Apple Music picks Olivia Dean as 2026 Artist of the Year

Apple has named singer-songwriter Olivia Dean as Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2026. The announcement marks the first time an artist from the United Kingdom has earned the platform’s annual recognition.

Sustained streaming and live performance growth

Dean’s late 2025 album, The Art of Loving, fueled a major commercial expansion across 2026. Her single “Man I Need” secured a spot on Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 every single day following its debut on August 29, 2025.

Live touring numbers reflected similar momentum. After opening for Sabrina Carpenter at Madison Square Garden in late 2025, Dean returned to headline a four-night residency at the same New York venue under a year later. She followed that with a sold-out six-night residency at The O2 Arena in London, alongside a wider sold-out global tour. Industry awards followed her tour growth, including a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and four BRIT Awards, one of which was Artist of the Year.

Editorial curation and the physical award design

Apple Music editors credited Dean’s rise to her balance of traditional 1960s soul and pop songwriting styles, alongside modern themes of community and active affection. Rachel Newman, co-head of Apple Music, pointed to the singer’s direct and open communication style as a primary factor behind her audience growth.

As part of the title, Dean will receive the service’s custom physical trophy. The award’s construction integrates Apple’s consumer hardware materials, encasing a custom semiconductor wafer between polished glass and an anodized aluminum structure. Apple noted that the silicon used inside the trophy matches the processors running the consumer devices that access its 100-million-song catalog.