Olivia Dean Triumphs at Brit Awards as ITV Censors Political Remarks and Swearing
The 2026 Brit Awards ceremony was dominated by soulful pop star Olivia Dean, who secured an impressive four awards, but the broadcast on ITV was marked by significant censorship of political comments and explicit language. This follows recent controversy at the Bafta Awards where the BBC aired a racial slur from an audience member with Tourette syndrome, raising questions about broadcast standards.
Censored Moments: Palestine Shout and Mandelson Joke Edited Out
One of the most notable censored moments occurred when Geese drummer Max Bassin, collecting the award for best international group, declared, "What's up the Brits? I just want to say: free Palestine, f*** Ice, RIP Mani, let's go Geese. Thank you." ITV removed the entire statement from the broadcast. Additionally, presenter Jack Whitehall's joke about Lord Peter Mandelson was cut. Whitehall had quipped about the Brit Awards being "absolutely swarming with celebrities," mentioning Calvin Harris, Andy Burnham, and Lisa Nandy, before adding, "I think that I saw Peter Mandelson on the guest list."
Later in the evening, Scottish singer Jacob Alon was seen holding up a Palestinian keffiyeh during Sharon Osbourne's acceptance speech for her husband Ozzy Osbourne's lifetime achievement award. Alon, winner of the Brit Critics Choice Award 2026, had previously sung "free Palestine" during their performance at the 2025 Mercury Music Prize. Sharon Osbourne has been publicly supportive of Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war, adding to the political undertones.
Olivia Dean's Emotional Wins and Industry Advocacy
Olivia Dean took home awards for artist of the year, album of the year for The Art Of Loving, pop act, and song of the year for Rein Me In, a collaboration with Sam Fender. Becoming emotional after winning album of the year, she said, "Making this album has changed my life, I feel so proud to have made it, and to work with everybody that I did on it... Thank you so much for believing in me when I didn't really believe in myself sometimes... this album is just about love and loving each other in a world that feels lovelessness right now." After receiving song of the year, Dean thanked Fender for "a beautiful song," noting it had "been a pleasure to be a part of it." Fender responded by praising Dean for making the song her own.
Other winners used their platform to address industry issues. Wolf Alice, winning group of the year, called for support for small venues. Singer Ellie Rowsell highlighted that "30 independent venues closed down" last year, with "6,000 jobs lost," and urged that it "shouldn't be a battle to survive as a band or any artist." She emphasized the need for a viable career path in music, stating, "We shouldn't be reliant on favours or anyone on funding schemes in order to do things at a level we feel proud of."
International and Breakthrough Artists Celebrate Diversity
Spanish singer Rosalia, who performed with Bjork, won the award for international act, following her critically acclaimed album Lux. She expressed gratitude, saying, "It's such an honour to bring my music far from home," and dedicated the award to peers making music in Spanish, advocating for celebrating "different music, different cultures, different languages." Lola Young, winner of breakthrough act, spoke about music as a "safe haven" in a "bleak" world, celebrating artists who "wear their heart on their sleeve."
Additional winners included Rose and Bruno Mars for international song of the year with APT, Dave for hip hop, grime and rap act, Fred Again.. Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax for dance, Sault for best R&B, and Sam Fender for best alternative act. Performances featured Robbie Williams fronting a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Harry Styles performing his latest single Aperture. Noel Gallagher was named songwriter of the year, Mark Ronson received the outstanding contribution to music award, and PinkPantheress (Victoria Walker) made history as the first woman and youngest ever to win producer of the year.
The 2026 Brit Awards thus blended artistic celebration with political tension and industry advocacy, all under the shadow of broadcast censorship that sparked debate over free expression and editorial control in live television events.
