Sienna Spiro’s VMAs acceptance speech thanked her “mum and sister,” but the story behind the British singer’s family is far more layered than a simple shout-out. Her father is one of the world’s most exclusive jewelers to Beyoncé and Rihanna. Her mother once dated a royal. And both shaped the 20-year-old’s path to a historic Best New Artist win in ways that are equal parts privilege and pressure.
The Father: Glenn Spiro, the “Jeweller for Jewellers”
Sienna’s father is Glenn Spiro, 63, a British master jeweler whose client list reads like a Hollywood and royal red carpet. Beyoncé, Rihanna, Zendaya, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the Princess of Wales are among those who have worn his creations. His G By Glenn Spiro business operates from an appointment-only atelier in Mayfair and is so ultra-exclusive it’s known as the “jeweller for jewellers.”
His work isn’t just celebrity-adjacent. He crafted a 73.11-carat yellow diamond that sold for $3.4 million in 2021, named The Sienna Star after his daughter. The name is a telling detail: Glenn believed in his daughter’s potential long before the world did.
But Glenn’s role in Sienna’s music career was more complicated than encouragement. He filled their London home with the sounds of Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marvin Gaye, music Sienna has repeatedly credited as the foundation of her artistry. “My dad wanted to be Frank Sinatra, that was his idol,” she told The Sun. “He was always playing in the house, and that was my pop music for a long time.”
Yet Glenn wasn’t always her biggest cheerleader. Sienna revealed to Variety that her father was blunt about her early vocal abilities. “My dad always was like, ‘Oh, you sound shit,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘OK, great — so I’ve got to be a really good songwriter if I wanna do this as a job.’” That tough love, however harsh, pushed her toward songwriting before she ever fully trusted her voice.
The Mother: Arabella Spiro, Philanthropist with a Royal Past
Sienna’s mother is Arabella Spiro, 54, a philanthropist involved with Tikva UK, a nonprofit supporting at-risk Jewish children in Ukraine, Romania, and Israel. She’s described as a “high society personality” who has mixed with British royalty.
That royal connection has an unusual backstory. In 2001, Arabella had a brief relationship with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew). She was introduced to Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot just five weeks after meeting Andrew at a party, and reports at the time suggested he snuck her into the royal box where she mingled with the Queen, Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, and Princess Anne.
Arabella’s influence on Sienna’s music is more personal and painful. During the creation of her debut album Visitor, Arabella underwent surgery for a brain tumor while Sienna was in Los Angeles. Sienna has said the song “Pure” was written during that period of depression, numbness, and guilt over not being able to be home in London with her mother. “I felt very guilty about it,” she told ELLE. “I had that weird feeling of a lot of pressure and stress.”
The Family Dynamic: Close, Jewish, and Grounded
Sienna was born in London in September 2005 to Glenn and Arabella, and the family is Jewish. Her mother’s cousin is Gilbert de Botton, a prominent figure in the art world, adding another layer of high-culture connection to her background.
Despite the wealth and connections, Sienna has pushed back against the “nepo baby” label. A source close to the family told The Sun: “Sienna had a step up with her education and upbringing, but she’s certainly no nepo baby. She has worked hard for her career… Her parents were hard on her and she knew she had to make it on her own.”
Sienna herself has described a childhood marked by emotional intensity and bullying. “I went through a lot of bullying, and I was just very confused about why I was getting bullied,” she told Notion. “I’m neurodivergent and I wasn’t diagnosed when I was young, so I was very confused by what I was feeling.” Music became her outlet, and her family, particularly her father’s record collection, became her education.
What Her Parents Mean for Her Story
Sienna Spiro’s parents gave her two things that shaped her career: access to a world of artistic excellence and the pressure to prove she belonged there. Her father’s records taught her to sing like the legends. His skepticism taught her to write like she had something to prove. Her mother’s illness taught her that vulnerability could be transformed into art.
Whether that makes her a “nepo baby” or simply a talented artist with an unusual upbringing is a debate the internet will continue to have. But the VMAs Moon Person on her shelf suggests that whatever advantages she started with, she’s earned her place in the spotlight.
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