Every year, a new crop of up-and-comers duke it out for the Best New Artist prize at the Grammys. Before the big show kicks off Sunday night, get to know each of the nominees in the coveted category.

Justin Bieber

In 2010, Bieber presented at the Grammy Awards, and now he returns this year as a two-time nominee and [article id="1657375"]performer[/article]. He released two albums last year; hit the road, selling out venues at every stop; and managed to not only become the teenage dream, but also find creditability in the world of hip-hop, thanks to collabos with MCs like Ludacris and Kanye West.

Drake

Drake quickly emerged in 2010 as the go-to MC for hip-hop heads and teenyboppers. He asked fans to Thank Me Later on his debut album, on which he rapped about girls, fame and himself. Drake showed that he had some street cred and a lot of heart on the album.

Florence and the Machine

Florence Welch emerged as rock newcomer of the year with her inescapable hit "Dog Days Are Over." The flame-haired songstress belted out tunes that had fans worshipping at her musical temple, especially after her [article id="1647662"]electric performance at the Video Music Awards[/article]. Her 2009 album, Lungs, proved to have some legs when "Dog Days Are Over" took Hollywood by storm and also top 40 stations.

Mumford & Sons

Their album Sigh No More (released in 2009) flew under the radar for some time, before their Grammy-nominated song "Little Lion Man" launched them into the mainstream last year. In addition to the Best New Artist nod, the tune is also up for Best Rock Song, thanks to the English group's sparse, folky approach to making music.

Esperanza Spalding

Like Mumford & Sons, Spalding has been releasing music for years. In 2010, Prince announced she'd be one of the many artists hitting the road with him for a leg of the Welcome 2 America Tour. Now, she's poised to reach even more audiences thanks to the Grammy nod.

Who do you think will win Best New Artist on Sunday? Tell us in the comments!

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