Tears overtook the moment before the applause could catch up. Standing on the Grammy stage, Olivia Dean accepted Best New Artist with a voice shaking from emotion, grounding her historic win in family, not fame. “I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” she said, turning a career milestone into a tribute to sacrifice, legacy, and quiet resilience. It was her first Grammy — but it felt like a shared victory, echoing generations of dreams carried across borders. At the Grammy Awards, Olivia Dean didn’t just arrive as a new star. She arrived as a story fulfilled.

Olivia Dean was crowned this year’s Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammys.

On Sunday, Feb. 2, the British singer-songwriter, 26, earned their first-ever Grammy at the awards show.

Dean was part of the star-studded group of nominees that took the stage before last year’s winner, Chappell Roan, announced Dean as this year’s Best New Artist.

“I never really imagined that I would be up here, let alone nominated. So thank you so much. I just want to say that an artist is really nothing without their team. Emily, my best friend, my manager, we’ve been doing this for 10 years,” she said. “So this is for you, too, my family.”

She got a loud round of applause after she said, “I guess 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’re nothing without each other. Thank you so much.”

Dean rose to fame with viral songs like “Man I Need” and “Nice to Each Other,” captivating listeners with her soulfulness. The British artist’s genre-bending sound that blends soul and pop has led her to top the charts — with “Man I Need” reaching No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Dean’s latest release was her 12-track album The Art of Loving, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 4.

She announced her Grammy nomination via Instagram on Nov. 8, saying, “had to take sec to process this but i’ve been nominated for a Grammy 🥲thank u world and the @recordingacademy ! no words.”

Dean won against fellow nominees that included KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, Sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young.

KATSEYE formed on HYBE and Geffen Records’ Dream Academy show and has since taken the world by storm. The six-piece girl group is comprised of Daniela Avanzini, Manon Bannerman, Sohia Laforteza, Yoonchae Jeung, Lara Raj and Megan Skiendiel. From their debut EP SIS, Y2K aesthetic, viral dances and iconic Gap ad, KATSEYE has earned a cult following.

The group is also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their hit song “Gabriela.”

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE about their reaction to being Grammy-nominated, Raj said, “When we found out, we were all in tears, screaming, crying. It means so much to be recognized among so many people that have been in the industry for so long — and people that we look up to.”

The Marías are an indie pop band from Los Angeles comprised of María Zardoya, Josh Conway, Edward James and Jesse Perlman. Formed in 2016, The Marías have released two EPs and two albums, with their most recent album Submarine peaking at No. 17 on the Billboard 200.

“your best new artist nominated band!!!! sometimes it takes 10 years to blow up overnight. proud of us,” the band wrote in their Instagram post celebrating their Grammy nomination in November 2025.

Content-creator-turned-pop-star Rae, 25, broke through the music industry with her 2024 hit song “Diet Pepsi.” Her debut album Addison has received critical acclaim, with Pitchfork scoring it an 8 and Rolling Stone placing it at No. 12 in their 100 Best Albums of 2025 list.

Sombr, whose real name is Shane Boose, made a name for himself with his breakthrough hit “Back to Friends.” The song reached virality in 2025 and reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The 20-year-old singer released his debut album I Barely Know Her in August.

In an Instagram post shared in November 2025, Sombr, 20, announced his Grammy nomination and shared his gratitude to the Recording Academy and fans.

“Wow. I am a Grammy nominated artist. I am in shock!! Thank you @recordingacademy and everyone who voted for me. I am so proud to be recognized among so many amazing artists that I love and respect,” he wrote.

Check out all of PEOPLE’s full Grammys coverage here.

Thomas has over a decade of experience producing songs for SZA, Drake, Ariana Grande but has recently reached new heights as an R&B star. Thomas’ hit song “Mutt” garnered hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify and is his first top 10 song on Billboard’s Hot 100.

The 32-year-old musician has a whopping six Grammy nominations including Best R&B Song for “Yes It Is,” Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Vibes Don’t Lie” and Best R&B Performance for “Mutt” (Live from NPR’s Tiny Desk). His latest album Mutt received a Best R&B Album and Album of the Year nomination.

“Nominations started rolling in. And to my surprise, I had six. That was a beautiful, beautiful experience,” Thomas told PEOPLE. “But I think more than anything, it was something that really gave cause to everybody believing in me in the ways that they did. Because in the beginning of my artist career, it was kind of tough in the industry.”

Warren, 25, first gained a following as a member of the Hype House Collective on TikTok and became a chart-topping musician with the release of his 2025 hit song “Ordinary.” Since, Warren has had five songs on the Billboard Hot 100: “Burning Down,” “Bloodline” with Jelly Roll, “On My Mind” with Rosé, “Eternity” and “Ordinary.”

In an interview with the Associated Press, Warren said he “bawled in my wife’s arms” when he learned he had been nominated for a Grammy.

Young, 23, gained recognition with her breakthrough 2024 hit “Messy.” Audiences became enamored by the British alt-pop singer’s raspy voice and relatable lyrics. “Messy” peaked at No. 14 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Young released her third studio album, I’m Only F**king Myself, in September.

The singer, who announced she’d be taking a break from her career in September, recently shared that she hopes “to gradually get back to performing and continuing pursuing my dreams” via Instagram in December 2025.

Young is also nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Messy.”

The Grammys are broadcasting live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on CBS or stream them live and on-demand on Paramount+.