After garnering attention with the single 16 At War during the summer of 20...

My First Grammy: 9 Of The Year’s First Time Nominees

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After garnering attention with the single "16 At War" during the summer of 2008, Karina Pasian set out to release her Def Jam debut "First Love." To the surprise of many critics, Pasian’s seemingly strong debut fell below the radar and thus the singer’s Grammy nomination in December came as a surprise, proving that artistry wins over the charts.

"I was with my whole family and we were all watching. They didn’t announce mine on TV, so my sister went online and looked through it, and said, You got nominated!" - Karina Pasian tells Singersroom about her first Grammy nomination.

Photo by L. Lake / WireImage