Noel Gallagher's acceptance speech at the Brit Awards was censored after he made a sweary remark while collecting the Songwriter of the Year award. The ceremony took place in Manchester for the first time.
The Oasis legend, who reconciled with his brother Liam last year for a series of concerts, faced criticism for winning the accolade despite not releasing new material in the past 12 months. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Noel in a video message before the star took the stage, where he first thanked his brother and then acknowledged his fellow bandmates.
He concluded his speech with a reference to his beloved Manchester City, shouting 'up the f***ing blues', alluding to the club's kit colour. His remark was greeted with considerable booing from rival Manchester United supporters.
Addressing the controversy, Noel said: 'I haven't written a song for two years. I'm not sure how I've got away with that one, but I'll take it.' He added: 'If any of those wet wipes songwriting teams, all 11 of them, want to write a song between the lot of them, want to have it out on the red carpet, I'm there.'
When asked about Liam's attendance, Noel said they were organising tickets for the Carabao Cup final. Liam stoked speculation with a now-deleted comment saying he was already in Manchester, but later dampened rumours, joking he was 'just in the area keeping an eye on things.'
Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 Brit Awards Committee, announced Noel as Songwriter of the Year, stating: 'For more than three decades, Noel has crafted songs that have become part of our collective story.'
