The BRITs returned a couple of weeks ago, bringing its usual cocktail of glamorous get-ups and slurred speeches to its new home in Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. With a bigger stage and an even bigger guest list, the awards’ 49th ceremony celebrated the best of Britain’s music scene, served alongside a handful of mayhem.
Host Jack Whitehall kept us entertained with his typical mix of charm and risky humour. His invitation to “throw shapes like you’re Victoria Beckham during a first dance” kept him sweet amongst more daring gags, including a swipe at the BBC’s BAFTA censoring blunder.
ITV’s own censors worked overtime the rest of the night, frantically bleeping Whitehall’s jab at Lord Peter Mandelson, and a number of unhinged ramblings from Happy Mondays’ Bez and Shaun, who seemed to have peaked before the night had even kicked off.
And the winners are…
The awards themselves were understated, with many categories rushed through a speedy montage. Presented by random celebrities from Angry Ginge to Bobbie Gillespie, the honey resin trophies – nodding to Manchester’s worker-bee symbol – were handed out to a diverse mix of artists.
Olivia Dean swept the board, winning in all her nominated categories which honoured her chart-topping album, The Art of Loving, plus Song of the Year for duet, Rein Me In with Alternative/Rock Act winner Sam Fender.
Lola Young and Dave were also among the winners, and PinkPantheress became the first female to win Producer of the Year. Oasis’ Noel Gallagher was recognised as Songwriter of the Year, a choice that surprised some given his songwriting peak was three decades ago, but the band’s monumental reunion tour last year more than justified it.
Meanwhile, some winners didn’t quite get the memo. Geese’s Max Bassin’s acceptance speech for International Group was entirely bleeped, while Skepta was a bit too speech-less when accepting Dance Act on behalf of Fred again.. and PlaqueBoyMax, muttering “I thought they’d tell you… before you win”. Maybe it would have been better if Fred had turned up.
Performances Which Stole the Show
The lengthy show was broken up by a selection of showstopping performances. Olivia Dean and RAYE offered classy vibes while Wolf Alice transformed the stage into a living room for a theatrical rendition of The Sofa, and James Blunt resurfaced to accompany a stunning orchestral arrangement of Alex Warren’s Ordinary.
Harry Styles made his long-anticipated comeback in a pinstripe suit, debuting Aperture with an eclectic mix of jazz hands, gospel singers and snail print t-shirts – a teaser for fans who couldn’t fork out for tickets for his upcoming tour.
International Artist winner Rosalía delivered a spellbinding performance of her opera-meets-rave masterpiece ‘Berghain’ with Björk, while Sombr’s set was interrupted by a supposed stage invader. The intruder’s T-shirt was meant to promote his new single, ‘Homewrecker’, but was missed by most of us. Bold marketing… if we had had more than a second to catch it.
The night ultimately belonged to Mark Ronson, who picked up the Outstanding Contribution to Music award. He honoured Amy Winehouse as the bassline of his success and followed up with a seven-minute medley of his career-defining hits – featuring Ghostface Killah and surprise guest Dua Lipa – which we did not want to end.
The ceremony closed with a tribute to Lifetime Achievement winner Ozzy Osbourne, introduced by Sharon Osbourne (with a speech which felt longer than one of his albums), followed by a powerful performance of ‘No More Tears’, fronted unexpectedly by Robbie Williams.
Between drunk-celeb cameos, long speeches and one too many ad-breaks, the BRITs managed to pull off a real celebration of British music. With big releases from the likes of Harry Styles, RAYE and Madonna on the horizon, 2026 playlists are set to be stacked, and we will be back for another BRITs chaotic rundown next year.
