Aura Valentina, aka Aura V, at just 8 years old, achieved a truly historic milestone at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
By winning the prestigious award for Best Children’s Music Album for her popular song “Harmony,” which she created alongside her father, Harold Simmons II, aka Fyütch, she officially became the youngest individually named Grammy winner in the history of the event.
“It was fun, We got to spend time together. We get to go out to eat dinner. And we get to chill,” the third-grader told reporters of working on the album with her dad, according to E! News.
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Creating music appears to come naturally to the young musician, a sentiment echoed by her father. As Fyütch observed about his daughter’s creative process, “She enjoys the fun parts of making music.”
“And the food,” Aura V added.
Aura is not only talented in music but also has a keen fashion sense. Her distinct style often makes her a standout on any red carpet.
For the star-studded event, she knew exactly what she wanted in a dress, envisioning a design that would perfectly complement her musical style and stage presence.
“I picked out this lavender color because it’s chill,” she explained. “It’s relaxing. It helps me settle in because if I wore any other color, like red, that would blend into the red carpet.”
She added, “I got to stand out.”
Aura’s historic achievement means she now holds the record previously held by Blue Ivy Carter, the daughter of music icons Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who won a Grammy at age 9 in 2021. Blue Ivy’s win was for her role as a featured artist on the song “BROWN SKIN GIRL,” which secured the prestigious award for Best Music Video.
Aura, with her father’s assistance to reach the microphone, used the opportunity to convey her thanks for the momentous achievement.
“I just want to say that it is an honor to be here today,” she said. “I was not expecting us to go this far.”
Her father emphasized the crucial role of music in children’s education during their acceptance speech, highlighting its potential to foster creativity, cognitive development, and cultural understanding from a young age.
“Children’s music is more than a genre,” he stated. “It is an intention of artists who have dedicated our crafts to educating entreating and empowering the next generation—which is our highest calling.”
Before the ceremony, he told ABC News why he switched careers, moving from teacher to a creator of children’s music.
“I actually enjoyed it, working with students, showing them how to express themselves through the arts,” he said. “And when I started making songs for my students and combining my skills as an artist and using it to songs that could educate them, that’s when my career really took off, serving this niche of songs that educate, entertain and empower.”
The proud father shared that music is a family tradition.
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He shared, “We’re a musical family. My dad plays on the album. My grandpa was a trumpeter in the Army. So to pass on this musical legacy to her and get this accolade, you know, it’s really meaningful.”
The genesis of the Grammy-nominated album began with a single track called “Harmony,” commissioned by the Wolf Trap Center for the Arts in Virginia, as explained by Fyütch.
He recounted, “I wanted this extended metaphor of musical harmony and harmony amongst people and with nature.”
He noted that at the time, he and his daughter had begun collaborating on songs. “So I had the idea of, ‘Why don’t we hop on the song together?'” he recalled.
This collaboration marked the start of their journey, with other songs growing in reach. They started filming videos that went viral.
Eventually, this led to them accumulating enough material to produce an entire album.
Fyütch continues to pursue his own independent music career.
