Alex Warren Used to Email Justin Bieber Growing Up, He Reveals at 2026 Grammys (Exclusive)

Alex Warren wasn’t afraid to slide into one major celebrity’s DMs back in the day.

While speaking with PEOPLE on the red carpet at the 2026 Grammys on Sun., Feb. 1, Warren, 25, reveals he’s hoping to meet fellow nominee Justin Bieber at the ceremony — so he can reveal himself as a fan.

“I used to email Justin Bieber growing up,” Warren admits, explaining, “I saw he would skateboard. I was a competitive skateboarder growing up, and so I’d be like, ‘We should skate sometime,’ thinking he would read it.”

But Warren says he had to backtrack now that they’re in the same industry. “I had to delete all of my DMs the minute this all happened. There were like 400 of ’em. There’s probably a restraining order. I don’t know.”

His previous messages aren’t deterring him, though; he tells PEOPLE he’s excited to be sitting “like two tables” away from Bieber, 31, during the ceremony, Sunday.

Bieber is nominated for Best Album and Best Pop Vocal Album for SWAG, Best Pop Solo Performance for “DAISIES,” and Best R&B Performance for “YUKON” at the 2026 ceremony.

Meanwhile, Warren is nominated for Best New Artist, alongside Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, Sombr, Leon Thomas and Lola Young

Warren previously spoke to PEOPLE about his debut album You’ll Be Alright, Kidsaying that his song, “First Time on Earth,” is about his late parents and was the most cathartic to write.

“I remember when we finished that song, I bawled my eyes out,” he said.

“I think that was one of the songs where every time I listened to it on a drive by myself, I just start crying. It’s something really beautiful where I never got any closure with my parents before they passed. This is a song for me to be able to kind of remind myself, but also have a conversation with them, if they can hear me, do you know?”

Warren told PEOPLE in August 2025 that his music has served as a way of keeping their presence all around him.

“The coolest thing that I’ve been able to do is keep my parents alive in some ways, whether it’s the music or the shows, and never not talking about them. Some people see that as a bad thing, but I love to keep them alive with my silly little jokes and my silly little songs,” Warren said.

The Grammys are broadcasting live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on CBS or stream them live and on-demand on Paramount+.