Lance Joseph Martinez

Meet Olivia Dean: 10 Facts About the Grammys’ Best New Artist

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<div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770022385270metro.style banner for olivia dean.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Olivia Dean accepting her Best New Artist award at the Grammys | Photo from @grammys</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>While the<strong> </strong><a href="https://metro.style/people/2026/2/2/music-s-biggest-night-list-of-winners-from-the-68th-grammy-awards-1400"><strong>68th Grammy Awards</strong></a> celebrated excellence across 95 categories, one name stood out above the rest:<strong> Best New Artist </strong>winner <strong>Olivia Dean.</strong></p><p>The <strong>British R&amp;B </strong>singer has been praised for her elegant, soul-tinged vocals and polished pop sound—often celebrated alongside Grammy icons <strong></strong>Amy Winehouse and Carole King<strong></strong> for her ability to blend timeless emotion with modern sophistication.</p><p>Dean’s win sparked a standing ovation inside the venue as she delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech that left many visibly moved. “I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” a teary-eyed Dean said.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUPaeTvANwp/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A815698%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>She added, “I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other.”</p><p>Her rise has been powered by breakout single <strong></strong>“<strong>Man I Need</strong>,”<strong></strong> which soared to<strong></strong> No. 4 <strong></strong>on the<strong> Billboard Hot 100 </strong>and propelled her album<em> </em><strong><em>The Art of Loving</em></strong> to a <strong></strong>No. 3<strong> </strong>debut on the <strong>Billboard 200.</strong></p><p>As curiosity continues to grow around one of music’s most talked-about breakout stars of 2025, <strong>here are 10 things to know about Grammy-winning Best New Artist Olivia Dean.</strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770022396152grammys_1769999336_3823353945700189351_1352742.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is British.</strong></div><p>Born on March 14, 1999, in<strong> London’s Haringey district</strong>, Olivia Dean comes from a rich cultural background, with a <strong>Jamaican-Guyanese</strong> mother and an English father.</p><p>Her grandmother, who arrived in the <strong>United Kingdom </strong>from <strong>Guyana</strong> at just 18 as part of the <strong>Windrush generation</strong>, had Dean’s mother at a young age, adding another layer to the singer’s inspiring family story.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Her name came from Lauryn Hill.</strong></div><p>Adding more depth to her emotional Grammys triumph, Olivia—whose full name is <strong>Olivia Lauryn Dean</strong>—revealed that her middle name was inspired by <strong>Lauryn Hill</strong>,<strong></strong> the artist who made history as the first female rapper to win <strong>Best Rap Album </strong>for <strong><em>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.</em></strong></p><p>Beyond Hill’s influence, the singer has also named several music legends who shaped her sound, including <strong>Jill Scott</strong>,<strong> Amy Winehouse</strong>,<strong> Al Green</strong>,<strong> Adele</strong>,<strong> Aretha Franklin</strong>,<strong> Sade Adu</strong>,<strong> Carole King</strong>,<strong></strong> and <strong>The Supremes</strong>.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770022479193grammys_1770004648_3823398416395573047_1352742.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Lauryn Hill during her performance at the Grammys | Photo from @grammys</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has a boyfriend.</strong></div><p>After sparking dating rumors with <strong>Harry Styles </strong>in August 2024—when the two were spotted together at Five Guys<strong></strong>—Olivia was again seen with the pop star a month later at the Kalorama Festival in September.<strong><br/></strong></p><p>While she remained tight-lipped about her love life at the time, Olivia later went public with her relationship in July 2025.</p><p>The singer confirmed her romance with<strong> </strong><strong>American drummer Eddie Burns</strong>, a band member for <strong>Clairo</strong>, whom she has been linked to since April 2025. The couple made a high-profile appearance that same month, stepping out hand-in-hand at the<strong> </strong>Wimbledon Championships.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is a “very strong feminist.”</strong></div><p>In a 2023 interview with<em> </em><em>The Standard</em><em></em><strong><em><strong></strong></em></strong>, Olivia Dean opened up about her strong feminist beliefs.</p><p>“I’m a very strong feminist. It makes me sad when I speak to women who don’t see themselves as an I-can-do-anything type of person. When I started making music videos, I got frustrated by the lack of women on set, so I made it a point not only to have women present but to ensure they were the ones calling the shots,” she shared.</p><p>Adding to her feminist roots, Olivia’s mother made history in 2020 as the first Black deputy leader of a political party in Europe <strong></strong>when she was appointed deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770022545051oliviadeano_1761944772_3755787424757575494_226610360.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @oliviadeano</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is a devoted football fan.</strong></div><p>Beyond her music career, Olivia Dean is also a devoted football fan.</p><p>She supports <strong>West Ham United F.C.</strong>, the professional club based in Stratford, East London, and spent much of her childhood attending matches at Upton Park with her father, a longtime season ticket holder.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She attended the BRIT School.</strong></div><p>At just 15, Olivia Dean was accepted into the <strong>BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology</strong>, a prestigious and free British arts school in Selhurst, Croydon. Determined to pursue her dreams, she made a grueling three-hour round trip to attend classes every day. “I wanted to go there like hell or high water,” she told the <strong></strong>BBC<strong></strong> in 2024.</p><p>She began studying musical theater but later switched to songwriting for her final two years, and even convinced her mother to buy her a second-hand piano to hone her craft.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770022649172oliviadeano_1739438748_3566993216795146699_226610360.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @oliviadeano</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She started writing songs at the age of 16.</strong></div><p>Olivia Dean’s musical journey began at a young age. She began writing songs at just 16 and taught herself to play both guitar and piano.</p><p>By the age of 17, she was performing on the streets of <strong>London’s South Bank</strong>, earning just enough from her shows to cover her meals.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Her musical journey began during her high school graduation.</strong></div><p>During her high school graduation, Olivia Dean’s performance caught the eye of <strong>Emily Braham</strong> from<strong> Yo&amp;Co</strong>, who continues to manage her today. Braham soon secured her an audition with <strong>Rudimental</strong>, landing Olivia a role as a backing vocalist.</p><p>Her debut performance was nothing short of spectacular—she took the stage in front of 16,000 people at <strong>Budapest’s Sziget Festival </strong>and went on to feature on Rudimental’s 2019 single, &quot;<strong>Adrenaline</strong>.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="925" height="525" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ilHBVnshQIE?si=dM_4-5SxSbGZr9O7" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" spellcheck="false"></iframe><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She made her official debut in 2018.</strong></div><p>Following the passing of <strong>Aretha Franklin</strong> in August 2018, Olivia Dean paid tribute by uploading a heartfelt <strong>YouTube</strong> cover of <strong></strong>&quot;<strong>(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman</strong>,”<strong></strong> the classic written by<strong> Carole King </strong>and<strong> Gerry Goffin</strong>, which she has called her all-time favorite song.</p><p>Just a few months later, in October, Olivia officially stepped into the music scene with the release of her debut single, <strong></strong>“<strong>Reason to Stay</strong>.”<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Her breakthrough came in September 2025.</strong></div><p>Olivia Dean’s big breakthrough came with the release of her second album, <strong><em>The Art of Loving</em></strong><em></em><em>,</em><em></em><strong><em></em></strong> in September 2025. The record featured hit singles including <strong></strong>“<strong>Nice to Each Other</strong>,” “<strong>Lady Lady</strong>,” “<strong>So Easy (To Fall in Love)</strong>,” “<strong>A Couple Minutes</strong>,”<strong></strong> and <strong></strong>“<strong>Man I Need.</strong>”<strong></strong></p><p>Her track “Man I Need” soared to <strong></strong>No. 4 on the <strong>Billboard Hot 100</strong>,<strong> </strong>helping <em>The Art of Loving</em> reach <strong></strong>No. 3<strong> </strong>on the<strong> Billboard 200.</strong></p><p>Back in the UK, Olivia made history as all her singles charted, with “Man I Need” hitting <strong></strong>No. 1 on the <strong>UK Singles Chart</strong>, No. 2<strong> </strong>on the <strong>Billboard Hot 100</strong>, and <strong></strong>No. 4<strong> </strong>on the <strong>Billboard Global 200</strong>.<strong></strong> She became the<strong> </strong><strong>first female solo artist</strong><strong></strong> to have four singles simultaneously in the<strong> UK Top 10.</strong></p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNMBOHmt7ku/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A1264706.0000000002%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Lead photo from <strong>@grammys</strong></p>

<p>Curious about this year’s Best New Artist winner at the Grammys? Here are facts about Olivia Dean, the voice behind the viral, chart-topping hit “Man I Need.”</p>

Curious about this year’s Best New Artist winner at the Grammys? Here are facts about Olivia Dean, the voice behind the viral, chart-topping hit “Man I Need.”

10 Things About Olivia Dean, the 68th Grammy Awards' Best New Artist

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10 Things About Olivia Dean, the 68th Grammy Awards' Best New Artist

Lance Joseph Martinez

Published February 02, 2026 07:30 PM PHT

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Updated February 02, 2026 07:45 PM PHT

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