Lola Young was visibly stunned as she picked up her first ever Grammy Award on Sunday night, swearing in disbelief as she accepted the trophy just four months after collapsing on stage and stepping back from the spotlight.
The 25-year-old British singer-songwriter won Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards for her breakout hit Messy, beating competition from Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga and Chappell Roan.
As her name was announced by Charli xcx, Young leapt from her chair, briefly running away from her table in shock before turning back to her stunned friends. She then hurried to the stage, laughing nervously as she prepared to speak.
“I don’t have any speech prepared. Obviously I don’t,” she told the audience. “It’s Messy — do you know what I mean?”
Struggling to find the words, Young added: “I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much. You can tell by my f***ing face. Sorry, sorry, sorry.”
Composing herself, she went on to thank her team and family, concluding: “I’m very, very grateful for this. Nick, we did it. Mum, I love you.”
The win marks a powerful return for the south London artist, who collapsed on stage during a performance at the All Things Go festival in September 2025. Shortly afterwards, Young announced she was cancelling all upcoming shows and stepping away from music “for a while” to focus on her health.
At the time, she apologised to fans who had bought tickets, writing that she was “so, so sorry to let anyone down” and admitting the decision “hurts me more than you know”.
“I really hope you’ll give me a second chance once I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger,” she said in a statement shared with fans.
Young later made her first public appearance months later when she attended Lily Allen’s Christmas party in December 2025. The following day, she posted an update on Instagram thanking fans for their patience and support.
“I just wanted to express gratitude to everyone who has given me time and space to gather myself and get my head in a better place,” she wrote. “I’ve felt so much love and support from you all, and it has helped more than you will ever know.”
This year’s ceremony in Los Angeles marked a shift in format, with only nine awards presented during the televised broadcast. Major categories including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist received airtime, while the remaining awards were handed out earlier in the day.
The three-hour show leaned heavily into performances, including a return to the Grammys stage by Bieber — his first in four years — while Trevor Noah hosted the ceremony for the sixth and final consecutive time.
