Pop star Skye Newman wins the BBC Sound of 2026

Loud, raw and strikingly honest: Pop singer Skye Newman has won BBC Radio 1’s Voice of 2026 award.

The award covers a 12-month period during which Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi personally invited the 22-year-old actor to tour. Sir Elton John also describes Newman as “incredibly talented” and “something else”.

Newman is the 24th winner of the BBC’s annual poll and is typically at the forefront of pop music success. Previous winners include Adele, PinkPantress, The Last Dinner Party and Haim.

“I can’t believe I’ve gotten to this point,” he tells BBC News. “Amazing, surreal, just mental.”

Born in south-east London, Newman burst onto the scene last year with her debut single Hairdresser going straight into the top 20. Its sequel, Family Matters, peaked at number five in June.

This was the first time a female artist had reached the top 20 with her first two singles since Ella Henderson in 2014.

Play his music and you’ll instantly hear why.

Newman’s songs crackle with barely contained emotion, while his ragged (and supremely expressive) voice tears through lyrics of betrayal, loss, and disorder.

“This is literally the story of my life,” he says.

“This is my way of revealing all the trauma and pain that I can’t talk about.”

Open Family MattersHe describes growing up hungry in a council house where drug addiction and police attention were constant.

He didn’t know any different then. Only later did Newman realize that he “came from a broken past.”

“There’s a lot more to it than people realize,” he says, reflecting on his experiences with violence, arguments and addiction.

“I think a lot of people have kids who don’t really understand how big it is. [a responsibility] like that.

“They don’t have love anywhere else in their lives, so they think they can get that from a child – but then you transfer your pain and trauma onto them and it doesn’t fix anything.

“There may be someone who loves you unconditionally, but you won’t be able to provide everything they need because you’re not happy.”

Despite Family Matters’ harsh description of his upbringing, Newman says he remains close to his parents and five older siblings.

“My whole family understands the same feelings, so it’s like we’re all in this together.” previously told Apple Music.

“Even though we’re all a nightmare, it works because we all understand.”

Newman has been singing since he could talk. She gave her first performance at the age of six, singing Cyndi Lauper’s masterful True Colors in a school play.

“I don’t know how it happened, but back then my little voice managed to do it,” he laughs.

Even before the song was finished, he knew he would dedicate his life to music.

“It was just magical. [my] “This is my first time facing an audience and I felt very comfortable.”

Amy Winehouse, a singer who never wavered in her vulnerability amid chaos, was his first true love, but it was Newman’s aunt who helped him find a path in music.

He would invite his nephew, a jazz and blues singer, to concerts and recording sessions, immersing him in the world of professional musicianship.

“He was a singer-songwriter, too, and he showed me how to create magic,” he says.

“I would watch him write and create something out of nothing. It made me want to be that person, to create that magic.

“I would go home and try it myself and realized I was good with words… I’ve always been a chatterbox, so that probably helped!”

Unfortunately, his aunt died when Newman was 11 years old. At the funeral, Newman sang the 1930s folk song When I’m Gone (You’ll Miss Me) after discovering it through the movie Pitch Perfect.

“I watched that movie with her best friend right after her death and [the song] It resonated with me,” says Newman. “It reminded me so much of him.”

Soon the singer began uploading original songs and “truly terrible covers”; It first turned into YouTube, then Music.ly, and then TikTok.

He built up a sizable fan base, but as domestic troubles piled up, his posts dwindled.

Upon reflection, Newman says he needs time to clear his head. He didn’t yet have the emotional stability to deal with the pressures of a music career, let alone fame.

Yet writing was the key to his survival.

“Unfortunately, I am someone who has a hard time talking about how I feel,” she says.

“Singing is a whole different story. I feel calm when I’m in the studio. This is my safe space.”

However, peace is not a quality that can be associated with his music. Their stories are vivid, thorny, and lived-in. It’s an emotional whirlwind.

In his debut single, Hairdressershe sings with bitter discomfort about a one-sided friendship – depicting a girl who borrows her clothes and money, only to cancel her plans when a man arrives at the last minute.

His last Lonely GirlIt’s an all-too-recognizable story of a man in his early 20s taking advantage of a younger, emotionally naive woman.

“You have your school uniform in your car/You don’t want to see what’s in your search bar.“

Newman says this is more than a cautionary tale. “Young people need advocates but also information,” he said in a press release.

“Educate these babies about what good initial care can make them feel like. Because that’s the point; keeping them there so predators can control them. That’s abuse.”

Even in an era of confessional pop, Newman stands out. He’s not afraid to despise injustice or confront his demons before they swallow him whole.

When he plays live, the singer often bursts into tears.

“Certainly the peace is disturbed sometimes,” he says. “There are days when I feel absolutely fine, then I get on stage and it just comes out. Music can really bring out emotions you didn’t know were there.”

But it’s not all tears and troubles.

Newman played at London’s famous Koko venue last September. she climbed onto the balcony and belted out her hit song FU&UF while surrounded by her closest friends.

“This was a moment I will never forget. I may not have been blessed in the sense of a perfect family, but I have been blessed in the sense of friends, that’s for sure.”

Admirably, he kept his friends close. Her sister is part of the management team, her best friend manages social media, and her other friends are training to do photo photography and nail art.

“I just try to attract people I like because this industry can be so scary,” he says. “So any job I could get them into, they’d be like, ‘Friends who want a job? Who can learn how to do this?’ “I think.”

He also receives invaluable advice from his peers, with Sheeran, Capaldi and Sir Elton taking him under their wing.

“It’s just crazy when I think about it,” he says, opening for two of the UK’s biggest shows.

“I was so scared, but yes, they opened their arms to me and I couldn’t have asked for more.”

“And the fact that people I respected were so kind and welcoming made me feel proud of myself, even though it wasn’t something I always felt.”

Winning the BBC’s Sound Of poll following his breakout year in 2025 sets Newman up for an even bigger 2026.

“It’s a surreal feeling to know that so many people I’ve listened to my whole life have won this award. They’re where I want to be. So this is just one step further,” he says.

He will celebrate with his first US dates and a sold-out UK tour in April. A new EP will also arrive around the same time, setting him up for a string of festival appearances in the summer.

He had previously been worried about taking on so much so early in his career, but touring with Capaldi last fall assuaged those fears.

“There was a lot of fear approaching this,” he explains. “I was worried about how my voice would hold up and how tired I would get, but being on stage and seeing so many amazing people in front of you is truly incredible.

“Being that tired isn’t really a big deal, is it?”

With her head strapped tight and her music soaring, Skye is the limit.