Olivia Dean took home the Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, commending immigrants and their bravery in her acceptance speech.
The British singer-songwriter accepted the award with teary eyes, saying, “I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.”
Dean’s grandmother immigrated from Guyana to the United Kingdom as part of the Windrush generation, the singer said in an interview with The Standard.
The Windrush generation is a group of people who left Caribbean countries for the U.K. to help rebuild the nation after World War II.
While Windrush immigrants supported the country through jobs in construction, public transportation, manufacturing and nursing, many of them faced discrimination due to the color of their skin, according to the U.K. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Some individuals even had their homes vandalized or were physically attacked.
In The Standard interview, Dean explained, “[My grandmother] came to this country when she was 18, never been on a plane… she had my mum quite young, my mum had me, and I’m a product of her bravery.”
Dean’s grandmother inspired the music she wrote.
Her song “Carmen,” the last track on her “Messy” album, opens with a recording of her grandmother’s voice.
“This song is for my granny, to the Windrush generation, for any immigrant, anyone who’s brave enough to move,” Dean said.
At the 2024 Glastonbury Festival, Dean paid tribute to her grandmother by singing the song and wearing a custom outfit featuring a portrait of her grandmother.
While the first-time Grammy-winning singer did not explicitly reference the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the United States, her speech aligned with other attendees speaking out against current immigration enforcement policies.
Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny called out ICE while accepting his award for best música urbána album.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ‘ICE out,’” he said, to a standing ovation. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”
Other celebrities, such as Billie Eilish, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Kehlani and Joni Mitchell all wore black-and-white “ICE Out” pins to the award show.
Holding her first Grammy trophy up high, Dean, still fighting back tears, ended her acceptance with an uplifting reminder.
“We’re nothing without each other,” she concluded.