Amy Lee Reflects On Evanescence Winning 'Best New Artist' Grammy Award: '50 Cent Hates My Guts'

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Evanescence’s classic debut album, Fallen, which features the hits you know and love, such as Bring Me To Life, Going Under, My Immortal and more.

Of course, such a momentous anniversary encourages reflection, and vocalist Amy Lee has been thinking about winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2004, in which the American rockers overthrew the most popular pick for the award, 50 Cent.

The rapper released his debut album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, in 2003 and responded to Evanescence’s win by walking on stage as they made their acceptance speeches.

“50 Cent hates my guts,” Amy Lee said in a recent interview with The Daily Beast. “It’s just one of those things… I mean, truthfully, we thought he was going to win, too. It was such a wild night.

“People are like, ‘What was it like to win a Grammy?’ and I’m like, ‘Stressful!’ I mean, it’s wonderful now to have them, but it was surreal… I just remember thinking, ‘I don’t even think anybody in this room knows who we are.’”

Lee told The Daily Beast that 50 Cent didn’t actually say anything when he took the stage upon their win. She remembers looking at him, attempting to look unfazed, and said, “Oh, what did I do?… Thanks, 50.”

She continued, “You know when you’re just in shock? He didn’t do anything, he didn’t grab the mic, it wasn’t that bad. He just sort of made an appearance. It was like Zoolander when he thought he won. He never said anything to me, but he likes to talk about me and how he was robbed. I don’t want to start a beef with him.”

In early 2020, 50 Cent received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and referenced that night at the 2004 Grammy Awards.

“You got the largest debut hip hop album [but] you don’t got no Best New Artist trophy,” 50 Cent said. “The Best New Artist, they gave that shit to Evanescence. Can you find fucking Evanescence? I ain’t seen Evanescence since that night. Since that night they gave them the trophy.”

Since releasing Fallen, Evanescence have dropped another four albums, with the most recent, The Bitter Truth, coming out in 2021. The album debuted at #3 on the ARIA Albums Chart, which marked the band's highest debut in 15 years.

Earlier this year, Evanescence toured Australia in support of 20 years of Fallen and hits from throughout their career with special guests The Beautiful Monument.

In a review of their show at Rod Laver Arena, The Music’s Michael Prebeg commented, “Evanescence showcases their incredible musical talent and emotional depth, delivering a powerful and unforgettable performance that proves just why they’re still one of the most influential rock groups two decades on from their debut.”

50 Cent will tour in Australia next month, with special guest Jeremih joining him on all dates – extra shows were added due to phenomenal demand.

50 Cent’s expanded Australian tour also celebrates the 20th anniversary of his seminal LP, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, which boosted 50 Cent to become a household name and gain recognition as one of the most talented and prolific artists currently creating art. You can find the tour dates here.