BRIT Awards 2026 winners: Olivia Dean and Lola Young win their first-ever BRIT gongs at star-studded ceremony
Olivia Dean and Lola Young won their first-ever BRIT Awards at the 2026 ceremony in Manchester on Saturday.
Olivia won the first award of the evening when she took home the gong for Song Of The Year for Rein Me In with Sam Fender on Saturday.
The singer, 26, whose song Man I Need was also nominated in the same category, was given the award by Robbie Williams.
She said: ‘I just want to say thank you to Sam, it’s a beautiful song and it was a pleasure to be a a part of it.’
Off the back of winning her first ever Grammy, Lola took home the award for breakthrough artist after a turbulent few months.
It comes after a hiatus from music, following the 25-year-old sparking concern when she collapsed on stage at a New York gig in September.
She cancelled her remaining tour dates to take a break and get her ‘head in a better place’, but has since returned to the music scene and took to the stage to accept her award.
Olivia Dean won the first award of the night at the BRIT Awards on Saturday when she took home the gong for Song Of The Year for Rein Me In with Sam Fender
Off the back of winning her first ever Grammy, Lola Young took home the award from breakthrough artist after a turbulent few months
International Song of the Year was won by Rosé and Bruno Mars for APT with Rosé at the ceremony to accept the honour.
The Group of the Year award was won by Wolf Alice after the success of their fourth album The Clearing.
‘We want to dedicate this award to all the people who helped us out in the early years of Wolf Alice,’ singer Ellie Roswell said.
American rock band Geese won International Group of the Year, their first BRIT award.
Olivia and Lola Young led the nominations at this year’s ceremony with five each, closely followed by comeback queen Lily Allen, who has been recognised in three categories for her critically acclaimed fifth album, West End Girl.
Since removing gendered categories, such as Best Male and Best Female, the ceremony has faced backlash for the low number of female artists nominated, particularly in 2023 when the Artist Of The Year shortlist was entirely male.
But 2026 rings in the changes, with 70 percent of this year’s nominations being female or non-binary.
Elsewhere, British rapper Dave has been recognised in three categories: Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year, and Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act.
The 27-year-old released his third studio album, The Boy Who Played The Harp, in 2025 and has since become the first British rap artist to debut three albums at number one in the UK’s official chart.
Raye has been recognised in just one category this year, after scooping a record-breaking six awards last year.
This year’s BRIT Awards was held in Manchester for the first time since the ceremony began in 1977.
The Group of the Year award was won by Wolf Alice after the success of their fourth album The Clearing
Past venues include Earl’s Court, the London Arena, Alexandra Palace, Hammersmith Apollo, the Dominion Theatre, the Royal Albert Hall, the Grosvenor Hotel and its original location, Wembley Conference Centre.
But the move away from the capital signals another new era in the ceremony’s history, arguably the most seismic.
A source told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s officially the end of an era. The BRIT Awards has been hosted in London since the ceremony first took place in 1977 and now for the first time ever, it will be held outside of the capital.
‘Obviously, it’s going to come as sad news to artists and talent who are London-based but there’s a feeling within the music industry that these shows don’t always need to be held at the same venues, year after year.
‘The BRITs is the biggest night in the British music calendar and now it will be shared with a new audience, as fans from Manchester and the surrounding areas are more likely to attend.
‘In recent years, there has been a general appetite for the ceremony to move, as with the The Mercury Prize and The MOBO Awards and now for the first time the music scene won’t be as London-centric, both for the nominees and fans.’
Jason Iley MBE, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music UK & Ireland said: ‘This is a very exciting time for The BRIT Awards. Moving to Manchester, the home of some of the most iconic and defining artists of our lifetime, will invigorate the show and build on the BRITs legacy of celebrating and reinvesting in world-class music.
‘Hosting the show in Manchester, with its vibrant cultural history, perfectly captures the spirit and energy of the BRIT Awards. I can’t wait to see the show at the amazing state-of-the art Co-op Live venue.’
