THE Brits are imminent – and this year the big show is taking place in Manchester.
The 2025 Brit Awards saw Charli XCX as the big winner – she won five awards in the Artist, Album, Songwriter, Song of the Year and Dance Act categories.
Almost 70 per cent of the nominees were women in 2025.
This came after a turbulent time of the event being accused of sexism.
Charli herself was a spokesperson of this feeling in the industry, in the 2023 ceremony there were no women nominated for the Artist of the Year award Charli said: “We’re doing everything right,
“I don’t think it’s our fault.
“I think it’s theirs.”
Her husband‘s band The 1975 have also been outspoken about their views on the awards in the past.
In 2019, The 1975 frontman Matty Healy quoted journalist Laura Snapes: “In music, male misogynist acts are examined for nuance and defended as traits for difficult artists
“Whilst women and those who call them out are treated as hysterics who don’t understand art.”
Healy said this as the band were accepting their award for Best British Group in 2019.
The front runners this year are Lola Young and Olivia Dean with five nominations each.
When is the Brit Awards 2026?
This year, the Brits will be on Saturday February 28 at 8.15pm.
It is taking place in Manchester’s Co-op Live but if you’re not going to the live event you can catch it from the comfort of your own home.
You can watch the Brit Awards on ITV1, ITVX and there will even be a livestream on YouTube.
Who is performing at the Brits 2026?
- Raye
- Olivia Dean
- Harry Styles
- Wolf Alice
- Mark Ronson
- Rosalia
- Huntr/X (the voices of K pop demon hunters) EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami
- Alex Warren
Robbie Williams is also set to pay tribute to the late rocker Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July aged 76, at the awards ceremony.
The singer will perform a special arrangement of Ozzy’s own songs alongside some of the Black Sabbath rocker’s former bandmates and musician pals.
What are the Brit Awards nominations?
There are 16 awards up for grabs this year.
The award categories are:
- Song
- International Song
- British Album
- Critics’ Choice
- British Group
- Breakthrough Artist
- International Group
- Pop Act
- Artist
- International Artist
- R&B Act
- Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act
- British Dance Act
- Producer
The nominations for the hotly anticipated Song category are:
- Messy by Lola Young
- WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! by Raye
- Survive by Lewis Capaldi
- Rein Me In by Olivia Dean and Sam Fender
- Man I Need by Olivia Dean
- Family Matters by Skye Newman
- The Days (NOTION Remix) by Chrystal and NOTION
- Defying Gravity by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
- Victory Lap by Fred Again, PlaqueBoyMax and Skepta
- Blessings by Calvin Harris and Clementine Douglas
Olivia Dean has two nominations in this fan favourite category.
She is also nominated for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Pop Act.
Lola Young has been nominated for the Song category with her tune Messy and has also received nominations for Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Artist, Alt/Rock Act and Pop Act.
Lola and Olivia are the frontrunners this year with five nominations each.
Sam Fender is close behind them with four nominations himself.
Lily Allen, Wolf Alice, Dave, Fred again and Jim Legxacy have three nominations each.
