A polymer dispersant for pigments based on a graft copolymer wherein the graft copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least 3000 and has 10 to 90% by weight of a polymeric backbone and 90 to 10% by weight of macromonomer side chains attached to the backbone and wherein at least 20% by weight of the polymeric backbone has attached thereto an amide group which serves as a pigment anchoring group. The backbone may also have attached thereto an additional pigment anchoring group selected from the group consisting of aromatic ester, aromatic amine, aliphatic amine, and quaternary ammonium groups, or mixtures thereof. These materials disperse a wide variety of pigments and are useful in solvent borne coatings where they can provide improved efficiency of pigment use, lower paint viscosity, and reduced emission of volatile organic solvent.