The Brit Awards left London for the first time in its 46-year history on February 28, with Manchester’s Co-op Live arena hosting a ceremony that saw Olivia Dean emerge as the night’s dominant force.
Fresh off her Best New Artist win at the Grammys earlier this month, Dean swept all four categories she was nominated in: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for The Art of Loving, Song of the Year for “Rein Me In” (her collaboration with Sam Fender), and Pop Act. The wins cap a remarkable year for the British singer-songwriter, who became the first woman in UK chart history to land a debut number one single and album in the same week.
Sam Fender also had a strong night, winning Alternative/Rock Act for the third time in five years, his second consecutive win in the category. The collaboration “Rein Me In” marked the third straight year a duet has won Song of the Year, though it’s the first all-British collaboration to triumph since Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss” in 2019.
A Night of Firsts
Rosalía became the first Spanish-language artist to win International Artist of the Year, beating out Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga, and others. The Spanish superstar performed during the ceremony and made a surprise appearance with Björk.
The night also saw several historic firsts for K-pop representation. Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” won International Song of the Year, making Rosé the first K-pop artist ever to win a Brit Award. The ceremony also featured the first-ever K-pop performance at the Brits: a pre-recorded pyrotechnic-laden segment from EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI — the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters — performing their nominated track “Golden.”
Wolf Alice won Group of the Year for the second time, becoming the first female-fronted group to win the category twice and only the second group of any configuration to win twice in the last decade (following The 1975’s 2017 and 2019 victories). During their acceptance speech, frontwoman Ellie Rowsell dedicated the award to grassroots venues, noting that despite the billions contributed to the UK economy by music, 30 independent venues closed last year with 6,000 jobs lost.
Lola Young took home Breakthrough Artist, her first Brit Award despite entering the night tied with Dean for most nominations at five apiece.
Honorary Awards and Tributes
PinkPantheress made history as the youngest recipient and first woman to win Producer of the Year at age 24. Noel Gallagher received Songwriter of the Year following Oasis’ massive 2025 reunion tour, thanking his brother Liam, former bandmates, and fans who “kept those songs alive for the last 35 years.”
Mark Ronson was honored with Outstanding Contribution to Music, performing a career-spanning medley joined by Dua Lipa, Ghostface Killah, Serge Pizzorno, and Amy Winehouse’s band. Jacob Alon won the Critics’ Choice Award.
The ceremony’s most poignant moment came when Ozzy Osbourne received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award, following his death in July 2025. His wife Sharon and daughter Kelly accepted the honor, with Sharon calling him “authentic, gifted, totally unpredictable, a wild man. He was a true artist.” Robbie Williams led an all-star tribute performance with members of Osbourne’s band including Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos, and Zakk Wylde.
Performances by Harry Styles, RAYE and more
Jack Whitehall hosted for the sixth time as performers included Harry Styles (delivering his first public performance in three years with “Aperture” from his upcoming album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally), Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice (making their Brits performance debut), RAYE, Rosalía (with Björk as a surprise guest), Alex Warren, Sombr, and Mark Ronson’s medley.
The ceremony concluded with an Ozzy Osbourne tribute. An In Memoriam segment featured local Manchester hero Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, the former Stone Roses bassist who died in November 2025, introduced by The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess.
The move to Manchester marks the first of a two-year deal to hold the Brits at Co-op Live, with the 2027 ceremony also scheduled for the venue. The shift follows the 2025 Mercury Prize being held in Newcastle, signaling a broader effort to decentralize major UK music awards beyond London. This year’s ceremony featured nearly 70% female or non-binary nominees, the highest percentage in Brits history.
Full Winners List:
British Categories:
- Artist of the Year: Olivia Dean
- Album of the Year: Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
- Song of the Year: Sam Fender with Olivia Dean – “Rein Me In”
- Group: Wolf Alice
- Breakthrough Artist: Lola Young
- Pop Act: Olivia Dean
- Alternative/Rock Act: Sam Fender
- Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act: Dave
- R&B Act: SAULT
- Dance Act: Fred again.., Skepta, PlaqueBoyMax
International Categories:
- International Artist: Rosalía
- International Group: Geese
- International Song: Rosé & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Honorary Awards:
- Producer of the Year: PinkPantheress
- Songwriter of the Year: Noel Gallagher
- Critics’ Choice Award: Jacob Alon
- Outstanding Contribution to Music: Mark Ronson
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Ozzy Osbourne (posthumous)
