Noah Kahan opens up about his "surreal" Grammy Awards nomination and path to success

Noah Kahan will contend for his first Grammy Award when the ceremony gets underway on Sunday, Feb. 4. But the singer-songwriter, whose latest record earned him a coveted nomination in the Best New Artist category, has been rehearsing his Grammys acceptance speech since childhood.

"When I was falling asleep, I would practice my Grammys speech when I was a little kid," Kahan told "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King on Monday. 

It went like this, he said: "Thank you to the Grammys. I deserve this." Laughing, Kahan added, "I never really got too far. 'Cause I think I stopped myself from believing it could be true."

Although Kahan catapulted to breakout success back in 2017, with the release of his chart-topping single "Hurt Somebody," his Grammys dream officially became a reality in November, when the Recording Academy unveiled its newest roster of nominees. A video that showed an overjoyed Kahan watching and reacting to the announcement quickly went viral online. 

"It's surreal, first and foremost. But it's also something I'm very proud of," he said of the nomination. "I've been in the music industry for a long time and it's been a lot of hard work from a lot of people, and I just feel really proud of me and my team and the people who have believed in me for so long."

He said the potential for a Grammys nod was on his mind following the release of his third studio album, "Stick Season," in 2022, but he still refused to engage in conversations about that possibility — even with his mother or his managers — because he "didn't want to curse it or jinx it."

"So I think that day [when Grammy nominations were announced] was the first day I let myself really want it and allowed myself to believe that maybe I had a chance," Kahan said.

"Stick Season" has been met with praise from critics and fans, who had been anticipating its release as Kahan teased the drop on TikTok. The folk-pop performer has talked about creating the album from his home in Vermont after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and says incorporating themes around mental health, anxiety and depression into his work has always been important to him.

"I never found it hard to be open about my mental health and I owe that to my parents, who would always encourage me to talk about it," Kahan said. "I recognize the massive privilege in that my family was always able to provide me with resources for my mental health. And I realized later on how abnormal that experience really was, and so I felt a responsibility to speak about what I'm going through in hopes that maybe it opens up that conversation for others."

When Kahan hits the Grammys red carpet in Los Angeles on Sunday, he told King it will be his mother who accompanies him.

"When I was a little kid, my mom would say, 'When we go to the Grammys, you have to take me there.' And she was the first call I made," he said. "She's going to get styled up, we're going to go to the red carpet, I'm going to drive her home. It's going to be an awesome night. She's really excited."

The Grammys will be broadcast live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 4, beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. 

In:
• Music
• Grammy Awards
• Noah Kahan
• Entertainment

Emily Mae Czachor

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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