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.)
Click here to see the oldest and youngest Grammy nominees of 2023
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.
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
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19. Ry Cooder
> Age: 75
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: Get On Board
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18. Tim O’Brien
> Age: 76
> Category: Best American Roots Song
> Nominated for: Prodigal Daughter
17. Edgar Winter
> Age: 76
> Category: Best Contemporary Blues Album
> Nominated for: Brother Johnny
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16. Steve Gadd
> Age: 77
> Category: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
> Nominated for: Center Stage
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
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14. Diana Ross
> Age: 78
> Category: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
> Nominated for: Thank You
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13. Charlie Musselwhite
> Age: 79
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: Mississippi Son
12. Flora Purim
> Age: 80
> Category: Best Latin Jazz Album
> Nominated for: If You Will
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11. Peter Rowan
> Age: 80
> Category: Best Bluegrass Album
> Nominated for: Calling You From My Mountain
10. Taj Mahal
> Age: 80
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: Get on Board
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9. Aaron Neville
> Age: 82
> Category: Best American Roots Performance
> Nominated for: Stompin’ Ground
8. Judy Collins
> Age: 83
> Category: Best Folk Album
> Nominated for: Spellbound
7. Ron Carter
> Age: 85
> Category: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
> Nominated for: Remembering Bob Freedman
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6. Bill Anderson
> Age: 85
> Category: Best American Roots Performance
> Nominated for: Someday It’ll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version)
5. Buddy Guy
> Age: 86
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: The Blues Don’t Lie
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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
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3. Wayne Shorter
> Age: 89
> Category: Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best Improvised Jazz Solo
> Nominated for: Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival, Endangered Species
2. John Mayall
> Age: 89
> Category: Best Traditional Blues Album
> Nominated for: The Sun Is Shining Down
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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
1. Gayle
> Age: 18
> Category: Song Of The Year
> Nominated for: abcdefu
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2. JD Beck
> Age: 19
> Category: Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
> Nominated for: Not Tight
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3. Anne Wilson
> Age: 20
> Category: Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
> Nominated for: My Jesus
4. DOMi
> Age: 22
> Category: Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
> Nominated for: Not Tight
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5. Samara Joy
> Age: 23
> Category: Best New Artist
> Nominated for: N/A
6. GloRilla
> Age: 23
> Category: Best Rap Performance
> Nominated for: F.N.F. (Let’s Go)
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7. Myles Frost
> Age: 23
> Category: Best Musical Theater Album
> Nominated for: MJ The Musical
8. Steve Lacy
> Age: 24
> Category: Record Of The Year
> Nominated for: Bad Habit
9. Latto
> Age: 24
> Category: Best New Artist
> Nominated for: Latto
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10. Jack Harlow
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Rap Performance
> Nominated for: First Class
11. Ace G
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Rap Performance
> Nominated for: Churchill Downs
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12. Christian Nodal
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
> Nominated for: EP #1 Forajido
13. Amanda Gorman
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
> Nominated for: Call Us What We Carry: Poems
14. Jaquel Spivey
> Age: 24
> Category: Best Musical Theater Album
> Nominated for: A Strange Loop
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15. Omar Apollo
> Age: 25
> Category: Best New Artist
> Nominated for: Omar Apollo
16. Camila Cabello
> Age: 25
> Category: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
> Nominated for: Bam Bam
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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
18. Nija Charles
> Age: 25
> Category: Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
> Nominated for: Nija Charles
19. Zach Bryan
> Age: 26
> Category: Best Country Solo Performance
> Nominated for: Something In The Orange
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20. Madison Cunningham
> Age: 26
> Category: Best American Roots Performance
> Nominated for: Life According To Raechel
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