BRITs go Brat: Charli xcx wins five awards

The BRIT Awards 2025 saw Charli xcx win five awards, having been the most nominated artist this year, for Mastercard Album of the Year for Brat, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year with Mastercard (for Guess featuring Billie Eilish), the fan-voted Dance Act and BRITs Songwriter of the Year.

“I’m absolutely delighted for Charli,” commented Ed Howard, co-president of Atlantic Records UK. “Coming off the back of such a stellar year -– one where she flew the flag for British music globally – it feels right that she has been recognised so fully by the BRITs. She’s an inspiration and a pioneer, with Brat she turned her music into a movement, and she’s far from done. Congratulations to Charli and her team.”

Tony Harlow, CEO of Warner Music UK added: “I want to wish a massive congratulations to Charli and the Atlantic team for these fantastic wins. Charli is a real one-of-a-kind and has always done things on her own terms. Her international success over the last 18 months has shown that British artists can still resonate with a worldwide audience. I’m so happy she is getting the recognition she deserves."

Brat has garnered 2.2 billion global streams, and is platinum in the UK, selling over 340k albums in the UK alone, and the album won three Grammy awards this year.

Once again in a primetime Saturday night slot, broadcast exclusively on ITV1 and ITVX, and streamed on YouTube for fans outside of the UK, the show was hosted by Jack Whitehall, at the helm for a fifth time, to lead viewers at home and the arena audience through 16 awards presentations and eight live performances at London’s o2 Arena.

After a Squid Game-inspired skit led by Whitehall, Sabrina Carpenter opened the show with a two-song performance of Espresso and Bed Chem mixed with Rule Britannia, her set resplendent in Union Jack iconography and a troupe of Beefeaters, before transforming into a pink and red boudoir.

She was later presented with the BRITs Global Success award, in recognition of her global sales, after a year where she dominated international charts and held the Official UK Charts #1 position for a combined 21 weeks in 2024. 

Ahead of her UK arena tour later this summer, music icon Diana Ross sent in a surprise video message to congratulate Sabrina on her win, before Sabrina was presented with the trophy in person by Millie Bobby Brown.

Another US star that has had an incredible year is Chappell Roan, and her success was rewarded with two award wins on the night, for both International Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year for Good Luck, Babe!. The singer-songwriter accepted her awards via video message.

International Group of the Year went to Fontaines D.C., who also shared their acceptance by video message, who shouted out fellow category nominee Amyl & The Sniffers.

Earlier in the show, International Artist of the Year nominee Teddy Swims also brought the bedroom to The BRITs with a soulful medley performance of Bad Dreams and The Door before closing with a fire-tinged rendition of Lose Control.

The evening included a moment of reflection, with a tribute to Liam Payne, who passed away last October. Whitehall addressed the audience first before a video montage was shown. The BRITs official programme, available to guests on the night as well as published on The BRITs website, included a written tribute, excerpt below:

“While Liam Payne's time in One Direction brought him global fame, it was his undeniable talent, dedication and charisma that made him an icon in the world of music. His contributions helped define the sound of a generation, with songs that remain as timeless as the bond he shared with his bandmates. Liam's talent endures through the countless lives he touched. He was not just a singer, he was a beacon of light for those who grew up with his work. May his music continue to live on in our hearts.”

Ezra Collective, who closed the show with a triumphant three-song medley featuring special guest Jorja Smith, took home their first BRIT award for Group of the Year, having been nominated in four categories this year, and following their 2023 Mercury Prize win.

Following their performance of breakthrough track Nothing Matters, The Last Dinner Party were crowned Best New Artist, in recognition of their trajectory since being identified as BRITs Rising Star winners in 2024, and used their speech to call for more support for independent live venues, and highlight the threats to the arts.

The group also presented the 2025 BRITs Rising Star award on stage to Myles Smith, who addressed his concerns to the government in his acceptance speech and performed Nice to Meet You and his BRIT-nominated single Stargazing.

Pop Act nominee Lola Young performed a rendition of her No. 1 single Messy which, having spent four consecutive weeks at the top, was the longest a British woman had taken this position since Adele in 2021.

The winners of the five genre awards were once again decided by a fan vote, this year through WhatsApp as part of a wider Meta partnership. Ahead of her big multi-act pop performance of Angel Of My Dreams later in the show, during which she ascended to the ceiling adorned by giant white wings, the Sugababes awarded JADE the Pop Act trophy, her first BRIT award as a solo artist.

Following the news of his record-breaking opening album release week, Sam Fender was presented with the award for Alternative/Rock Act, performing People Watching later in the show accompanied by his band. 

Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act was presented by Bre Tiesi & Vick Hope to Stormzy, and last year’s record-breaking winner RAYE was awarded with R&B Act for the second time, accepting via video message.

In recent weeks, artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Kate Bush, Dua Lipa and Sam Fender have voiced profound concerns over government plans which would weaken the UK’s gold standard copyright, making it legal for global tech companies to train generative AI models using British music for free and without permission. Creators and rightsholders would in theory be able to ‘opt-out’ of training, but this is currently impossible to do in practice.

On The BRITs red carpet last night, artists including Paloma Faith, BRITs Rising Star winner Myles Smith, Lola Young, The Last Dinner Party, Rachel Chinouriri, FLO, Nia Archives and Serge Pizzorno (Kasabian) added their important voices to this growing creator opposition, supporting the launch of an upcoming new music industry campaign which is set to go live on March 3.

The awards categories for Mastercard Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Group of the Year, Best New Artist, Song of the Year with Mastercard, International Artist of the Year, International Group of the Year and International Song of the Year were voted for by The BRITs Voting Academy; around 1,300 people drawn from across the music industry including artists, managers, producers, publishers, retailers and media.

The winners of the five genre awards - Alternative/Rock Act, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Dance Act, Pop Act and R&B Act - were decided by public vote via WhatsApp. The BRITs Rising Star award shortlist is selected by an invited panel of music editors and critics from the national press, online music editors, heads of music at major radio and music TV stations plus songwriters, producers and live bookers.

And The Winners Are…. (in order presented on the night)

BRITs PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

Winner - A. G. Cook

Presenters: Sian Welby and Zeze Millz

SONG OF THE YEAR WITH MASTERCARD

Winner - Charli xcx Ft Billie Eilish ‘Guess featuring billie eilish’

Presenter: Lenny Kravitz

POP ACT

Winner - JADE

Presenters: Sugababes

ALTERNATIVE / ROCK ACT

Winner - Sam Fender

Presenter: Serge Pizzorno

BRITS RISING STAR

Winner - Myles Smith

Presenters: The Last Dinner Party

DANCE ACT

Winner: Charli xcx

Presenter: Paloma Faith

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Winner - Ezra Collective

Presenter: Naomie Harris

BRITs GLOBAL SUCCESS

Winner - Sabrina Carpenter

Presenter: Millie Bobby Brown

INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR

Winner: Chappell Roan ‘Good Luck, Babe!’

Presenter: Danny Dyer

HIP HOP/GRIME/RAP ACT

Winner: Stormzy

Presenter: Bre Tiesi & Vick Hope

R&B ACT

Winner: RAYE

Presenter: Jason Isaacs

INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Winner: Fontaines D.C.

Presenters: Harriet Rose & Munya Chawawa

BEST NEW ARTIST

Winner: The Last Dinner Party

Presenters: Emmet J Scanlon & Jourdan Dunn

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Chappell Roan

Presenter: Vicky McClure & Martin Compston

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Winner: Charli xcx

Presenter: Jared Leto

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Charli xcx

Presenter: Jack Whitehall

MASTERCARD ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Winner: Charli xcx ‘BRAT’

Presenters: Teddy Swims

Image credit: Harley Weir