Cover Olivia Dean accepts the Best New Artist award onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles, California (Photo: Getty Images/Johnny Nunez)
Olivia Dean accepts the Best New Artist award onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles, California (Photo: Getty Images/Johnny Nunez)
1 / 1
Following her Best New Artist win at the 2026 Grammy Awards, we trace the ascent of the Walthamstow-born star Olivia Dean
The atmosphere within the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles this February felt heavy with the weight of musical and cultural shifts.
As the 68th Annual Grammy Awards unfolded, the category of Best New Artist is proof of the eclectic nature of the contemporary pop landscape, pitted against the high-energy gloss of Addison Rae and the global synchronicity of global girl-group Katseye. Yet, when Chappell Roan announced Olivia Dean as the winner, everyone was not surprised. Ascending the stage in a custom Chanel gown by Matthieu Blazy, Dean bypassed standard industry platitudes to anchor her success in the bravery of her Windrush lineage.
This victory marks the culmination of a three-year ascent that transformed the singer into a global phenomenon who refuses the dictates of choreography in favour of a ‘cringe and free’ philosophy. She represents a wave of British soul musicians who prioritise emotions and honesty, proving that one can be both a Chanel-clad fashion darling and a grounded ‘London girl’ who still frequents the sticky floors of the Ridley Road Market Bar.
More from Tatler: Grammys 2026 red carpet: music superstars chose sides between gothic noir and cloud dancer white
To truly appreciate the woman currently reshaping the landscape of British soul, here are seven essential facts about Olivia Dean.
Her middle name is a tribute to neo-soul royalty
Born Olivia Lauryn Dean, her middle name is a nod to Lauryn Hill, a gesture from her parents that served as an early indicator of the soulful values of vocal truth and dexterity she embodies today.
She ‘cut her teeth’ in a gospel choir
Growing up in Highams Park, Olivia Dean decided she wanted to sing at age eight. She eventually joined a gospel choir and took singing lessons, where she developed the technical discipline and appreciation for collective harmony that now defines her live sets.
The commute to the BRIT School forged her work ethic
At fifteen, she began a gruelling three-hour daily round trip from North London to Croydon, a journey she often spent asleep on buses and trains but credits with instilling the stamina required for global touring.
Her sophomore album made British chart history
Released in September 2025, The Art of Loving debuted at number one alongside its lead single Man I Need, making Olivia Dean the first British solo female artist to achieve such a double since Adele.
She is a scholar of bell hooks
The intellectual heart of her latest record was inspired by bell hooks’ book All About Love, leading Olivia Dean to treat love as an ‘active practice’ rather than a passive emotion.
See also: A closer look at Carlos Alcaraz’s sensational Rolex watches
Her most poignant anthem is a tribute to her grandmother
The track Carmen honours her Guyanese grandmother, who migrated to the UK as part of the Windrush generation, a song Dean famously performed at Glastonbury 2024 whilst wearing her grandmother’s face on a top.
She is the new face of the Chanel-soul alliance
A friend of the house and a fixture on the front row, Dean has seamlessly blended high fashion with her artistry, frequently wearing custom Chanel and 16Arlington for her most career-defining performances.
NOW READ
Carlos Alcaraz secures Australian Open victory with the Louis Vuitton trophy trunk in Melbourne
Remembering Catherine O’Hara: 5 roles that made her a legend
Topics
Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
