah, the ceremony will feature performances by the Best New Artist nominees. Other performers in the star-studded lineup include Lady Gaga, Rosé, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Clipse and Pharrell Williams, and more, while Harry Styles is slated to present.
“At 78, I’m still making records, still involved in music, but it’s the new artists and how far they’ve come that continue to make me so happy,” John tells Rolling Stone. “You don’t give up on a young artist. Their first or second album might not do well, but if you believe in them, watching them flourish is like watering a plant and seeing it become the most beautiful flower. It’s the greatest reward in music, seeing a young artist persevere and blossom. It keeps me alive and inspired.”
In addition to Best New Artist, Young was also nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance (“Messy”), while Katseye earned a nod for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“Gabriela”). Meanwhile, Thomas scored five other nominations: Album of the Year and Best R&B Album (Mutt), Best R&B Song (“Yes It Is”), Best R&B Performance (“Mutt,” Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk), and Best Traditional R&B Performance (“Vibes Don’t Lie”).
“We’ve watched the Best New Artist nominees grow on Spotify, from those first moments of discovery to the massive breakthrough years they each had,” Marc Hazan, Spotify’s SVP of Marketing and Partnerships, tells Rolling Stone. “Trust in Your Sound tells that story. It reminds us all that every artist starts the same way: by trusting their sound and taking a chance.”
