I am hopeful that by the time you get to reading this post that British singer Olivia Dean is someone who has appeared on your music-loving radar. She recently won the 2026 Grammy Award for Best New Artist against Lola Young, Sombr, Addison Rae, KATSEYE, Alex Warren and others. In her homeland of England, she has already won that country’s equivalent award for Best New Artist, as well as having been nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2023 for Best Album for Messy. In 2025, Dean released an album called The Art of Loving which spawned four Top Ten singles, including the song “Man I Need” which went all the way to the top of the charts. Her voice has been compared to such singers as Amy Winehouse and Adele but, make no mistake, Olivia Dean is definitely her own person and performer. She is easily one of the music world’s rising stars and is certainly someone worth knowing. So, without further ado, please allow me to introduce to you the incomparable Olivia Dean.
In order to gain a greater appreciation for the type of person Olivia Dean is, it is helpful to start with the most recent thing she has done, which was to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The 2026 Grammy Awards were one of the first major award shows to be held in America since the start of the immigration-inspired roundups, arrests and deportations conducted by the government, operating under the auspices of an organization called I.C.E. These immigration raids have occurred primarily in cities and towns that voted in favour of Democratic Party candidates in the last election. Critics of the raids claim that I.C.E. is operating in a cruel, heavy-handed and, almost rogue fashion. As a result, community members in the areas affected have begun to organize in ways that protect immigrants in their midst. Tensions are high and many people are anxious and on edge, fearing that the America that they once knew was coming apart at the seams. Into this atmosphere came the Grammy Awards. As is often the case when artists gather, many in attendance at the Grammys sported anti-I.C.E. pins and/or made mention of the current crisis during their acceptance speeches for whatever award they happened to win. One of those artists who spoke out was Olivia Dean. After winning her award for Best New Artist, Dean used her time at the podium to speak about the fact that she came from a family of immigrants herself. Dean went on to talk about the need to recognize the many ways that immigrants bring value to the communities in which they settle. Throughout her speech, Olivia Dean spoke with a sense of maturity and confidence that impressed many in the audience. That speech helped convey the notion that, not only was Olivia Dean an amazing singer who possessed a beautiful voice but, she was also a compassionate and intelligent human being.
Olivia Dean didn’t speak out at the Grammy Awards because it was fashionable for those in attendance to do so. For Dean, the issue of immigration is one that is near and dear to her heart. After WWII, England found itself with a severe labour shortage (due to the number of dead and seriously injured soldiers who were affected by the War). The impact of World War II on the pool of available workers meant that the British government was forced to enact formal recruitment campaigns in other Commonwealth countries and across Europe. The initial hope was that new immigrants to England would come mainly from predominantly white countries and thus, they would blend into their new communities in a seamless, harmonious way. What the British government didn’t count on was how much interest there would be from the citizens of Caribbean countries. In particular, many people from Jamaica applied to be allowed to emigrate. One of those people who moved to England was Olivia Dean’s grandmother, who had been born in Guyana but raised in Jamaica. Olivia Dean’s grandmother was one of over 800 passengers who boarded a ship called the H.M.T. Empire Windrush, which was a troopship sent to the Caribbean to bring back British soldiers who had been stationed there. However, in reality, the prospect of cheap passage to England caused mainly Jamaican citizens to apply to board the ship. Thus, when the H.M.T. Empire Windrush docked in London, local authorities were unprepared for the sight of over 800 people of colour from the Caribbean disembarking. Those who made this journey have been recorded in the history books as being the original members of the Windrush Generation which is said to be the point when England began to become a multicultural country.
Because those 800 passengers were unexpected, no provisions had been made for their housing or their immediate care. Many of the Windrush passengers ended up being crammed into makeshift shelters in communities around the city center, in places such as Brixton. Unlike the hoped-for white immigrants from Europe, these people of colour from the Caribbean did not blend in seamlessly into their new community. In fact, they stood out culturally and physically. Initially, the people like Olivia Dean’s grandmother were tolerated because their willingness to do whatever job was asked of them made their presence valuable at a time when England could barely afford to be picky when it came to the makeup of its workforce. However, after a decade or so, the labour situation had stabilized. Then, in the 1970s, an economic downturn occurred and unemployment numbers began to grow. As is often the case when times grow tougher, the dirty politics of immigrant-bashing came into vogue in England. White rabble rousers pointed fingers at their Caribbean neighbours and accused them of stealing jobs from proper (white) Englishmen. Racial tensions were tinder dry. It didn’t take much to spark riots and violence. There are many songs written about the race riots and racial tension that existed in and around London in the 1970 and early 80s. For further reading, click on previous posts on The Clash (“Guns of Brixton”, “White Riot” and “White Man at Hammersmith Palais”), “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant and, one of the most influential songs of them all, “The Harder They Come” by Jimmy Cliff. In this atmosphere of immigrant bashing, Olivia Dean’s mother was born.
In 1999, Olivia Dean was born. By then, her family had moved closer to the city center of London into a more predominantly white area known as Haringey. All through her formative years, Olivia Dean was often one of the very few people of colour at her school. This led to a form of social ostracization that made it hard for Dean to form lasting friendships. It also caused her early school experiences to have a negative connotation to them. Eventually, as is often the case for those who cannot find the social and emotional satisfaction they seek externally, Dean turned inward to her home and to her own mind. Both of Olivia Dean’s parents loved music. In fact, Olivia Dean’s middle name is Lauryn, after Lauryn Hill of The Fugees fame. ***Ironically enough, Lauryn Hill performed live at the very same Grammy show that Olivia Dean won her Best New Artist award at. In any case, Dean grew up constantly hearing the music of Lauryn Hill, Sade, Adele, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin and many more. Jazz, Funk, Soul, R&B and Motown music all fused together to form a musical foundation upon which Olivia Dean could begin to find her own voice and forge her own identity. In her teens, Dean began to learn how to play the piano and the guitar. She also had the good fortune to be accepted into a performing arts school called The Brit School. While there, her talent became her calling card and she began to gain the social acceptance that she had always wanted but was never afforded.
Soon she started singing in local talent shows and making videos of herself singing while at home. Like many of her generation, Olivia Dean was a child of the internet age. Being comfortable with technology allowed Dean to begin to market herself on video-based platforms such as YouTube, Tik Tok and Instagram. When the COVID pandemic struck the world, Dean was well-positioned to bring her music into the housebound lives of audiences thrusting for entertainment and social stimulation. Dean also bought and decorated a small van and drove into public spaces to perform for people who would safely watch from their windows and doorsteps. One thing quickly led to another and soon Dean had released an EP called OK Love You Bye, as well as several singles. One song, “Reason To Stay” was streamed several million times and, just like that, Olivia Dean became someone with media and internet buzz. Post-COVID, Dean released her debut album called Messy, which ended up being nominated for the Mercury Prize as Album of the Year. A few years after that, she released her second album called The Art of Loving. By this time, she was well-positioned for mainstream success with four songs making it into the Top Ten and today’s featured song, “Man I Need” making it all the way to the top. In addition to her chart success, Olivia Dean began appearing in support of many of today’s biggest acts such as Sam Fender and Sabrina Carpenter on their tours.
Which brings us back to her recent Grammy win. Like almost every artist who has been dubbed as the Best New Artist, Dean is no longer new to the music game. She has several albums under her belt and has learned much from the other artists she has toured with and performed duets with. And through it all, Olivia Dean approaches her craft and the business of performing through the battletested lens of someone whose life story has given her much wisdom. It is never easy being viewed as being different. Some wilt under the weight of those differences while others, like Dean, grow stronger as a result of the daily resolve required merely to be yourself. So when Olivia Dean strode to the stage to accept her award, no one who knew her…like her parents and grandmother…was surprised that she chose that moment to shine her spotlight on those who helped make her who she is today.
From all that I know of Olivia Dean from watching her videos, listening to her interviews and reading articles written about her, she seems like someone who is well-placed for continued success. I find her voice to be beautiful and, as such, I love listening to her sing. Evidently, based upon the recognition she has received from fans and from the music industry, I am not alone in my praise. But more than just for her talent, I love that she has the wherewithal to stand up and speak to issues that come from her heart. Family is everything. I have always believed that. Obviously, Olivia Dean is proud to be the granddaughter of immigrants. In times such as we find ourselves, advocating for the beauty and dignity and importance of diversity is an act of courage and an important act of resistance. Good for her for speaking up. I hope that Olivia Dean continues to do well and to speak up on matters of importance. Her words matter, whether spoken or sung.
The link to the video for the song “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean can be found here. The lyrics version is here.
The link to the video for Olivia Dean’s Grammy Awards speech can be found here.
The link to the official website for Olivia Dean can be found here.
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