Lola Young’s first Grammy win came with raw emotion, a few choice words and an unforgettable moment that perfectly matched the title of her winning song.
The 25-year-old British singer-songwriter took home Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 1, for her breakout hit Messyand beat out nominees Justin Bieber MARINE SKILLSSabrina Carpenter for Man childLady Gaga for Disease and Chappell Roan The subway.
When Charli xcx announced her name, Young jumped from her seat, briefly ran in the wrong direction, looked back at her tablemates in disbelief, then rushed to the stage, visibly stunned by the win.
Once there, she made it clear that she had nothing planned.
“I haven’t prepared any speech. Of course I haven’t. That’s it Messydo you know what I mean?” she said to the crowd, drawing laughter.
Overcome with emotion, she added: “I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much. You can tell by my f—ing face. Sorry, sorry, sorry.”
After gathering, Young expressed her gratitude, saying, “I’m very, very grateful for this,” before ending her speech on a personal note: “Nick [Shymansky]we did it mom. I love you.”
The Grammy win marks a strong comeback moment for Young, who faced serious challenges just months earlier.
In September 2025, she collapsed on stage at the All Things Go festival. By the end of that month, she announced that she was canceling all upcoming performances, explaining that she would “be gone for a while.”
At the time, she apologized directly to fans, writing that she was “so sorry to let anyone down” and adding that “it hurts me more than you know.”
She also asked for patience, saying, “I really hope you’ll give me another chance after I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger.”
Young kept a low profile for months before making her first appearance at Lily Allen’s Christmas party in December 2025. The following day, she shared an update with fans, thanking them for their support.
“I just wanted to express gratitude to everyone who has given me the time and space to gather myself and get my head in a better place,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I have felt so much love and support from you all and it has helped more than you ever will now.”
Standing on the Grammys stage just weeks later, emotional and unapologetic herself, Young’s unscripted, slightly chaotic acceptance speech felt appropriate.
For an artist whose defining hit is called Messythe moment was anything but polished, and that’s exactly what made it resonate.
