Olivia Dean Religion

What religion is Olivia Dean?

Olivia Dean is an English singer and songwriter who has roots in the Christian church, but she identifies as a secular artist. As a child, she participated in a gospel choir at her mother’s urging, alongside musical theater lessons. In her 2026 Grammy acceptance speech for Best New Artist, she said, “Thank you.” Um, Jesus Christ. Um, I never really imagined.”

Olivia Dean broke through in the 2020s with her albums “Messy” and “The Art of Loving,” the latter producing hit singles “Man I Need,” “Nice to Each Other,” “So Easy (To Fall in Love),” and “Rein Me In.” She made UK chart history as the first female solo artist to land four songs in the top ten at once, and in early 2026, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Early life and education

Olivia Dean was born on March 14, 1999, in the London Borough of Haringey, England. She grew up in areas such as Highams Park and Walthamstow with her English father and Jamaican-Guyanese mother, who works as a barrister, along with a younger brother. Her musical influences began at home, where her father shared artists like Carole King and Al Green, while her mother played Jill Scott, Angie Stone, and especially Lauryn Hill, after whom Olivia’s middle name was chosen. From a young age she showed a passion for singing, knowing by eight that she wanted to pursue it professionally despite being shy, and her mother encouraged her to take musical theatre lessons at a Saturday school as well as join a gospel choir. She performed in school competitions, including singing “Tomorrow” from Annie in primary school. When she was 15, she gained a place at the prestigious BRIT School in Croydon, commuting three hours daily, where she initially studied theatre and drama before switching to music and songwriting. She taught herself guitar and piano around this time. During her graduation performance at the BRIT School, she was spotted by Emily Braham, who became her manager.

Career beginnings

When she was 17, Dean was able to secure an audition with the band Rudimental through the connection with Emily Braham. She then began working as a backing vocalist, including a notable appearance at festivals and later featuring on their 2019 track “Adrenaline.” In October 2018, she independently released her debut single “Reason to Stay.” Due to the success of her debut single, she was offered a contract with AMF Records and Virgin EMI Records in 2019. That November, she put out her first EP, “OK Love You Bye,” which included early singles like the title track and “Password Change.”

Rise to fame

Following her signing with AMF Records and Virgin EMI in 2019 after the viral success of her self-released single “Reason to Stay,” she put out her first EP, OK Love You Bye, and continued releasing music through additional EPs like What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays? in 2020 and Growth in 2021 while gaining traction through live performances, including a viral post-lockdown show at The Jazz Cafe. Dean’s breakthrough came in June 2023 with the release of her debut album Messy, which earned critical acclaim and peaked in the UK Top 5. The album was nominated for a Mercury Prize, and in November 2023, she was selected as BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year. The following year, she achieved a childhood dream by performing at the Glastonbury Festival.

In September 2025, Dean released her second album The Art of Loving. The album was successful, as it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, breaking a record as the first by a British female solo artist to do so since Adele in 2021. The album also reached the US Billboard Top 10. Her lead single “Man I Need” became her first UK number one, which climbed high on the US charts and was joined by other hits like “So Easy (to Fall in Love),” “Nice to Each Other,” and the Sam Fender collaboration “Rein Me In,” making her the first female solo artist to have four tracks simultaneously in the UK Top 10. This momentum culminated in early 2026 when she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, along with four BRIT Awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Pop Act.

Personal life

Dean is in a long-term relationship with American musician and producer Eddie Burns. They have been dating since April 2025. Before Eddie, there were dating rumors with Harry Styles in August 2024, when they were spotted together at a Five Guys in London.

Her mother, Christine, was the deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party and became the first Black deputy leader of a political party in Europe when she took that role in June 2020. Her maternal grandmother was part of the Windrush generation, emigrating to the UK from Guyana at age 18.

Aside from music, Dean is a supporter of the English football club West Ham United.