The 46th Brit Awards ceremony is taking place tonight in Manchester, marking the first time the prestigious event has been held outside London since its inception in 1977. This year's nominations see Olivia Dean and Lola Young leading with five nods each, setting the stage for a highly competitive evening in British music.
Key Takeaways
- Brit Awards move to Manchester for the first time in history.
- Olivia Dean and Lola Young lead nominations with five nods each.
- Harry Styles to perform new music from his upcoming album.
- Ozzy Osbourne will receive a posthumous lifetime achievement award.
- PinkPantheress makes history as the first female Producer Of The Year.
Manchester Hosts Iconic Music Event
The decision to host the Brit Awards in Manchester's Co-Op Arena represents a significant shift for the ceremony. Since 1977, the event has been synonymous with London venues, primarily the O2 Arena. This change brings a fresh perspective and energy to the awards, highlighting the UK's diverse musical landscape beyond the capital.
The nominations reflect a vibrant year for British music. While Dean and Young dominate with their impressive five nominations each, the shortlist also includes established artists like Lily Allen, whose latest album, West End Girl, has garnered critical attention. Resurgent Britpop band Pulp also received a nomination for Best Group, thirty years after their iconic 1996 performance.
Did You Know?
This is the 46th edition of the Brit Awards. The ceremony has only ever been held in London until this year.
Harry Styles Returns to the Brit Awards Stage
Superstar Harry Styles is set to make a highly anticipated return to the Brit Awards stage. His last appearance three years ago saw him perform "As It Was" and collect four trophies, including Album of the Year. This year, he will perform "Aperture," a track from his forthcoming fourth album, Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally.
Details of Styles' performance remain under tight wraps, with reports of "closed door rehearsals" keeping the specifics secret. However, it is confirmed that Styles will participate in a sketch with host Jack Whitehall. Whitehall shared some light-hearted anecdotes about pitching ideas for the sketch, including one rejected concept where he would trek to find a Hagrid-like Styles living in a hut.
"There was one that was me trekking for days trying to find him and he'd been living in a hut and he looked like Hagrid, and then it had me shaving him. I got a hard no from his team," comedian Jack Whitehall revealed about his rejected sketch ideas.
A Highly Competitive Awards Race
Unlike previous years where a single artist often dominated the awards, 2026 promises a more unpredictable outcome. Categories like Best British Artist are particularly close, with Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Lily Allen, Dave, Sam Fender, and PinkPantheress all strong contenders. This diverse field signals a period where new talent is successfully breaking through and challenging established acts.
Olivia Dean's second album, The Art of Loving, which features songs about the complexities of love, is considered a front-runner for Best Album. Since its release last October, the album has topped the charts on four separate occasions. She faces tough competition from Mercury Prize winner Sam Fender and Lily Allen's critically acclaimed album. Lola Young's "Messy" is a strong contender for Song of the Year, alongside Raye's "Where Is My Husband" and Myles Smith's "Nice To Meet You."
Award Predictability
In recent years, artists like Harry Styles (2023), Raye (2024), and Charli XCX (2025) often swept multiple categories. This year, the competition is significantly tighter across many major awards, suggesting a broader distribution of accolades.
Honoring a Legend and Historic Wins
The ceremony will pay tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, often known as The Prince of Darkness, with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award. Osbourne passed away last July, shortly after a farewell concert in his hometown of Birmingham. His wife, Sharon Osbourne, curated a special performance of his 1991 song "No More Tears," which will be fronted by Robbie Williams.
In another significant moment, PinkPantheress has already secured the Producer Of The Year award, making her the first woman to win this prize. Her accomplishment follows the release of two successful albums last year. Noel Gallagher will also receive the Songwriter of the Year award, an honor he humorously admitted to being surprised by, given he hasn't written a song in two years.
Jacob Alon, the Scottish star known for his stunning voice and delicate folk ballads, is the recipient of the Rising Star prize. Alon, who was also nominated for a Mercury Prize last year, is scheduled to perform at the ceremony.
- Ozzy Osbourne: Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award.
- PinkPantheress: First woman to win Producer Of The Year.
- Noel Gallagher: Songwriter of the Year.
- Jacob Alon: Rising Star prize winner.
Potential Record-Breaking Moments
With 90 nominees across 16 categories, several artists have the opportunity to make history. Raye, already a multi-award winner, could tie with Coldplay as the third most successful act in Brit Awards history if she wins both of her nominated categories: Best Pop Artist and Best Single.
Taylor Swift, despite her global success and having the best-selling album in the UK last year, has never won the Best International Artist award. She has been nominated every year since its creation in 2022. This year could mark a change in her Brit Awards fortunes for this specific category.
The fictional K-Pop girl band Huntr/x, from the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, is nominated for Best International Single and Best International Group. A win in either category would be a historic first for K-Pop at the Brit Awards. Additionally, if Jade Thirlwall is named Artist of the Year, she would be the first woman to win both that trophy and the Best Group award, which she received as part of Little Mix in 2021.
The Best International Artist category also features nominees who perform in foreign languages, including Bad Bunny, Rosalía, and CMAT. A win for any of these artists would be a first, as no foreign-language performer has ever taken home this prize. Rosalía, in particular, is noted for performing in multiple languages, including Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese.
Record Watch
- Raye could tie Coldplay's Brit Awards record.
- Taylor Swift aims for her first Best International Artist win.
- Huntr/x could secure the first K-Pop win.
- Jade Thirlwall could be the first woman to win both Best Artist and Best Group.
- A foreign-language artist could win Best International Artist for the first time.
How to Watch the Brit Awards
Viewers in the UK can watch the ceremony live on ITV and ITVX starting at 8:15 PM GMT. The show will also be streamed on ITV's YouTube channel for UK audiences. International viewers can tune in via the Brit Awards' official YouTube channel. Red carpet coverage will begin earlier, at 5:00 PM GMT, on the BBC News website, which will also provide live text commentary throughout the event.
The impressive lineup of performers includes Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice, the fictional group Huntr/x, Alex Warren, Mark Ronson, Rosalía, Sombr, and Raye. This diverse group promises a night of memorable musical performances to complement the awards presentations.