Best New Artist Grammy winner Adele may be best known as the 20-year-old who sings "Chasing Pavements," but she's already racked up critical praise for her album, 19.

In 2007, [artist id="2476941"]Adele[/artist] was awarded with the first Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award. In 2008, she was nominated for a Mercury Prize for 19. The singer has said that "Chasing Pavements" was written after a night on the town with her ex-boyfriend, who she realized wasn't worth pursuing anymore.

The singer's look is decidedly out of step with that of today's female artists, and interestingly, she found inspiration from Etta James, who recently [article id="1604348"]stirred up controversy[/article] with her remarks about Beyoncé's version of her signature song, [article id="1602971"]"At Last,"[/article] which Beyoncé performed at [article id="1603122"]President Obama's Neighborhood Ball last month.[/article]

"I saw Etta James' bleached-blond hair and big catty eyes, and I saw Ella Fitzgerald's primped '40s hair, and I just fell in love with them!" she told the Chicago Sun-Times. So I bought these albums -- they were like two for 5 pounds in a bargain bin -- and they were amazing. I had heard of Ella Fitzgerald, but I'd never even heard of Etta James. But I bought these records and never even gave them to my cousin, because when I heard Etta James, it was like my life was over. She's amazing!"

Although pop heartthrobs the Jonas Brothers may have lost to the singer, there is definitely a mutual admiration between Adele and the boys. When she hit the stage to accept her Best New Artist Grammy, she told the crowd how much she loved the Jonas Brothers. And, in the February 5 issue of Rolling Stone, Adele said, "The Jonas Brothers' choruses are really catchy. They make shameful pop -- and I f---ing love them."

And at the [article id="1600681"]Grammy nomination concert in December[/article], the Jonas Brothers told MTV News, "We're big fans of her record." It seems that the Academy echoed that sentiment. Adele, who performed at the Grammys with country act Sugarland, was up for four awards and won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in addition to Best New Artist.

When MTV News recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly critic Leah Greenblatt about [article id="1604221"]Adele's chances of winning Best New Artist[/article], she thought that Adele and fellow British soul singer Duffy would cancel each other out and the statue would go to the JoBros, even though the Jonases are not really "new" artists.

But in a contest between Duffy and Adele, she chose Adele because her nominations landed her in a number of the female-only categories, where her chances are strong. Well, it looks like it all paid off for the young singer in the end.

Will Lil Wayne grab all the gramophones? Is Katy Perry going to tell her girl rivals to kiss off? Can Coldplay march off with a win? MTV News is all over the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, so stay tuned for interviews, analysis and more before, during and after the big night.