Apple Music has named British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean its Artist of the Year for 2026, capping a breakthrough year built on warm, personal songwriting and a rapidly growing global audience. Apple announced the honor on November 9, making Dean the first artist from the United Kingdom to receive it.

The timing makes this more than a ceremonial year-end pick. Dean’s late-2025 album The Art of Loving kept gaining momentum throughout 2026, while “Man I Need” remained on Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 every day after first entering the chart on August 29, 2025. If her music is new to you, Apple’s announcement provides an easy reason to start listening—and a few iPhone settings can make that first listen better.

Why Olivia Dean is Apple Music’s 2026 Artist of the Year

In its official announcement, Apple points to Dean’s ability to turn intimate songs about love and friendship into a much larger shared experience. Her sound draws from classic soul and pop while remaining contemporary and immediately approachable. Apple Music co-head Rachel Newman described Dean’s connection with listeners as the quality that turned a strong year into a defining one.

The numbers and milestones support that choice. Beyond the sustained Apple Music chart run for “Man I Need,” Dean sold out a global tour, won the Grammy for Best New Artist, and collected four BRIT Awards. Her live trajectory was just as striking: after opening for Sabrina Carpenter at Madison Square Garden in fall 2025, Dean returned less than a year later for a four-night residency of her own. She then played six sold-out nights at London’s O2 Arena.

Dean will receive Apple Music’s physical Artist of the Year award. Apple says the design suspends one of its custom silicon wafers between polished glass and an anodized aluminum body—a visual link between the music and the devices people use to hear it.

Where to start listening

The simplest entry point is Apple Music’s official Artist of the Year collection, which gathers music connected to Dean and the sounds that shaped the past year. For a more focused introduction, begin with The Art of Loving, then listen to “Man I Need” in the context of the full album rather than treating it as an isolated hit.

That approach suits an artist whose appeal is rooted in mood, storytelling, and emotional continuity. A playlist is useful for discovery, but an uninterrupted album listen gives the arrangements and recurring ideas room to land. Save the album to your library before a commute or flight, and download it over Wi-Fi if you expect unreliable service.

Check these Apple Music settings on iPhone

Before pressing play, open Settings > Apps > Music. Under Audio, tap Dolby Atmos. Apple recommends Automatic for most listeners using compatible Apple or Beats headphones; supported songs will then play in Dolby Atmos without requiring you to switch formats manually. Look for the Dolby Atmos badge on the Now Playing screen or album page. Apple’s Spatial Audio support guide explains the available settings and compatible hardware.

You can also turn on Sound Check from the Music settings. It helps reduce abrupt volume differences between tracks, which is particularly useful when moving from a curated playlist to an album. Sound Check does not replace the artistic dynamics within a song; it is intended to keep overall playback levels more consistent.

For wired listening, tap Audio Quality and consider enabling Lossless Audio. Apple notes that lossless streaming uses significantly more cellular data, while lossless downloads consume more storage. Bluetooth playback is generally not lossless, so do not enable the highest setting simply because it sounds better on paper. Choose it when you have a wired setup and enough storage or bandwidth. Apple’s lossless audio guide details the equipment requirements and tradeoffs.

Apple Music’s year-end spotlight is also a discovery tool

Artist of the Year is an award, but for listeners it also functions as a curated recommendation. Apple Music says its catalog now exceeds 100 million songs and is available in more than 167 countries and regions. With that much choice, a clear editorial selection can be more useful than another endless list of algorithmic suggestions.

Dean’s selection is especially approachable because the story is not based on a single viral moment. It reflects an album that continued to grow, a song with unusual chart durability, sold-out shows on both sides of the Atlantic, and a direct style that listeners carried into their own friendships and relationships.

The takeaway

If you have only heard “Man I Need,” use Apple Music’s new Artist of the Year collection as the next step, then make time for The Art of Loving from beginning to end. Check Dolby Atmos rather than assuming it is enabled, reserve lossless quality for a setup that can benefit from it, and download your music before traveling. Apple’s 2026 pick is a timely invitation to hear why Olivia Dean’s quiet, sincere songs became one of the year’s biggest music stories.