Lola Young’s first Grammy win was marked by emotion, unfiltered honesty and a moment that reflected the spirit of her winning song.

The 25-year-old British singer-songwriter won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 1, for her breakout track Messy, beating nominees Justin Bieber (Daisies), Sabrina Carpenter (Manchild), Lady Gaga (Disease) and Chappell Roan (The Subway).

When Charli xcx announced her name, Young jumped from her seat, briefly headed the wrong way, then turned back toward her table in disbelief before hurrying to the stage, clearly stunned.

Once on stage, she admitted she had not prepared a speech. “I don’t have any speech prepared.

Obviously, I don’t. It’s Messy, do you know what I mean?” she said, prompting laughter from the audience.

Visibly emotional, 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 regaining her composure, Young thanked those who supported her, saying, “I’m very, very grateful for this,” before ending on a personal note: “Nick [Shymansky], we did it, Mom. I love you.”

The win marked a significant moment for Young after a difficult period last year.

In September 2025, she collapsed onstage at the All Things Go festival and later announced she was cancelling all upcoming performances, saying she would be “going away for a while.”

She apologised to fans at the time, saying she was “so sorry to let anyone down” and asked for patience as she took time to recover and return stronger.

Young remained out of the spotlight for months before reappearing at Lily Allen’s Christmas party in December 2025.

She later thanked fans for their support in a social media post, saying the time and space had helped her get into a better place.

Her appearance on the Grammy stage weeks later, emotional and unscripted, felt in line with the identity she has built as an artist.

For a singer whose defining hit is titled Messy, the moment was raw rather than refined, and that is what made it stand out.