Olivia Dean was the standout winner at the 2026 Brit Awards, held for the first time at Manchester's Co-op Live arena. The 26-year-old took home four awards: artist of the year, pop act, song of the year for her Sam Fender duet Rein Me In, and album of the year for The Art of Loving. She won in every category she was nominated in, including beating her own solo track Man I Need for song of the year.
Dean's second album, The Art of Loving, has propelled her to the forefront of British pop, blending bossa nova, trip-hop, neo-soul and jazz. She also won best new artist at this year's Grammys, highlighting her success in the US. Accepting album of the year, she said: 'This album is just about love, and loving each other in a world that feels loveless right now.'
Sam Fender won the alternative/rock category for the third time, while Rosé and Bruno Mars took international song of the year for APT. Wolf Alice won group of the year for the second time, with frontwoman Ellie Rowsell dedicating the award to grassroots venues and calling for better support for artists. Lola Young, who had five nominations, won breakthrough artist.
Host Jack Whitehall delivered sharp jokes, including jibes at US singer Alex Warren, Robbie Williams, and the Baftas' recent N-word controversy. A joke about Peter Mandelson was edited out by ITV. Lily Allen, despite three nominations, won no awards.
