Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass singer and musician. She entered the American music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight 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 Union Station, releasing her first album with them as a group in 1989 and performing with them ever since. Krauss has released 14 albums, appeared on numerous soundtracks, and helped to spark 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. Platinum-selling Raising Sand (2007) was the first of her two collaborations with English rock singer Robert Plant. As of 2025, she has won 27 Grammy Awards from 46 nominations, ranking her fourth behind Beyoncé, Quincy Jones, and classical conductor Georg Solti for most Grammy Award wins overall. Krauss was the singer and female artist with the most awards in Grammy history until Beyoncé won her 28th Grammy in 2021. When Krauss won her first Grammy in the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards in 1991, she was the second-youngest winner at that time. On November 21, 2019, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in September 2021.