'It's incredible, surreal': Skye Newman wins BBC Sound of 2026
15 minutes ago Share Save Share Save
BBC Skye Newman was born and raised in Southeast London, and pours her life story into her visceral, vulnerable pop songs
Mark Savage Music correspondent
Loud, raw, and strikingly honest: Pop singer Skye Newman has won BBC Radio 1's Sound of 2026. The award caps a 12-month period in which Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi personally invited the 22-year-old on tour. Sir Elton John is also on board, calling Newman "incredibly talented" and "something else". Newman is the 24th winner of the BBC's annual poll, typically a bellwether of pop music success - previous winners include Adele, PinkPanthress, The Last Dinner Party and Haim. "I can't believe that I've got to this point," she tells BBC News. "It's incredible, surreal, just mental."
Columbia Records
Born in south-east London, Newman exploded onto the scene last year when her debut single, Hairdresser, went straight into the top 20. The follow-up, Family Matters, reached number five in June.
Continue Reading on BBC News
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.