‘Not Made’: How British school stars took over the Grammy Awards | music

When the Grammy winners took the stage in Los Angeles on Sunday night, a common thread emerged: Many of them had once walked the halls of a comprehensive school in Croydon, south of London.

British artist Olivia Dean, who won the prestigious award for Best New Artist; Lola Young, who took best pop solo performance for Messy; and FKA twigs, who won best dance/electronic album for Eusexua, all attended the British School in Selhurst. As did Ray, who earlier in the week received the Harry Belafonte Award for Best Social Change Song for Ice Cream Man.

Since opening in the 1990s with a focus on the performing and creative arts, the British School has become Britain’s most powerful launching pad for international stardom. Its alumni list reads like a who’s who of British talent: Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, Tom Holland, Leona Lewis and Lowell Carner are among those who have honed their craft within its classrooms.

Even artists who never attended the institution have pointed it out, like Ed Sheeran, who cheekily sang in his breakthrough song “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You”: “I’m going to explode and I didn’t go to the British school.”

For Stuart Worden, a teacher at the school since 1994 and its principal since 2012, this year’s Grammy Awards were a “wonderful celebration” of free arts education. “These women are amazing role models of what can be achieved if you give young people access to the arts,” he said.

While FKA twigs was only at the school briefly, Worden keenly remembers Dean, Young and Ray (real name Rachel Kane) who all joined when they were 14 years old. “They started in Year 10, and they were all very close to each other,” he said. “Lola and Olivia stayed on for sixth form, and Rae left after her GCSEs because she was already on her way and making money from her music.”

Dean, who blends soul, jazz and pop styles, is the first British artist to win Best New Act at the Grammy Awards since Dua Lipa in 2019, and several singles from her second album The Art of Loving have entered the UK Top 10 simultaneously. Young’s achievement has been a hit, with Messy’s song topping the global charts, while Ray is already a seven-time Brit Award winner.

“What set them all apart was their incredible work ethic,” Worden said. “None of these artists were overnight successes. They played small venues and worked on records for years.”

Is it clear when the student will become a big star? “I don’t think so,” he said. “What Olivia, Ray and Lola have in common is that they all, from a very early age, wanted to write about things that mattered to them.”

He added that the British School aims to nurture young people to find their own voice. “What do you care? The next part is up to them. Ray won a Grammy for Ice Cream Man, an unflinching look at harassment. ‘Lola’ has resonated with people because it’s really honest about life’s challenges, and she smiles passionately about being ‘messy’. Olivia writes about the complexities of love. They’re not made up, they’re themselves and that’s powerful.”

Although there are no classes on how to become a big star, professional standards and values ​​such as kindness are instilled in the students. “If you allow people to be kind and open to emotions, it creates possibilities,” Worden said.

The three women still keep in touch and work with the school. “I can remember Ray, when she was 14, saying, ‘I’ll do this, sir,’” Worden said. “And the strange thing is that she still calls me ‘sir.’” We were talking a few days ago because she wanted some of our students to come see her new show.” He said the alumni felt connected to the school because of the collaborative spirit it fostered. “Olivia met the bass player [Zeferino-Birchall] It was in the canteen that Adele met her guitarist here when they were both sixteen years old.

The former British schoolboys have sold nearly 300 million albums, generated more than 70 billion views across online platforms, and won dozens of high-profile awards such as the Grammys, BAFTAs, Oscars, Olivier and Brit Awards. Students study core subjects alongside their artistic discipline, with over 200 performances or events each year.

The school prides itself on diversity: 40% of its 1,450 students are from a global majority, 50% are from income-deprived backgrounds, and a third have a special needs diagnosis.

“We as a country need many different voices in the arts. Providing access to those from low-income or neurodiverse backgrounds creates opportunities that may not otherwise exist,” Worden said.