Knowing her comfort in jazz and playing her instrument, Esperanza Spalding has admitted that she was only hoping to be nominated in the jazz categories at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards. And to be nominated for the Best New Artist category had taken her by surprise, just like many other prominent artists who were big hopefuls for the major award. But winning the award and owning the elusive statue for Spalding is surreal.

Little did the artist from Portland, Oregon knew that she has made history in music as she was accepting one of the shocking awards of the evening. Spalding is the first jazz artist to be honored as the Best New Artist of the year in the history of music.

“It’s already weird that I’m here, sitting in front of you,” Spalding said, according to The Associated Press.

“In the world I come from, this is the beginning of the beginning. I’m 26 … people (in jazz) are more older than me, and they’re still ascending,” the singer added.

Spalding defeated nominees in the category including Mumford & Sons; the Machine rapper, Drake and the event’s favorite, teen pop sensation, Justin Bieber.

The 26-year old jazz singer has made music headlines when she performed for President Barack Obama at the White House. And the public did not know much about the artist who performs wearing her hair in huge Afro.

The AP noted that Spalding’s talents are ‘deep’, not like many other contemporaries in the music scene. But she comes in big package as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and arranger. She has remained to also be part of the academe, and has been hailed as the youngest instructor at the famous Berkley’s College of Music. She claims Prince as one of her mentors.

“I feel really lucky that I got to be acknowledged on this stage in front of so many people who hopefully will get to experience my music and I got there by doing what’s really dear to my heart”, Spalding told reporters after her win backstage.

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