Olivia Dean Wins Big at Brit Awards Amid Bleeps: Winners List

In the run-up to the 2026 Brit Awards being staged exterior of London for the first time ever, a local Manchester prepare station excitedly modified its title, from Deansgate to Olivia Deansgate.

But the big query going into British music’s largest awards ceremony was, would the awards themselves want the same title change?

Well, let’s just name them the Olivias, we could? Dean – who, together with her Grammy win for Best New Artist has develop into a focal point for the British music resurgence – picked up 4 of the 5 awards she was up for: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Pop Act and a share of Song of the Year for her duet with Sam Fender on “Rein Me In.” She also pulled off one in all the performances of the evening with a delightfully breezy “Man I Need,” embodying her old style mainstream attraction.

And, while Charli xcx, Raye and Harry Styles have equally dominated Britain’s main awards ceremony in recent times, Dean’s success was all the more significant because this was no walkover. She confronted significant opposition from equally worthy potential winners in every class, with real global U.Ok. success tales instantly seemingly in all places.

Perhaps that’s why her a number of tearful acceptance speeches all appeared charmingly overwhelmed to the point of befuddlement, barely mustering a quote of word between them (“This album is just about love, and loving each other in a world that feels loveless right now,” was about as headline-grabbing because it acquired).

No matter: loads of other people stepped up on that entrance. This was a classic Brits, packed full of speaking factors, incidents and a basic air of unpredictability in a approach we haven’t seen since the peak Britpop period in the mid-‘90s.

Returning famous person Harry Styles kicked issues off with a bang by way of a bravura performance of “Aperture” from his hotly anticipated “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally” album, which comes out this Friday. Raye went full James Bond theme with a brassy combo of “Where Is My Husband?” and “Nightingale Lane.”

And Wolf Alice marked their transition from plucky indie sorts to full-on rock stars with a shocking acoustic version of “The Sofa,” set in a front room, that ended with frontwoman Ellie Rowsell lifted high by her backing dancers. The band also picked up Group of the Year, with Rowsell talking up for better assist for grassroots venues and artists themselves, declaring: “This shouldn’t feel like a golden ticket, but a viable career decision.”

In current years, the Brits have relied closely on worldwide artists to offer the star energy, however general this 12 months’s contingent had been quite more mundane. An exception was International Artist of the Year winner Rosalía, who offered some edge with a dramatic tackle “Berghain” that featured an attention-grabbing look from Björk; Rosalía also did a surprisingly good Liam Gallagher impression in a chat with host Jack Whitehall.

But Alex Warren’s performance of “Ordinary” lived as much as its title, despite the presence of James Blunt on piano (“James Blunt without a microphone – everyone’s a winner,” quipped Whitehall); the OkPop Demon Hunters performance was pre-recorded so failed to attach in the room; Sombr’s clearly staged altercation with a pretend-stage-invader barely registered in a cynical business part that has seen loads of precise Brits stage invasions over the years.

More authentic controversy got here from Whitehall in trademark near-the-knuckle kind, along with his jokes about the Epstein information being censored from the live broadcast (notably “I think that I saw Peter Mandelson on the guest list,” referencing the former ambassador to the U.S. who was arrested in reference to the information). He also goaded Happy Mondays legends Shaun Ryder and Bez into making slanderous remarks about Paddington Bear, while Geese bassist Max Bassin declared, “Free Palestine, fuck ICE” as he picked up the International Group of the Year award, and Noel Gallagher concluded his Best Songwriter acceptance speech with “Up the fucking Blues” — a Manchester City soccer reference that introduced forth an avalanche of boos (with half of Manchester supporting the other Manchester team, United).

But, actually, tonight was about British music regaining its confidence to the point the place you puzzled if some of those worldwide slots may better have gone to U.Ok. stars. Breakthrough Artist winner Lola Young carried out “Messy” at last 12 months’s ceremony, however absolutely deserved a return, while Lily Allen – maker of “West End Girl,” the most talked-about album of the 12 months and one in all the best – sadly didn’t carry out, despite rumors she was in negotiations for a slot.

This embarrassment of riches not only elevated the TV spectacle, however also the environment in the Co-op Live Arena (which has efficiently bounced again from its disastrous opening in 2024). The buzz round the awards eased its probably tough transition to Manchester, with the business turning out in power.

There was a strong “school trip” environment on the varied specifically chartered trains up from Manchester – one thing you don’t get on the tube to the O2 – and a strong worldwide presence: UMG EVP Andrew Kronfeld, Republic Records’ co-founder Monte Lipman, Warner Records co-chairman Tom Corson and Sony Music boss Rob Stringer (contemporary from watching his beloved Luton Town soccer club play at close by Port Vale in the afternoon) had been among those noticed in the metropolis or on the enviornment ground, in addition to U.Ok. presidents and CEOs Dickon Stainer (Universal), Jason Iley (Sony), Jo Charrington (Capitol), Louis Bloom (Island EMI Label Group), Ben Mortimer (Polydor Label Group), Tom Lewis (Fontana) and Dipesh Parmar (Columbia), plus a remarkably chilled-looking Stacey Tang, RCA U.Ok. co-president and this 12 months’s BRITs chair/showrunner.

And there was also a real buzz across the metropolis in the nights before, with Universal Music holding a spectacular showcase at the Aviva Studios, that includes Simon Cowell’s new boyband December 10, plus Flo and Holly Humberstone; Island Records placing on new acts Keo, Dermot Henry and Sinéad Ashiokai at Yes; and underplay reveals from the likes of Olivia Dean, the Foo Fighters and Robbie Williams.

Williams also featured at the Awards, fronting the tribute to Ozzy Osbourne that accompanied Ozzy’s posthumous Lifetime Achievement award. Williams was hand-picked by Sharon Osbourne, who paid emotional tribute to her “gorgeous husband”, declaring, “There will never be another fucking Ozzy Osbourne.”

But the Prince of Darkness being portrayed by the King of Light Entertainment on a version of “No More Tears” still raised loads of eyebrows. It shouldn’t have labored – and it didn’t actually, despite the best efforts of the band, that includes many musicians that performed with Osbourne over the years. Thankfully, a tide of emotion carried issues by way of, with more poignant notes struck as the Charlatans’ Tim Burgess paid tribute to one in all Manchester’s favourite sons, Gary “Mani” Mounfield of the Stone Roses and Primal Scream.

Outstanding Contribution winner Mark Ronson also remembered his former musical associate Amy Winehouse in each his speech (“The music I made with Amy is the reason other people know who I am”) and his performance, which featured Winehouse’s voice, first hauntingly on “Back to Black” and then joyously, on “Valerie.” Ronson was also joined by Ghostface Killah and Dua Lipa, in full show-stopping mode, in one in all the evening’s highlights.

Another rock legend, Noel Gallagher – a local lad and the man behind 2025’s largest UK cultural second in the type of the Oasis reunion tour – considerably controversially picked up the Songwriter Of The Year award: the fourth time in the awards’ five-year historical past that it’s gone to somebody best generally known as an artist (and, in this case, one who gladly admitted he hasn’t truly written a music in two years).

Perhaps that was why Gallagher was comparatively self-deprecating in his acceptance speech, paying tribute to his brother and band members. “They brought these songs to life – without them, I’d just be a singer-songwriter and no one gives a shit about singer-songwriters”.

The success of Dean and Fender – who also picked up the Alternative/Rock Act prize – may counsel in any other case.

But, as the biz drifted off to the after present events – which also made the journey north, with Sony Music taking over Soho House and Warner Music partying onerous at the Cut & Craft – it was apparent the Brits 2026 had been – as its precept winner may sing – the excellent mixture of Saturday evening and the remainder of your life.

Which ought to, hopefully, make it straightforward to fall in love with British music all over again.

BRITs 2026 Winners In Full

Mastercard Album of the Year – Olivia Dean, “The Art of Loving”

Artist of the Year – Olivia Dean

Song of the Year with Mastercard – Sam Fender with Olivia Dean, “Rein Me In”

Group of the Year – Wolf Alice

Breakthrough Artist – Lola Young

International Artist of the Year – Rosalía

International Song of the Year – Rosé & Bruno Mars, “APT”

International Group of the Year – Geese

Alternative/Rock Act – Sam Fender

Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act – Dave

Dance Act – Fred Again, Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax

Pop Act – Olivia Dean

R&B Act – Sault

Critics’ Choice – Jacob Alon

Songwriter of the Year – Noel Gallagher

Producer of the Year – PinkPantheress

Outstanding Contribution – Mark Ronson

Lifetime Achievement – Ozzy Osbourne