Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2007 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was recorded while Vernon spent three months in a cabin in northwestern Wisconsin. Bon Iver won the 2012 Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album for their album Bon Iver, Bon Iver. The name Bon Iver is derived from the French phrase bon hiver , meaning "good winter", taken from a greeting on Northern Exposure.