Inside Olivia Dean’s Soulful Journey to Grammys Best New Artist

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Olivia Dean isn’t simply looking for a partner. She’s certain of what she wants and needs in life.

She made the decision to record her second album, The Art of Loving, in a rented space in East London—a move that ultimately led her to win Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammys on February 1st, beating out artists like KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.

After making her 2023 album, Messy, by moving between different studios and dealing with the inconveniences of working in other people’s spaces – like using their restrooms and drinking from their mugs – the singer of “Man I Need” told Nylon magazine she appreciated being able to control every aspect of the creative process.

I start my day by creating a welcoming atmosphere,” she said. “I light incense, so when guests arrive, I’m already settled and ready, having already chosen the mood or inspiration for the day.

She preferred a perfume with notes of patchouli and sandalwood, one playfully called ‘attracts money.’ A fragrance named ‘attracts accolades’ would have been a little too obvious, though.

The musician admitted she hadn’t expected to win a Grammy, or even be nominated. But now that she was on stage at the Crypto.com Arena, she felt it was important to truly savor the moment.

The singer began by sharing that she comes from a family of immigrants. Growing up in North London, she was influenced by a diverse range of music – her father played soul and pop artists like Al Green and Carole King, while her mother, who is Jamaican-Guyanese, introduced her to Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, and Lauryn Hill, the last of whom inspired her middle name. She said she’s proud of her family’s courage and believes they deserve recognition.

She’s earned the right to raise a glass to herself as well. 

I’ve been creating and releasing music for nearly a decade, and I’ve dreamed of doing this since I was a child,” the 26-year-old told NPR last September. “It feels like this is where I’m meant to be.”

Growing up, she loved musical theater and attended The Brit School, a famous performing arts academy that has launched the careers of stars like Amy Winehouse, Adele, FKA Twigs, and RAYE. Her current manager discovered her talent during a school performance.

By 2023, she had achieved her original aims: releasing an album, performing at Glastonbury, and sharing the stage with Jools Holland.

She titled her next work The Art of Loving after being inspired by a visit to painter Mickalene Thomas’s exhibit, All About Love, in Los Angeles. The exhibit shared a name with the bell hooks book she considers a foundational text.

She playfully told Nylon that after a particularly difficult period of heartbreak—which she jokingly referred to as her “bin fire year”—she could have just as easily called it “The Art of Getting Completely Devastated.”

Because, yes, she very much wears her heart on her delightfully elegant sleeve. 

The singer, who has been romantically connected to both Harry Styles and drummer Eddie Burns, shared that all her songs are based on personal experiences. She also clarified that she isn’t actively looking for a relationship.

She told W magazine in October that wanting love is natural, but it’s important to avoid letting frustration with relationships turn into a consistently negative outlook. It’s a delicate balance between independence and negativity.

As a songwriter, I’ve always been fascinated with capturing specific moments in time. That’s actually the driving force behind all my music – the five EPs and two albums full of love songs, really. I write like I’m making a little documentary of my life. The idea is, I want to be able to listen back years from now, maybe in a decade, and instantly remember exactly what I was going through – ‘Oh, that song is about that breakup,’ or ‘That one captures that period of my life.’ It’s a really cool way for me to preserve those memories and feelings.

No doubt it’s interesting to other as well. 

With her song “Man I Need” charting on Billboard for the first time, she achieved a historic feat: becoming the first solo female artist to have four songs in the U.K. Top 10 at the same time. This success also led to opening for Sabrina Carpenter and performing on Saturday Night Live for the first time.

Starting in April, she’s hitting the road on her own tour, so she’s been thinking about what else she wants to achieve.

Having already worked with Burberry on a fragrance campaign, she’s eager to explore more fashion-related projects. Inspired by watching Teyana Taylor in the film One Battle After Another, she told Nylon magazine that she realized she wants to act, saying, “I’d love to be in a movie.”

She’s less sure about embracing her pop star future. 

She told Elle magazine in September that she doesn’t crave fame. She explained she doesn’t want to be recognized and greeted excitedly everywhere she goes. She sees public attention as something that happens naturally when you’re passionate about your work and good at it. She’s still getting used to it, but overall, she’s having a great time.

Though at times, she can’t help but wonder what comes next. 

Although she considers London home, she told Vogue she envisions herself living in New York for a while. She feels a strong connection to the city and is drawn to the exciting, fast-paced lifestyle often depicted in shows like Sex and the City. She’s open to the possibility and says, “We’ll see” what the future holds.

She’s absolutely sure she’ll deliver a fantastic show for her fans when her ‘The Art of Loving Live’ tour begins in Glasgow.

She told Harper’s Bazaar last fall that she’s eager to fully dedicate herself to a new project and create something memorable for everyone. Once she’s had a chance to travel a bit more, she also wants to return to making music in the studio.

She expressed a desire to experience more of the world, even if it doesn’t involve touring. She feels ready to live life fully, believing that great albums are born from personal experiences.

She’s definitely not the only one enjoying success! See who won at the 2026 Grammys to discover more talented musicians.

WINNER: “Anxiety,” Doechii

“Love,” OK Go

“So Be It,” Clipse

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

“Young Lion,” Sade

WINNER: Sinners

A Complete Unknown

F1 The Album

KPop Demon Hunters

Wicked

 

WINNER: “Golden,” KPop Demon Hunters

“As Alive As You Need Me to Be,” Tron: Ares

“I Lied to You,” Sinners

“Never Too Late,” Elton John: Never Too Late

“Pale, Pale Moon,” Sinners

“Sinners,” Sinners

WINNER: “Defying Gravity,” Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande

“Golden (From KPop Demon Hunters),” HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI

 “Gabriela,” KATSEYE

“APT.,” RosĂ©, Bruno Mars

“30 for 30,” SZA featuring Kendrick Lamar

WINNER: “Bad As I Used to Be,” Chris Stapleton

“Nose on the Grindstone,” Tyler Childers

“Good News,” Shaboozey

“I Never Lie,” Zach Top

“Somewhere Over Laredo,” Lainey Wilson

WINNER: Cancionera, Natalia Lafourcade

Cosa Nuestra, Rauw Alejandro

BOGOTÁ DELUXE, Andrés Cepeda

Tropicoqueta, Karol G

Y Ahora Qué?, Alejandro Sanz

WINNER: “Changes Back to the Beginning,” YungBlud

“Mirtazapine,” Hayley Williams

“Never Enough,” Turnstile

“The Emptiness Machine,” Linkin Park

“U Should Not Be Doing That,” Amyl and the Sniffers

WINNER: EUSEXUA, FKA Twigs

Ten Days, Fred again..

Fancy That, PinkPantheress

Inhale / Exhale, RĂŒfĂŒs du Sol

F*** U SKRILLEX U THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3, Skrillex

WINNER: “Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga

“Illegal”, PinkPantheress

“Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie),” Tate McRae

“Midnight Sun,” Zara Larsson

“Bluest Flame,” Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco

WINNER: Songs of a Lost World, The Cure

SABLE, fABLE, Bon Iver

DON’T TAP THE GLASS, Tyler, The Creator

moisturizer, Wet Leg

Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Hayley Williams

WINNER: “Music by John Williams,” John Williams

“Devo,” Devo

“Live at the Royal Albert Hall,” Raye

“Relentless,” Diane Warren

“Piece by Piece,” Pharrell Williams

WINNER: “Folded,” Kehlani

“Yes it Is,” Leon Thomas

“Overqualified,” Durand Bernarr

“It Depends,” Chris Brown

“Heart of a Woman,” Summer Walker

 

WINNER: Mutt, Leon Thomas

Beloved, Givéon

Why Not More?, Coco Jones

The Crown, Ledisi

Escape Room, Teyana Taylor

WINNER: Never Enough, Turnstile

Private Music, Deftones 

I Quit, Haim

From Zero, Linkin Park

Idols, Yungblud

WINNER: “Chains & Whips,” Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams

“Outside,” Cardi B

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“tv off,” Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay

“Darling, I,” Tyler, The Creator ft. Teezo Touchdown

WINNER: A Matter of Time, Laufey

Wintersongs, Laila Biali

The Gift of Love, Jennifer Hudson

Who Believes in Angels?, Elton John & Brandi Carlile

Harlequin, Lady Gaga

The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2, Barbra Streisand

WINNER: “Bitin’ List,” Tyler Childers

“Good News,” Shaboozey

“I Never Life,” Zach Top

“Somewhere Over Laredo,” Lainey Wilson

“A Song to Sing,” Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton

WINNER: “Amen,” Shaboozey & Jelly Roll

“Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” George Strait, Chris Stapleton

“Love Me Like You Used to Do,” Margo Price & Tyler Childers

“Trailblazer,” Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert & Lainey Wilson

“A Song to Sing,” Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton

WINNER: BIG MONEY, Jon Batiste

Bloom, Larkin Poe

Last Leaf on the Tree, Willie Nelson

So Long Little Miss Sunshine, Molly Tuttle

Middle, Jesse Welles

WINNER: “Folded,” Kehlani

“Heart of a Woman,” Summer Walker

“MUTT (NPR Tiny Desk),” Leon Thomas

“It Depends,” Chris Brown

“Yukon,” Justin Bieber

WINNER: “tv off,” Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“The Birds Don’t Sing,” Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices Of Fire

“Sticky,” Tyler, The Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne

“TGIF,” GloRilla

 

“DtMF,” Bad Bunny

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“Wildflower,” Billie Eilish

“Abracadbra,” Lady Gaga

WINNER: “Luther,” Kendrick Lamar with SZA

“The Subway,” Chappell Roan

“APT.,” RosĂ©, Bruno Mars

 
 
 
 

WINNER: DeBĂ­ TiRAR MĂĄS FOToS, Bad Bunny

Swag, Justin Bieber

Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter

Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

Mayhem, Lady Gaga

GNX, Kendrick Lamar

Mutt, Leon Thomas

Chromakopia, Tyler, The Creator

“Abracadbra,” Lady Gaga

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“APT.,” RosĂ©, Bruno Mars

“DtMF,” Bad Bunny

“Golden (From KPop Demon Hunters),” HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI

“Luther,” Kendrick Lamar with SZA

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

WINNER: “Wildflower,” Billie Eilish

WINNER: Olivia Dean

KATSEYE

The Marias

Addison Rae

sombr

Leon Thomas

Alex Warren

Lola Young

Swag, Justin Bieber

Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter

Something Beautiful, Miley Cyrus

WINNER: Mayhem, Lady Gaga

I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy [Part 2], Teddy Swims

“Daisies,” Justin Bieber

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

“Disease,” Lady Gaga

“The Subway,” Chappell Roan

WINNER: “Messy,” Lola Young

Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

Glorious, GloRilla

God Does Like Ugly, Jid

WINNER: GNX, Kendrick Lamar

Chromakopia, Tyler, The Creator

The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers, composer

Wicked, John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers

WINNER: Sinners, Ludwig Göransson, composer

Severance: Season 2, Theodore Shapiro, composer

How To Train Your Dragon, John Powell, composer

WINNER:Buena Vista Social Club

Death Becomes Her

Gypsy

Just In Time

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2026-02-02 19:17