Samara Joy

Samara Joy McLendon (born November 11, 1999) is an American jazz singer. She released her self-titled debut album in 2021 and was subsequently named Best New Artist by JazzTimes. Her second album, Linger Awhile (2022), reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. She has received six Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2023, and three wins each for Best Jazz Vocal Album (2023, 2025 and 2026) and Best Jazz Performance (2024 and 2025). Early life and education A native of the Castle Hill neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, Joy was born in 1999 into a musical family.