# Fountains of Wayne for Best New Artist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118 "2003-12-05T07:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/1 "2003-12-05T07:23:57Z")
> [@](#): > > list of nominees in 105 categories announced Thursday for the 46th annual Grammy Awards, to be presented Feb. 8 in Los Angeles: > > New Artist: Evanescence; 50 Cent; Fountains of Wayne; Heather Headley ; Sean Paul. Waaaaaa? :dubious: How is this possible? Fountains of Wayne is on their third album and they formed in 1996. Apparently they are using a definition of “new” I am unfamilar with. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/2 "2003-12-05T14:37:08Z")
**Gamaliel** , I think they’re using the definition “new” to mean “their producer never purchased a hit single from the Big 5 before.” Although I seem to remember _Radiation Vibe_ getting some decent airplay. BTW, can I get a cite? Who says that a “Grammy” is an “Award”? I thought it was something you give an artist or album once people are sick of hearing it on the radio. (Mods might want to move this to Cafe Society or the Pit). ---
**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/3 "2003-12-05T15:30:48Z")
Weren’t they called something (Hayden?) before this? I know I have their indie releases somewhere… Not as catchy as their latest stuff, but good for me. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/4 "2003-12-05T16:27:06Z")
It hardly matters. If Evanescence doesn’t win, there’s a travesty of some sort going on. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/5 "2003-12-05T17:06:19Z")
“For a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist.” Cite: [http://www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/46noms.aspx](http://www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/46noms.aspx) So what constitutes “public identity”? I got no idea. Maybe a Top 40 song or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/6 "2003-12-05T18:03:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PhilAlex \* > \*\*Weren’t they called something (Hayden?) before this? > > I know I have their indie releases somewhere… > > Not as catchy as their latest stuff, but good for me. \*\* from [allmusic.com](http://allmusic.com): > [@](#): > > The New York City-based power pop band Fountains of Wayne was anchored by the singer/songwriter duo of Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, who first teamed in 1986 while studying at Massachusetts’ Williams College. Sharing a mutual affection for melodic British pop, they formed a series of short-lived bands before recording an LP under the name Pinnwheel; legal hassles blocked the album’s release, however, and the duo went their separate ways, with Schlesinger resurfacing in the NYC indie-pop band Ivy and Collingwood joining the Boston country group Mercy Buckets. They reunited in 1996 as Fountains of Wayne ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/7 "2003-12-05T18:11:48Z")
According to that standard, they clearly didn’t have a public identity, since they were chronically listed as one of the “best bands you’ve never heard of”. ---
**Author:** ![Sarcastro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sarcastro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarcastro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/8 "2003-12-05T18:28:13Z")
The “New Artist” award is a crock to begin with (witness Aimee Mann from a couple of years ago - she won the award for something like her 8th album), and since it’s the kiss of death, I wouldn’t want Fountains of Wayne winning it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountains-of-wayne-for-best-new-artist/217118/9 "2003-12-05T22:57:32Z")
I was about to say the same thing when I read the topic. Also I’m fairly certain Adam Schlesinger has either an Oscar or a Grammy for ‘That Thing you Do.’ FoW also had radio hits before(that’s how I found them originally), such as ‘Sink to the Bottom’ from their first and ‘Denise’ from Utopia Parkway. Frankly I don’t think the others on that nominees list deserve the award.