Olivia Dean was the standout winner at the 2026 Brit Awards, held for the first time in Manchester at the Co-op Live arena. The 26-year-old took home four prizes, including artist of the year, album of the year for The Art of Loving, song of the year for her duet with Sam Fender, Rein Me In, and pop act. She won in every category she was nominated for, even beating her own solo track Man I Need in the song of the year category.
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. Her success extends to the US, where she won best new artist at the Grammys earlier this year. Accepting the album of the year award, she said: “This album is just about love, and loving each other in a world that feels loveless right now.”
Sam Fender also won the alternative/rock category for the third time, while Wolf Alice claimed group of the year for the second time. Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell dedicated the award to grassroots venues and called for better support for artists. Rosé and Bruno Mars won international song of the year for APT, voted by the public via WhatsApp.
Host Jack Whitehall delivered sharp jokes, including a quip about US singer Alex Warren and a reference to the Baftas’ swearing controversy. Lola Young won breakthrough artist, while Lily Allen went home empty-handed despite three nominations. The ceremony marked a shift to Manchester, with the city’s mayor Andy Burnham in attendance.
