Manchester is hosting the Brit awards for the first time in the event's five-decade history, marking a significant departure from its traditional London base. The ceremony, taking place at the Co-op Live arena on Saturday, has been embraced by the city, with temporary signs renaming a station to 'Olivia Deansgate' in tribute to the five-time nominee Olivia Dean.
Stacey Tang, the Brit awards chair, said the move was about recognising the geographical diversity of UK music talent. 'Creativity doesn't happen in one postcode in the UK … so the idea that the biggest night in music should always be in London, I think, is ageing out,' she said. Tang praised the approach of the local authority and Mayor Andy Burnham, noting they had 'really opened up the city'.
The awards organisers have been running a fringe event in Manchester, featuring work with grassroots artists and intimate shows by pop stars including Olivia Dean and Robbie Williams in aid of War Child. Tang said Manchester had a 'creative positivity' and 'kinetic energy' that was palpable, adding: 'There's always something that you can go to, meet other people who are like-minded, but also feel like “oh, wow, I belong in this city”, regardless of whether you live there or not.'
The Manchester Brits follows the Mobo awards, which have been held in several northern cities and will celebrate their 30th anniversary in Manchester at the end of March. The MTV European music awards were held at Co-op Live in 2024, the same year as the Northern music awards launched in Manchester. Jo Twist, chief executive of the BPI, said research showed Manchester had consistently been the UK's top location for producing chart-toppers, and that the industry had recognised it should do more to actively find talent outside London.
Scott Lewis, label manager at EMI North in Leeds, said it was important that large music events were held in the north. 'I do believe in the adage “if you can see it, you can be it”,' he said. His role was established in 2023 at the first major label office outside London, recognising that it can be harder for northern musicians to get a look-in. 'It's a case of talent being everywhere but opportunity not necessarily being everywhere,' he said.
Serious progress has been made, with organisations such as Brighter Sound in Manchester, Generator in Newcastle and Launchpad in Leeds nurturing fresh talent. In 2028, the new Brit school will open in Bradford, a young, energetic northern city with a rich cultural heritage and an enormous grassroots arts scene to build upon. Lewis felt there was a 'real integrity and humour' to artists from the north of England, describing them as storytellers: 'I think you can pop down a coffee shop, or a pub, and end up sitting next to somebody, you'll end up chatting, and they'll tell you one of the best stories you've heard in your life.'
