Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of 10 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987. She was invited to join the band with which she still performs, Alison Krauss and Union Station, and later released her first album with them as a group in 1989.
She has released fourteen albums, appeared on numerous soundtracks, and she sparked a renewed interest in bluegrass music in the United States. Her soundtrack performances have led to further popularity, including the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, and the Cold Mountain soundtrack, which led to her performance at the 2004 Academy Awards.
As of 2019, she has won 27 Grammy Awards from 42 nominations, ranking her fourth behind Beyonc , Quincy Jones and classical conductor Georg Solti for most Grammy Award wins overall. Krauss was the most awarded singer and the most awarded female artist in Grammy history until Beyonc won her 28th Grammy in 2021. When Krauss won her first Grammy in 1991, she was the second-youngest winner, and is currently tied as the ninth-youngest.
On November 21, 2019, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.