Brit Awards 2026: The real winners and losers

The Brit Awards have honoured the biggest and best stars in pop from the UK and beyond.

But on a night of out-of-control wardrobes, odd behaviour and dazzling performances, the awards were only half the story. So who were the real winners and losers?

Winningest winner: Olivia Dean

Pop star Olivia Dean won every category in which she was nominated: Artist of the year, song of the year, best pop artist and best album, for the future classic, The Art Of Loving.

The singer seemed overwhelmed as she made her third trip of the night to the podium.

"It takes a lot of good people to make a good artist... I don't know what else to say. Thank you, bye!"

We love you, too, Olivia, Bye!

Greatest rave up in a church: Rosalía

An immaculate performance. A musical masterpiece. A slap and a tickle. A cross between a prayer and a rave.

Rosalía was probably the least familiar performer on tonight's line-up, but she stole the show with a dramatic performance of her recent single, Berghain.

Full of thunderous strings and Wagnerian vocals, it starts off as an opera song, changes tempo three times, introduces a guest verse from Bjork and ends with an almighty rave breakdown.

Her performance - complete with Bjork dressed in the entrails of a blue alien - was one of the most audacious moments of the night. The room was spellbound.

Highest waistband: Harry Styles

Harry Styles opened the show by playing Aperture in his school uniform (actually a Chanel pin-striped suit - fashion ed).

The waistband was high enough to give crush his lungs, but that didn't stop him recreating the video's fluid, technically-challenging choreography on stage.

It was an impressive way to launch his Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally era - which promises a much clubbier sound than his previous work.

Host Jack Whitehall was clearly impressed, calling the performance: "The musical equivalent of sitting on the washing machine."

It's called descending from a ceiling on a disco ball, and everyone should do it at least once in their life.

Rosalía went on to win best international artist, telling the audience: "It's such an honour to bring my music far from home and I would love to share this with all my peers who also make music in Spanish."

Country-pop singer CMAT, who'd been up for the same prize, took the loss in her stride - collapsing in fake tears for the sake of the cameras.

Best reaction shot (runner-up): Jim Legxacy

One of rap's most exciting new talents, Jim Legxacy, was beaten to the title of best breakthrough artist by pop star Lola Young.

He expressed his sorrow through the medium of balancing one drink on top of another.

Biggest guffaws: Jack Whitehall

Hosting the Brits for his sixth and final time, Jack Whitehall wasn't taking any prisoners.

"There might be some swearing but don't worry, we've got the best in the business on the bleep button," he said at the outset. "It's the guy who did the Baftas. Nothing gets past him."

Later, he described Robbie Williams as having "more comebacks than his hairline", and said Shaun Ryder and Bez had "aged like service station flowers".

Referencing Lily Allen, whose latest record is a vicious account of the end of her marriage to Stranger Things actor David Harbour, he joked: "Her album West End Girl was launched into the charts like a torpedo, only this torpedo didn't sink a ship it destroyed a harbour."

And noticing Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in the audience, he quipped: "This is the only party he's allowed into these days" - a reference to Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer banning from from standing in this week's by-elections.

A joke about Peter Mandelson being on the guestlist – "no, sorry, that was another list" – was edited out by ITV from the TV broadcast.

Mightiest intake of breath: Everyone in the press room

New York singer-songwriter Sombr was in the middle of performing Undressed when a stage invader ran directly at him, before being tackled to the ground by security and bundled off stage.

The press room fell completely silent, as everyone envisaged their carefully-crafted stories being torn up and re-written.

"Is that real? Did that just happen?"

Then a curtain fell, fireworks exploded, a band appeared and Sombr got back up on his podium to finish the set. A PR confirmed it had all been a part of the show.

The sigh of relief was like a million angel breaths.

Most unexpected triumph: Robbie Williams sings Ozzy Osbourne

When The Brits announced that Robbie Williams would be leading a tribute to the Prince Of Darkness™ Ozzy Osbourne, it's fair to say a few people scratched their heads.

But he turned out to be an inspired choice, adding a real grit and pathos to his rendition of Osbourne's 1991 track No More Tears, backed by a band including Metallica's Robert Trujillo and longtime Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde.

The performance had been curated by Sharon Osbourne, who'd previously picked Yungblud to sing Changes at Ozzy's farewell concert. Turns out that the star's wife and long-term manager has a firm grasp on his legacy.

Most honest assessment of their chances of winning an award based on the financial returns of their latest album: Self Esteem

Speaking on the red carpet, pop star Self Esteem declared she was not going to win the only category in which she was nominated: Artist of the year.

"Why don't you think you'll win?" we asked.

"Oh, come on," came the reply. "I've not bolstered the UK economy at all."

It's worth watching the full interview (above). It got quite deep for a glitzy award show chinwag.

Least accurate prize: Songwriter of the year

Look, the Brits needed to give Manchester some love after uprooting the show and moving north. Unfortunately only one of this nominees year's nominees was from the city: Chrystal, whose song The Days was up for best single.

So enter Noel Gallagher, Oasis legend, creator of a two dozen generational anthems (and Put Your Money Where Yer Mouth Is).

Giving him songwriter of the year was a smart move, in a year when Oasis's reunion tour put the band's songs back into the Top 10.

But even he knew it was a stitch-up. "I haven't written a song in two years," he confessed.

Classiest act: Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson has more chill than a refrigerator full of penguins but his speech for the outstanding contribution award was surprisingly emotional.

The producer and DJ, who's made hits with Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars and Christina Aguilera, dedicated the award to Amy Winehouse.

"I realised on the way here that on Thursday 6 March, it'll be 20 years to the day that Amy Winehouse came up to my studio," he reminisced.

"She said, 'I'm here to meet Mark Ronson.'

"She said, 'Oh, I thought you were an old guy with a beard.'"

"But we talked for four hours and that night we wrote Back To Black and that changed my life forever."

Referencing all the people he's worked with since, he reflected: "The music I made with Amy is the reason any of them know who I am anyway."

During his performance later, he brought out Amy's old band and used archive footage of the star, keeping her legacy intact.

Frankest confession: Jade

We caught up with Jade on the red carpet to talk about her performance at last year's Brit Awards - an incredibly ambitious, three-act staging of her debut solo single Angel Of My Dreams.

"I'm so relieved I'm not performing this year," she admitted. Watch the interview above.

Most powerful speech: Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice, winning best group, used their allotted stage time to make a plea for the "pubs, clubs and grassroots venues where we quite literally learned to play our instruments and write our songs.

"Despite the billions of pounds the live sector contributes to our economy, last year 30 independent venues closed down, 6000 jobs were lost and over half of small venues made no money at all," said frontwoman Ellie Rowsell, reading from her phone.

"It shouldn't be a battle to survive as a band or an artist. We shouldn't be reliant on favours or one-off funding schemes.

"It shouldn't feel like a golden ticket, but a viable career position for anyone, from any background."

Most chaotic interview: Shaun Ryder and Bez

It wouldn't be a night out in Manchester without Happy Mondays stars Shaun Ryder and Bez (although, as they'll happily tell you, they actually come from Salford).

Jack Whitehall sat down to interview them an hour into the show and the wheels not only fell off, they rolled out the door, careened down a hill, crashed into a taxi, burst into flames and destroyed a Waitrose.

Asked about the secret to their relationship, a well lubricated Ryder said: "A 42-year sexless marriage."

"And what phase of the marriage are you at now?" asked Whitehall.

Later, Whitehall "exclusively revealed" the duo were the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing.

"Jack, you grass!" announced an indignant Ryder, before making an exceptionally off-colour joke about Paddington Bear.

Biggest redemption: Alex Warren

Alex Warren had a nightmare at last month's Grammy Awards.

Booked to play his hit single Ordinary, the 25-year-old was seen fumbling with his earpiece and singing completely out of time with the backing track.

He later posted a video on TikTok, showing how his earpiece had malfunctioned, playing all of the music twice, like he was singing in the middle of the Grand Canyon.

"This would only happen to me," he said, burying his head in his hands.

On stage in Manchester, he laid those ghosts to rest. Performing the same song with James Blunt and Manchester's Hallé Orchestra, he got every note right.

You could tell he was happy at the end, as he dedicated the song to his wife Kouvr with a smile wider than a football field.

Best award show development: Short speeches

For once, nobody rambled, nobody went off script, and almost everyone remembered to thank their mum.

Picking up best pop act, Dean squealed "no way" and added: "Pop music is kind of confusing. I don't really know what it means but I think it's about togetherness and making people feel good."

Skepta, receiving best dance act alongside Fred Again, was upfront about his lack of preparation.

"I thought they tell you before you win so I don't have a speech ready."

And winning best breakthrough artist, Lola Young noted: "I'm not wearing eye lashes so I don't know how I feel about that right now but we'll make it work."

Gathering her thoughts, she said: "It is a great time in British music and music in general.

"When the outside world can feel horrifyingly bleak and quite frankly scary sometimes, music can be a great escape."

Best music industry decision: Leaving London

Locating the Brit Awards in Manchester marked a significant move away from London for the first time in the ceremony's 49-year history.

As well as Saturday's ceremony, it brought a series of fringe events – from art trails, and industry showcases to one-off live gigs – giving the city an extra chance to see the likes of Olivia Dean, Robbie Williams and the Foo Fighters.

"It shows people are realising London is a ****hole," joked internet personality Angry Ginge.

As for the broader impact it could have city - it's hard to tell, really. Manchester is not exactly a musical outpost in need of a boost. It's the city that brought us Oasis, Joy Division, the Stone Roses, the Hacienda nightclub and, more recently, the Parklife music festival.

It has long been a trendsetter in music, culture and social change. Or as the late Factory Records boss Tony Wilson once put it: "What Manchester does today, London does tomorrow."

Just like the MOBOs, which will take place at the same venue next month, and the Mercury Prize, which will return to Newcastle; it's hoped that the Brits will inspire a new generation of award-winners outside the capital.

A Brit School-inspired creative arts college is expected to open in Bradford in 2028 to help develop talent in the north.

But there's a steep hill to climb: Only one of this year's main Brit Award nominees, the singer-songwriter Chrystal, came from Manchester.

Additional reporting by Paul Glynn, Tara Mewawalla and Annabel Rackham