A SUNY Purchase graduate, jazz starlet Samara Joy, made big news on Sunday night when she won the coveted Best New Artist category at the GRAMMYs. It was one of Joy’s two big wins for the night; the other being a Best Vocal Jazz Album win for her highly acclaimed 2022 “Linger Awhile” record with Verve Records. Her sultry vocals have been compared to the likes of Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday.

The Bronx resident is a recent graduate of Purchase’s jazz studies department and, in addition to performing across the U.S. and Europe, she has also played locally – including at the 2021 JazzFest White Plains organized by ArtsWestchester, the City of White Plains and the White Plains BID.

Joy will be honored by ArtsWestchester on April 19 during its annual Arts Award ceremony, which has highlighted the Westchester impact of big names in arts and culture for the past 47 years.