Brit Awards 2026: A Night of Predictable Wins and Chaotic Moments in Manchester
This year's Brit Awards injected a flicker of chaos into its typically slick proceedings, but when it came to the winners, the results were never in doubt. Moving the ceremony to Manchester borrowed a page from the Mercury prize's playbook, revitalising the event by shifting it from London and involving a more music-focused audience. The relocation added a slight edge, largely thanks to Shaun Ryder, who enlivened the show early on with a drug-related anecdote from the 90s that ITV deemed necessary to bleep out entirely.
Varied Performances and Leftfield Flourishes
The show itself avoided the blandness of past Brits, offering a diverse range of performances. From Rosalia's opera-gabber hybrid with Björk to Alex Warren's rendition of Ordinary alongside James Blunt, and Ghostface Killah dancing with Dua Lipa during a medley led by Mark Ronson, the ceremony was anything but dull. However, the actual winners followed a more predictable path, aligning closely with commercial success.
In the international categories, there were mild surprises, such as Brooklyn alt-rock band Geese beating K-pop trio Huntr/x, and Rosalia triumphing over Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. Yet, overall, the awards leaned heavily towards established commercial heavyweights.
Olivia Dean's Unstoppable Rise
Olivia Dean emerged as the night's biggest winner, sweeping every category she was nominated in. Her album, The Art of Loving, has remained in the UK Top 5 since its release, and her single Man I Need has dominated streaming charts for weeks. If not for chart rules limiting artists to three tracks, a quarter of the Top 40 would feature her songs. Additionally, she is the first British artist since Dua Lipa to achieve a major US breakthrough, with her album outselling Taylor Swift's in the US Top 10. Under these circumstances, her clean sweep at the Brits was entirely justified.
Other Notable Winners
Dave won the hip-hop/grime/rap category with his album The Boy Who Played the Harp, which debuted at number one and spawned the global hit Raindance. In the breakthrough artist award, Lola Young's slow-burning hit Messy, which reached number one in 2025, secured her victory over EsDeeKid. Noel Gallagher took home songwriter of the year for songs written three decades ago, a decision that made sense given their role in Oasis's reunion tour, which grossed $405 million and boosted album sales significantly.
Within the Brits' self-imposed parameters of rewarding commercial success, the outcomes were largely inarguable, cementing the event's reputation as a celebration of mainstream achievement with just a hint of Manchester-inspired chaos.
