British singer Olivia Dean won her first-ever Grammy in the highly coveted and competitive Best New Artist category at the awards show, which broadcast live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 1.
During her acceptance speech, the “Nice to Each Other” singer-songwriter, whose racial and ethnic identity is as diverse as her musical styling, paid homage to her maternal matriarch.
“I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I wouldn’t be here — I’m a product of bravery,” she gushed about her grandmother Carmen, who, she told The Standard, left Guyana at age 18 as part of the Windrush generation. “I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other,” said the 26-year-old to rousing applause.
RELATED CONTENT: From Beyoncé To Tina Turner — The 9 Greatest Grammy Performances By Black Women Of All Time
Dean didn’t explicitly call out President Trump, ICE, or any other political or race-based affiliation. But given the widespread turmoil currently ravaging America, she didn’t just understand the assignment; she aced it!
“So this is for you, too, my family,” said the Messy singer during her acceptance speech.
Born to an English father, whose name is publicly unknown, and Christine Dean, a Jamaican-Guyanese lawyer who was the deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party, Dean’s parents have been together for nearly 30 years, according to People.
She is an alum of the BRIT School, the prestigious institute where powerhouse singers Adele and Amy Winehouse also attended. Raised on the likes of Jill Scott and Carole King by way of her parents, Dean’s music fuses pop and soul as showcased on her catchy viral bop “Man I Need.”
Wearing a sexy red minidress, she performed her hit song on stage at the Grammys before taking home gold. “Man I Need” reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It appears on her latest release, The Art of Loving, a 12-track album that debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 4.
Other nominees for Best New Artist included KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, Sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.
Watch Olivia Dean’s heartfelt acceptance speech in full below.
RELATED CONTENT: 55 & Forever Fly: Celebrating Mary J. Blige’s Birthday And Iconic Style Evolution
