
Japanese Breakfast is an American indie pop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 2013. The band was nominated for two Grammys at the 2022 Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album for their album Jubilee. However, they did not win any awards at the ceremony. Fronted by vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Michelle Zauner, Japanese Breakfast released their first studio album, Psychopomp, in 2015, with their latest album, For Melancholy Brunettes, released in 2025.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Nomination | 2022 |
| Number of Nominations | 2 |
| Categories | Best New Artist, Best Alternative Music Album |
| Outcome | Did not win |
| Winners in Nominated Categories | St. Vincent, Olivia Rodrigo |
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What You'll Learn
- Japanese Breakfast was nominated for two Grammys in 2022
- The band lost both categories at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards
- Japanese Breakfast's fourth album, 'For Melancholy Brunettes' was released in 2025
- The band is led by Michelle Zauner, who also writes and sings
- Zauner says she was motivated by personal and global crises

Japanese Breakfast was nominated for two Grammys in 2022
Japanese Breakfast, the American indie-pop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was nominated for two Grammys at the 2022 Grammy Awards. The band, fronted by vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Michelle Zauner, was recognised in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album for their album Jubilee.
Zauner started Japanese Breakfast as a side project in 2013 when she was leading the Philadelphia-based emo group Little Big League. She named the band after seeing a GIF animation of Japanese breakfast and thinking the term would be "exotic" to Americans. In 2014, Zauner participated in a song project with musicians Gabrielle Smith, Florist, Frankie Cosmos, and Small Wonder, releasing songs on Tumblr and Bandcamp. She also recorded her first studio album as Japanese Breakfast, Psychopomp, which dealt with the death of her mother.
Jubilee, Japanese Breakfast's third album, was released in June 2021 and received critical acclaim. The album was inspired by joy and marked a departure from the band's earlier, darker sound. Zauner has said that she was inspired to "go big" by Icelandic musician Björk's third album, Homogenic.
At the 2022 Grammy Awards, Japanese Breakfast did not win in either of the categories for which they were nominated. The Best New Artist award went to Olivia Rodrigo, while St. Vincent's album Daddy's Home won Best Alternative Music Album.
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The band lost both categories at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards
Japanese Breakfast is an American indie pop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 2013. The band is fronted by vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Michelle Zauner. In 2022, Japanese Breakfast was nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. The nominations were for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album for their album Jubilee. However, the band lost both categories.
Jubilee, Japanese Breakfast's third album, was released in 2021. The album was inspired by joy, marking a departure from the band's earlier albums, which had dealt with Zauner's mother's death. Zauner has said that she wanted to “go big” with Jubilee, taking inspiration from Icelandic musician Björk's third album, Homogenic (1997).
Despite not winning any Grammy Awards, Japanese Breakfast's nomination was a significant milestone for the band. Zauner reflected on her literary and musical breakthrough, which included the release of her memoir, "Crying in H Mart," and the critical acclaim for Jubilee. She also expressed her motivation to continue creating during personal and global crises.
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards, held in 2022, was a memorable event for Japanese Breakfast. While they did not take home any awards, the band's presence at the ceremony marked their first time being recognized at such a high level in the music industry. The nominations for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album were a testament to the band's talent and hard work.
Japanese Breakfast's leader, Michelle Zauner, has been open about her feelings regarding the Grammy nominations. She has expressed surprise at being nominated as Best New Artist, given that Japanese Breakfast has been active since 2013. Despite this, she welcomed the recognition and was grateful for the opportunity to attend the prestigious awards ceremony.
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Japanese Breakfast's fourth album, 'For Melancholy Brunettes' was released in 2025
Japanese Breakfast, the American indie-pop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, released their fourth album, 'For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women),' on March 21, 2025. The album was produced by Blake Mills and marked their first experience recording in a "proper" studio—Sound City Studios in Los Angeles.
The rollout for the album began with the release of the lead single, "Orlando in Love," a subtle track inspired by Renaissance poet Matteo Maria Boiardo's "Orlando Innamorato" and writer John Cheever's riff on the poem. The accompanying music video features vocalist and guitarist Michelle Zauner singing while bassist Deven Craige dances in a Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus-esque shell.
'For Melancholy Brunettes' consists of 10 tracks, including “Men in Bars,” featuring actor Jeff Bridges, and “Magic Mountain,” inspired by Thomas Mann’s 1924 novel of the same name. According to Zauner, “Magic Mountain” explores “confronting the narcissism that goes into being an artist, and deciding I didn’t want it to destroy my potential for having a happy life.” The album continues the band's exploration of melancholy themes, as seen in their previous Grammy-nominated album 'Jubilee', which was inspired by Zauner's grief and global crises.
Japanese Breakfast promoted the album with a tour in 2025, including performances at Coachella in April and in major cities like Austin, Nashville, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia. They also appeared as a featured artist on the Silica Gel single "NamgungFefere" in July 2025, with Zauner contributing vocals and lyrics.
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The band is led by Michelle Zauner, who also writes and sings
The band Japanese Breakfast is led by Michelle Zauner, who also writes and sings. Zauner formed the band in 2013 as a side project when she was leading the Philadelphia-based emo group Little Big League. She named the band after seeing a GIF animation of Japanese breakfast, which she thought would be "exotic" to Americans.
Zauner is a vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band. She is joined by Peter Bradley (guitar), Deven Craige (bass), Craig Hendrix (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), violinist Lauren Baba, and saxophonist Adam Schatz.
In 2014, Zauner participated in a song project with musicians Gabrielle Smith, Florist, Frankie Cosmos, and Small Wonder, posting songs daily on a Tumblr blog. She also released her first studio album as Japanese Breakfast, Psychopomp, in 2015, which dealt with her mother's death. Zauner continued to explore grief in her full-length memoir, Crying in H Mart, which was a New York Times bestseller.
In 2021, Japanese Breakfast released their fourth album, Jubilee, which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, while Zauner was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Although they did not win, Zauner reflected on her nominations, stating that personal and global crises had made her more motivated.
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Zauner says she was motivated by personal and global crises
Michelle Zauner, the leader of Japanese Breakfast, said that personal and global crises motivated her to create. Zauner's mother passed away in 2014, and her grief and the fear of losing her connection to her Korean heritage inspired her to write her memoir, "Crying in H Mart". In the memoir, Zauner explores her identity as a biracial Asian-American, the bond that food can forge, and her efforts to understand and remember her mother.
Zauner's mother, Chongmi, was diagnosed with late-stage gastrointestinal cancer in 2014. Zauner expressed her love for her mother through cooking for her, as that was how her mother had always shown her affection. Zauner's father, on the other hand, was so focused on providing for the family that he couldn't give her the emotional support she needed.
Zauner's grief and resilience are also reflected in her music as Japanese Breakfast. Her album "Psychopomp" deals with her mother's death, and she has said that she tried to make the music urgent and "sonically upbeat". In 2021, Japanese Breakfast released the album "Jubilee", which was inspired by joy and contrasted with their earlier albums. Zauner has said that she was motivated to "go big" by Icelandic musician Björk's third album, "Homogenic".
"Jubilee" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, and Japanese Breakfast was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Although they did not win any Grammys, the nominations and the creation of "Jubilee" were motivated by personal and global crises, according to Zauner.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Japanese Breakfast did not win any Grammys in 2022.
Japanese Breakfast did not win any Grammys.
Japanese Breakfast received two Grammy nominations in 2022.
Japanese Breakfast was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album in 2022.
Japanese Breakfast is an American indie pop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 2013.











































