Omar Apollo: 5 Things To Know About The Rising Star Nominated For Best New Artist Grammy

Omar Apollo is up for the coveted Best New Artist Award at the 2023 Grammys, but he’s facing tough competition. Find out more about Omar here.

• Omar Apollo is an American singer and songwriter.
• His parents are Mexican immigrants.
• His debut album, Ivory, was released in April 2022.
• He’s nominated for Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

Omar Apollo is a rising star in the music industry. The 25-year-old singer is fresh off his successful debut album, Ivory, and he’ll be at the 2023 Grammy Awards on February 5, where he’s nominated for Best New Artist. Omar is one of ten artists up for the coveted award, which has gone to Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, and Dua Lipa in recent years. Omar is definitely a major contender to win Best New Artist this year.

So, who is Omar Apollo? Here’s everything you need to know about the popular artist and Grammy Award nominee.

Omar is from Indiana.

Omar was born on May 20, 1997 in the small town of Hobart, Indiana. He grew up with three older siblings. Omar played basketball and soccer while he was in high school, according to his interview with the Los Angeles Times.

His parents are immigrants.

Omar’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Guadalajara, Mexico. Omar revealed in a Rolling Stone interview that his mom and dad worked “multiple jobs” to support the family.

He sings in English and Spanish.

Omar learned how to speak both English and Spanish growing up, which makes his music so versatile. The first song that he sung fully in Spanish was his 2019 track “Frio.” His 2022 single “Killing Me,” from his debut album, transitions from English to Spanish in the second verse.

His debut album was a huge hit.

Omar’s debut studio album, Ivory, dropped on April 8, 2022. He released five singles beforehand to promote the album. Ivory was Omar’s first entry into the Billboard 200, peaking at 128. The album was extremely well received by music critics.

He’s openly gay.

Omar is an out and proud gay man. But he has been accused of “queer baiting” over the years, which led to him delivering a NSFW response about his sexuality on Twitter in November 2022. He discussed his sexuality, and that tweet, in a Billboard interview in December.

“I’m totally aware of the privilege we have now to be ourselves and still have a career,” the singer said. “Honestly it had a lot to do with me growing up in Indiana which is very conservative. Everyone is always tiptoeing around it. As opposed to trying to defend myself, I embraced the sexual aspect of it,” Omar added.