Grammy Award / Meet Olivia Dean Who Beat Bigger Names to Win Grammy
·2 months ago·4 min read
Key Points
- British singer Olivia Dean wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
- Her album The Art of Loving reached UK No. 1, featuring hits like "Man I Need."
- Dean's music blends pop, soul, and folk, defying genre labels.
Los Angeles, Feb 2: British singer Olivia Dean cemented her rise as one of pop’s biggest breakout stars after winning the Grammy Award for best new artist in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Dean entered the ceremony as the front-runner, powered by soulful, romantic pop tracks such as 'Man I Need' and 'So Easy' (To Fall In Love), both of which became transatlantic hits last year. She beat fellow Brit Lola Young and R&B artist Leon Thomas to the prize, becoming the first British act to win the category since Dua Lipa in 2019.
“I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” Dean said in her acceptance speech. “I’m a product of bravery, and those people ought to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other.”
She was presented the award by last year’s winner, Chappell Roan.
A defining Grammy moment
Dean also performed a buoyant version of Man I Need, her UK chart-topper and BBC Radio 1’s biggest song of 2025. The Grammy win places her among a distinguished list of past best new artist winners, including Amy Winehouse, Adele, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo.
The moment marked the culmination of a steady rise that began with her debut EP, OK Love You Bye, released in 2019.
From London beginnings to chart success
Born and raised in Highams Park in northeast London, Dean said she knew from a young age that she wanted to sing. While she watched her cousin, rapper and actor Ashley Walters of So Solid Crew, achieve success, it was another British artist who left a lasting impression.
“I remember my granny taking me to Woolworths to buy Leona Lewis’s A Moment Like This on CD,” Dean told the BBC in a previous interview.
Her debut album, Messy, earned a Mercury Prize nomination, but it was last year’s The Art of Loving that pushed her firmly into the mainstream. The album reached No. 1 on the UK charts and produced three simultaneous top-10 singles.
Late-night sessions and creative freedom
The Art of Loving was written and recorded in a rented house in east London, where Dean worked exclusively with close collaborators. The sessions blended songwriting with long conversations, shared meals and late nights.
That relaxed approach shaped the album’s intimate tone, with songs that unfold like personal confessions.
Man I Need, her US breakthrough single, climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard charts. Dean said the song was inspired by Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel and the fizzy energy of Tangfastic sweets.
“I wanted to make something I could dance to,” she said on the podcast …And The Writer Is. “Something really fun.”
Refusing to be boxed in
Dean has consistently pushed back against being labelled solely as an R&B artist, emphasising her ability to move across pop, soul, folk and alternative sounds.
“I have sometimes felt boxed in,” she said previously, “but I feel like I can do anything.”
She also earned praise last year for challenging ticket resale practices. After discovering US tour tickets were being resold for more than 14 times their original price, Dean demanded refunds for fans and publicly criticised the system. Ticketmaster later announced price caps and refunds for affected buyers.
Her stance won widespread support across the industry, including from Sir Elton John, who personally congratulated her on her awards success.
A banner year for Dean
Dean’s Grammy win follows a dominant showing at this year’s Brit Awards nominations, where she and Lola Young led the field with five nods each, including artist of the year.
She topped a competitive best new artist Grammy field that included Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Katseye, Sombr and indie pop band The Marías. All eight nominees performed during a special segment early in the ceremony.
Also Read: You Won’t Believe How Malaika Got ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’! Farah Khan Reveals
Earlier in the night, fellow British acts The Cure, FKA twigs and Yungblud also picked up awards, capping a strong evening for UK artists.
Dean entered the ceremony as the front-runner, powered by soulful, romantic pop tracks such as 'Man I Need' and 'So Easy' (To Fall In Love), both of which became transatlantic hits last year. She beat fellow Brit Lola Young and R&B artist Leon Thomas to the prize, becoming the first British act to win the category since Dua Lipa in 2019.
“I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” Dean said in her acceptance speech. “I’m a product of bravery, and those people ought to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other.”
She was presented the award by last year’s winner, Chappell Roan.
A defining Grammy moment
Dean also performed a buoyant version of Man I Need, her UK chart-topper and BBC Radio 1’s biggest song of 2025. The Grammy win places her among a distinguished list of past best new artist winners, including Amy Winehouse, Adele, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo.
The moment marked the culmination of a steady rise that began with her debut EP, OK Love You Bye, released in 2019.
From London beginnings to chart success
Born and raised in Highams Park in northeast London, Dean said she knew from a young age that she wanted to sing. While she watched her cousin, rapper and actor Ashley Walters of So Solid Crew, achieve success, it was another British artist who left a lasting impression.
“I remember my granny taking me to Woolworths to buy Leona Lewis’s A Moment Like This on CD,” Dean told the BBC in a previous interview.
Her debut album, Messy, earned a Mercury Prize nomination, but it was last year’s The Art of Loving that pushed her firmly into the mainstream. The album reached No. 1 on the UK charts and produced three simultaneous top-10 singles.
Late-night sessions and creative freedom
The Art of Loving was written and recorded in a rented house in east London, where Dean worked exclusively with close collaborators. The sessions blended songwriting with long conversations, shared meals and late nights.
That relaxed approach shaped the album’s intimate tone, with songs that unfold like personal confessions.
Man I Need, her US breakthrough single, climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard charts. Dean said the song was inspired by Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel and the fizzy energy of Tangfastic sweets.
“I wanted to make something I could dance to,” she said on the podcast …And The Writer Is. “Something really fun.”
Refusing to be boxed in
Dean has consistently pushed back against being labelled solely as an R&B artist, emphasising her ability to move across pop, soul, folk and alternative sounds.
“I have sometimes felt boxed in,” she said previously, “but I feel like I can do anything.”
She also earned praise last year for challenging ticket resale practices. After discovering US tour tickets were being resold for more than 14 times their original price, Dean demanded refunds for fans and publicly criticised the system. Ticketmaster later announced price caps and refunds for affected buyers.
Her stance won widespread support across the industry, including from Sir Elton John, who personally congratulated her on her awards success.
A banner year for Dean
Dean’s Grammy win follows a dominant showing at this year’s Brit Awards nominations, where she and Lola Young led the field with five nods each, including artist of the year.
She topped a competitive best new artist Grammy field that included Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Katseye, Sombr and indie pop band The Marías. All eight nominees performed during a special segment early in the ceremony.
Also Read: You Won’t Believe How Malaika Got ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’! Farah Khan Reveals
Earlier in the night, fellow British acts The Cure, FKA twigs and Yungblud also picked up awards, capping a strong evening for UK artists.
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