British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean has won her first Grammy Award for best new artist.
A first-time nominee, Dean took to a moment to champion immigrants in her thank you speech at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday night, saying ,”I want to say I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I wouldn’t be here… I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We are nothing without each other.”
hell yes to Olivia Dean's Grammys speech
"I'm up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant. I wouldn't be here– I'm a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. So, yeah, we're nothing without each other." pic.twitter.com/JuUQXFOOY3
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) February 2, 2026
Dean also thanked her team, her manager and best friend who she has worked with for 10 years, saying an artist is “really nothing without their team.”
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The award was presented by Chappell Roan, who won in the same category at the 67th Grammy Awards in 2025.
Shortly before the award was announced, all eight Grammy best new artist nominees — Dean, Katseye, Lola Young, Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Leon Thomas, Sombr and the Marías — took to the stage for a series of back-to-back performances of their individual hits.
Dean delivered a lively rendition of “Man I Need,” her first top 10 song in the US charts and first number one single in the UK charts. Dancing and smiling in a sparkly red dress and gold shoes, Dean was accompanied by a 7-person instrumental band, as she serenaded the crowd with her soulful pop hit.
The special segment kicked off with the Marías performing “No One Noticed,” from their 2024 album “Submarine.” Dressed in a floor length black dress, lead singer María Zardoya crooned in English and Spanish as artists like Bille Eilish and Finneas swayed along to the music.
After a brief introduction by host Trevor Noah, Rae performed “Fame Is A Gun” from her debut studio album, “Addison.” Starting off on the back of a white transportation van, Rae danced backstage in a sparkly purple trench coat with her backup dancers before taking it off to reveal a two-piece set in the same material and making it onstage to perform the chorus.
Girl group Katseye then launched into an electric, synchronized performance of their hit, hyperpop song “Gnarly.” The six-person group ran onto stage with the word “gnarly” and other visuals flashing on the screen behind them. Back-up dancers then made their way onto the stage for the group to perform the “Gnarly” dance break.
Next, Thomas performed “Mutt,” the lead single from his second studio album of the same name. Thomas swayed along to music as he played the guitar, delivering an energetic guitar solo towards the end of the performance, well received by the crowd who stood up to dance along to the song.
Warren walked through the crowd at the award ceremony singing “Ordinary,” the lead single from his debut studio album, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid.” Warren briefly faced a tempo issue, eventually removing his earpiece to get back on track. Towards the end of his performance, Warren stood atop a rising platform, which was raised slowly throughout the song.
Following Warren was Young on the piano, performing a stripped-down version of “Messy,” her first charting song, for which she is nominated tonight in the pop solo performance category. With a single spotlight illuminating the singer, Young let her powerful vocals take center stage for her performance.
Sombr descended from a floating stage to perform for “12 to 12″ from his debut album “I Barely Know Her.” The singer was dressed in a reflective suit, with the jacket left open, as he brought singers like Tate McRae to their feet to dance. Sombr then got off the stage to weave through the crowd as he sang the chorus, taking a moment to interact with audience members.
Thomas is the only previous Grammy winner, with a best R&B song win in 2024 as a co-writer of SZA’s hit “Snooze.” He has six nominations this year — including album of the year for “Mutt” and four R&B nods — and one from 2019 for co-writing and co-producing Rick Ross’ hit with Drake, “Gold Roses.” Despite his extensive songwriting and production discography, he qualifies for a 2026 best new artist nominee based on his solo releases.
First-time Grammy nominees Katseye are also up for best pop duo/group performance (for “Gabriela”), and first-time nominee Young is also up for best pop solo performance (for “Messy”).
From Variety US