Olivia Dean Just Became Apple Music’s Artist of the Year — First UK Artist Ever to Win It
Apple Music just named Olivia Dean its 2026 Artist of the Year — and she is the first UK artist ever to take the honor.
The announcement, made today, caps a breakout year built on her late-2025 album The Art of Loving. Her hit “Man I Need” has charted on Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 every single day since it first appeared on Aug. 29, 2025.
Dean already owns a GRAMMY for Best New Artist and four BRIT Awards, including Artist of the Year. Her live rise has been just as steep: in fall 2025 she opened for Sabrina Carpenter at Madison Square Garden — then, less than a year later, came back to headline her own four-night residency at MSG, followed by a six-night sold-out run at The O2 Arena in London.
“I love making music. It’s the best thing in the world,” Dean said. “I think being Apple’s Artist of the Year feels really amazing.”
“What sets Olivia apart is that she speaks from the heart, every time,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music co-head.
Source: Apple Newsroom.
Photo by Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
