Grammy Winner Samara Joy On Her Genre: 'I Did Not Grow Up Listening To Jazz'

First-time Grammy winner Samara Joy is ecstatic after receiving trophies in a genre she grew to love because of her admiration for legendary artists.

"It's incredible. I started singing it because I loved it, and jazz has such a rich legacy, such a rich history, and there are people still adding to it and making it better based on the foundation that legends have set so, I'm really honored to be here in the name of jazz," Joy told People in an interview during the 2023 Grammys red-carpet event Sunday.

Joy admitted that she did not always like jazz but grew to love it because of one iconic singer.

"It's funny. I did not grow up listening to jazz," she said. "I started about six years ago now, but one of my favorite singers, one of my true pillars was Lalah Hathaway. I listened to her all the time. I was like, 'How she do that? How she get low, and then get high, and then in the middle with all the runs and stuff like that?'"

On Sunday's ceremony, Joy took home the awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist.

On winning her Best New Artist award, Joy beat fellow nominees Anitta, Omar Apollo, Domi and JD Beck, Latto, Muni Long, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle and Wet Leg.

"I've been watching y'all on TV for so long," she said in her acceptance speech. "Thank you so much for this honor, thank you to everyone who has listened to me or supported me. All of you are so inspiring to me and so to be here, because of who I am, because of who you are... to be here just being who I was born to be, by being myself, I'm so thankful," she continued.

Elsewhere in her People interview, Joy said she plans to put one of her gold-plated gramophones in the home of her parents who have been supporting her since the start of her career.

"What's great about this is my parents were able to be here, so as soon as they heard my name, they stood up and was louder than everyone in the room. So, I'm gonna put it up in their house because that's where it belongs," the young musician said.