The musician said their family were “buzzing” when they were nominated, but feels their mum would have been “just as proud” if it had been a school assembly award.
Jacob discovered a love of performing from a young age at a school talent show, but initially studied theoretical physics and medicine at Edinburgh University.
After spending nights cramming for exams in the library and realising academia wasn’t the world for them, Jacob eventually dropped out.
As many have done in the past, Jacob moved to London to pursue music, but it was after returning to Scotland that things clicked into place.
Jacob gained wider recognition following a November 2024 appearance on Jools Holland’s BBC 2 show, which was booked after the singer had released only one single, Fairy in a Bottle.
The song, performed on the programme barefoot, in a pair of golden-feathered trousers and a red shawl, was followed by a debut album last May.
It secured a place on the Mercury Prize shortlist, and Jacob also became the first Scottish act to be named BBC Introducing Artist of the Year.
The Brit award, in partnership with BBC Radio 1, has reverted to its original name this year to acknowledge the importance of critical acclaim for artists in the early stages of their career.
The Brit Awards will be broadcast live from Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 28 February.