Posted 3 minutes agoSubscribe to Taylor Swift NewsletterCaret DownHere's Who Has Won Best New Artist At The VMAs For The Last 40 YearsWhile Nirvana and Billie Eilish won Best New Artist at the VMAs, Rihanna and Taylor Swift actually lost the award.by Nora DominickBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLinkHot Topic🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Taylor Swift Since the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, an award for Best New Artist has been given out to artists who have burst onto the scene and changed music in that given year. While the award started as recognition for a single song, it has since changed to recognize the artist's full body of work in that year. Noam Galai / Getty Images for MTV From Madonna to Taylor Swift, many now-iconic artists have been nominated for this award and/or won it, with many in the music industry seeing it as a precursor to the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. So, here are 41 of the MTV VMAs' Best New Artists from 1984 to now: Sonia Moskowitz / Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images 1. 1984: Eurythmics for "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" Paul Natkin / Getty Images Other nominees: Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and Wang Chung 2. 1985: 'Til Tuesday for "Voices Carry" Gary Gershoff / Getty Images Other nominees: Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Julian Lennon, Sade, and Sheila E. BuzzFeed TrendingHot TopicThink you're Blondie's biggest fan? Put your ~reputation~ to the test.
See our Taylor Swift Discussions 3. 1986: A-ha for "Take On Me" FG/Bauer-Griffin / Getty Images Other nominees: The Hooters, Whitney Houston, Pet Shop Boys, and Simply Red 4. 1987: Crowded House for "Don't Dream It's Over" BSR Entertainment / Gentle Look / Getty Images Other nominees: Robert Cray, The Georgia Satellites, Bruce Hornsby, Timbuk3 5. 1988: Guns N' Roses for "Welcome to the Jungle" Larry Marano / Getty Images Other nominees: The Godfathers, Buster Poindexter, Swing Out Sister, and Jody Watley 6. 1989: Living Colour for "Cult of Personality" Paul Natkin / Getty Images Other nominees: Paula Abdul, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, and Neneh Cherry 7. 1990: Michael Penn for "No Myth" MediaPunch / Getty Images Other nominees: Bell Biv DeVoe, The Black Crowes, Jane Child, Lenny Kravitz, Alannah Myles, and Lisa Stansfield 8. 1991: Jesus Jones for "Right Here, Right Now" MediaPunch / Getty Images Other nominees: C+C Music Factory, Deee-Lite, Gerardo, and Seal 9. 1992: Nirvana for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Kevin Mazur / WireImage / Getty Images Other nominees: Tori Amos, Arrested Development, and Cracker 10. 1993: Stone Temple Pilots for "Plush" Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images Other nominees: Tasmin Archer, Belly, and Porno for Pyros 11. 1994: Counting Crows for "Mr. Jones" Ian Dickson / Redferns / Getty Images Other nominees: Beck, Björk, Green Day, Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories, and Me'Shell NdegéOcello 12. 1995: Hootie & the Blowfish for "Hold My Hand" Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection / Getty Images Other nominees: Jeff Buckley, Des'ree, Filter, and Portishead 13. 1996: Alanis Morissette for "Ironic" Gie Knaeps / Getty Images Other nominees: Tracy Bonham, Garbage, and Jewel 14. 1997: Fiona Apple for "Sleep to Dream" L. Busacca / Getty Images Other nominees: Meredith Brooks, Hanson, Jamiroquai, and The Wallflowers 15. 1998: Natalie Imbruglia for "Torn" Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection / Getty Images Other nominees: Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Chumbawamba, Fastball, and Mase 16. 1999: Eminem for "My Name Is" Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection / Getty Images Other nominees: Kid Rock, Jennifer Lopez, and Orgy 17. 2000: Macy Gray for "I Try" George De Sota / Getty Images Other nominees: Christina Aguilera, Papa Roach, Pink, and Sisqó 18. 2001: Alicia Keys for "Fallin" RJ Capak / WireImage / Getty Images Other nominees: Coldplay, Nikka Costa, David Gray, and Sum 41 19. 2002: Avril Lavigne for "Complicated" DON EMMERT / AFP / Getty Images Other nominees: Ashani, B2K, John Mayer, and Puddle of Mudd 20. 2003: 50 Cent for "In da Club" KMazur / WireImage / Getty Images Other nominees: The All-American Rejects, Kelly Clarkson, Evanescence, Sean Paul, and Simple Plan 21. 2004: Maroon 5 for "This Love" Kevin Winter / Getty Images Other nominees: The Darkness, Jet, JoJo, Kanye West, and Yellowcard 22. 2005: The Killers for "Mr. Brightside" Alexander Tamargo / Getty Images Other nominees: Ciara, The Game, John Legend, and My Chemical Romance 23. 2006: Avenged Sevenfold for "Bat Country" Brian ZAK / Gamma-Rapho / Getty Images Other nominees: Angels & Airwaves, James Blunt, Chris Brown, Panic! and the Disco, and Rihanna 24. 2007: Gym Class Heroes Steve Granitz / WireImage / Getty Images Other nominees: Lily Allen, Peter Bjorn and John, Carrie Underwood, and Amy WinehouseThis year, the award wasn't given for a new artist's new song. 25. 2008: Tokio Hotel for "Ready, Set, Go!" Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images Other nominees: Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Jordin Sparks, and Taylor Swift 26. 2009: Lady Gaga for "Poker Face" Mi