Oliva Dean leads Brit Awards wins: Full winners list for 2026

All eyes were on Manchester on Saturday, 28th February at The BRIT Awards 2026 as the ceremony made its way out of London and moved up North for the first time in its nearly five-decade history.

Having received five nominations, British breakout star Olivia Dean won the most awards on the night, tracking a huge year that saw her pick up Best New Artist at last month’s GRAMMY awards, as well as becoming the first woman in UK chart history to land a debut No. 1 single and album in the same week.

Dean was presented with Artist of the Year, Mastercard Album of the Year and Pop Act, and performed an elegant rendition of Man I Need during the show.

Although many anticipated Dean's Man I Need or RAYE's WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! would claim the win, a fourth award win was added to Dean’s haul with victory in Song of the Year with Mastercard for Rein Me In, the single remix of 2025 Mercury Prize winner Sam Fender’s original song, which currently sits atop the UK Singles chart for the second consecutive week.

Both artists took to the stage to receive the award from Robbie Williams. This award was voted for by fans this year (along with International Song of the Year) through WhatsApp as part of a wider partnership between The BRITs and Meta.

Taking over the city’s Co-op Live, the event was a landmark celebration of the biggest and most iconic names in British and international music. Fans tuned in from all over the country, and across the world, for a jam-packed two-and-a-half-hour show, hosted by award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and writer Jack Whitehall.

The ceremony featured award wins that recognised the artists who achieved significant commercial and chart impact in the previous year, as well as celebrating legends and icons for their undeniable influence on music and culture, along with 10 performances across five stages within the arena that boasted special guests including Dua Lipa, Björk and James Blunt.

Fender was back on stage later in the show to collect the award for Alternative/Rock Act, for the second year running.

Having equalled Dean for the most nominations this year with five, as well as being fellow BRIT School alumni, British standout star Lola Young won her first ever BRIT award for Breakthrough Artist, and accepted the award from 2025’s BRITs Critics’ Choice winner, Myles Smith.

After being the subject of a classic Jack Whitehall comedy sketch that kicked off proceedings (a Lily Allen quip and a Peter Mandelson joke that was cut from the live broadcast getting some of the biggest laughs of the night), Harry Styles officially opened the show with a worldwide exclusive performance of Aperture from his highly anticipated new album.

The critically-acclaimed Wolf Alice were presented with the Group of the Year award by Manchester's own Shaun Ryder and Bez, the same award they won in 2022, and performed a version of The Sofa, which saw the band move from stage to stage, accompanied by dancers, captured in a single-camera shot.

In one of the evening’s standout performances, GRAMMY-award winning Spanish pop star ROSALÍA (who also won her first BRIT award for International Artist of the Year), delivered an electric performance of Berghain, for which she brought out the Heritage Orchestra and Björk - the Icelandic artist’s first appearance at The BRIT Awards in 10 years.

International Song of the Year went to ROSÉ & Bruno Mars for APT., the record-breaking and best-selling global single of 2025 - and the first ever BRIT award win for a K-pop artist.

The BRITs this year broke another record for this globally-dominant genre, by presenting its first performance from a K-pop act; EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s global phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters, came to Manchester earlier this week for a special and pyro-laden performance of their BRIT-nominated track Golden, outside the Co-op Live in front of an invited audience of fans which was played out during the live broadcast.

Internationally celebrated musician, producer and DJ Mark Ronson was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Music award for playing a pivotal role in shaping era-defining and multi-platinum records for renowned artists worldwide, whilst also achieving significant international recognition as both a solo artist and producer.

He marked the moment with a spectacular career-spanning medley, for which he was joined by Dua Lipa and Ghostface Killah (with Serge Pizzorno as a surprise ‘chaffeur’), with Amy Winehouse’s band. 

Ronson made a moving speech as part of the evening, acknowledging the impact that working with Winehouse had on his career.

"I realised on the way here that on Thursday 6 March, it will be 20 years to the day that Amy Winehouse came up to my studio in New York City," he said. "She came up to the steps, and she said, 'I'm here to meet Mark Ronson’. And I said, ‘That’s me’, and she goes, ‘I thought you were an old guy with a beard’. That night we wrote Back To Black, and that day changed my life forever. I know the music I made with Amy is the reason that any of them know who I am. That’s why I always treasure her voice, her talent and our bond."

Ronson went on to thank his collaborators and fans: "You put these songs into your lives. You’re the reason any of us are up here. Every time in a wedding and I hear the song Uptown Funk, or I see someone busking Shallow or Valerie in the subway – I can’t believe that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of songs that mean something to people. I’m so grateful."

PinkPantheress was this year’s Producer of the Year winner, and Jacob Alon won the BRITs’ Critics’ Choice award. Manchester legend Noel Gallagher was presented by Bobby Gillespie with the Songwriter of the Year award, in acknowledgement of the songwriting that has permeated the fabric of British culture for over three decades.

Global rock icon Ozzy Osbourne was honoured with a BRITs Lifetime Achievement award, in recognition and celebration of his inimitable impact and influence on music worldwide. 

This award was introduced by country music icon and close friend Dolly Parton via a VT message and accepted in person by Sharon and Kelly Osbourne. 

An all-star rock tribute performance of No More Tears followed the award presentation to close the show, fronted by Robbie Williams and featuring musicians who played as part of Ozzy’s band over the years: Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde.

International Artist of the Year went to Brooklyn rock band Geese, who were presented with their award by Cat Burns; with No. 1 selling rapper and songwriter Dave winning Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act for the second time, having first won this award in 2022.

Dance Act went to former Producer of the Year winner and producer and artist Fred again.., and rapper and producer Skepta, along with US producer PlaqueBoyMax, with Skepta collecting the award on their behalf. Anonymous multi-genre music collective SAULT were honoured with R&B Act.

In the middle of her own UK tour, another show highlight saw BRIT record-holder RAYE perform a powerful two-song medley of WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! and new single, Nightingale Lane.

Alex Warren gave The BRITs a unique version of his record-breaking hit single Ordinary, accompanied by James Blunt on piano and the Halle orchestra from Manchester, and Gen-Z rock star SOMBR performed Undressed and Back to Friends in a dynamic rock ‘n’ roll set which included a realistic-looking planned stunt that saw the star pushed from his podium by a stage-invader sporting a ‘SOMBR is a homewrecker’ T-shirt.

A touching In Memoriam segment earlier in the night paid tribute to several artists and industry figureheads who passed in the previous year, with Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess invited onto the BRITs stage to speak about Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist Mani, who passed away last November.

Awards presenters included Cat Burns, Clara Amfo, JADE, Jeff Goldblum, Maya Jama, Myles Smith, Skepta, Shaun Ryder, Bez and Tems.

The BRITs 2026 was chaired by Stacey Tang (co-president of RCA Records, Sony Music UK), who oversaw the BRITs creative team, which included set and stage design by Misty Buckley, BRITs TV Executive Producer Sally Wood and BRITs TV Director Phil Heyes.

“Tonight felt like a landmark moment for the BRIT Awards,” says Tang. “Bringing the ceremony to Manchester for the first time in its history gave the show a new kind of energy, and the city met us with the openness it’s famous for. What unfolded on stage – from boundary‑pushing performances to career-defining moments – reflected a year characterised by artistic ambition and the international pull of UK music. 

"At its core, The BRIT Awards exist to celebrate creativity in the UK and across the globe. In times that are tumultuous and uncertain, music remains one of the most powerful forces for connection, fostering community and joy.”

The BRITs Voting Academy – responsible for determining the nominees and the overall winners of categories including Artist of the Year, Mastercard Album of the Year and Breakthrough Artist – is comprised of approximately 1,200 members who are responsible for shaping the creative and commercial success of the British music industry, including artists, producers, labels, retailers, publishers, managers, media, live, social and DSPs.

Since 2017, the BRITs Voting Academy has undergone an annual refresh to ensure its membership is inclusive and relevant, as well as being representative of today’s industry, with members aligned on an artist-first approach. 

The BRITs’ commitment to diversity is supported with a balanced split of women and men, as well as representation of members who identify outside the gender binary, and with a quarter of those who vote identifying as being from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background. 

The Academy and the voting process is overseen by Civica – an independent voting scrutineer.

Full Winners List

AWARD - SONG OF THE YEAR WITH MASTERCARD

Winner - Rein Me In, Sam Fender (with Olivia Dean)

Presenter: Robbie Williams

AWARD - HIP HOP/GRIME/RAP ACT

Winner: Dave

Presenter: Sasha Keable

AWARD - GROUP OF THE YEAR

Winner - Wolf Alice

Presenters: Bez and Shaun Ryder

AWARD - DANCE ACT

Winner: Fred again../Skepta/PlaqueBoyMax

Presenter: DJ Paulette

AWARD - BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST

Winner: Lola Young

Presenter: Myles Smith

AWARD - INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR

Winner: APT, ROSÉ & Bruno Mars

Presenters: AngryGinge and Luke Littler

AWARD - ALTERNATIVE / ROCK ACT

Winner - Sam Fender

Presenter: Jack Saunders

AWARD - INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Winner: Geese

Presenter: Cat Burns

AWARD - POP ACT

Winner: Olivia Dean

Presenter: Matthew Williamson

AWARD - SONGWRITER

Winner: Noel Gallagher

Presenter: Bobby Gillespie

AWARD - OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

Winner: Mark Ronson

Presenter: Skepta

AWARD - R&B ACT

Winner: SAULT

Presenter: Clara Amfo

AWARD - INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Winner - ROSALÍA

Presenters: JADE and Tems

AWARD - ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Winner: Olivia Dean

Presenters: Maya Jama and James Blunt

AWARD - MASTERCARD ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Winner: The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean

Presenter: Jeff Goldblum

AWARD - LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Winner: Ozzy Osbourne

Presenter: Dolly Parton (on VT)

Images via The Brits