Staged at Manchester’s newly opened Co-op Live Arena, the ceremony belonged emphatically to the 26-year-old Londoner. Dean claimed four awards: Best British Artist, Best Album for The Art of Loving, Best Pop Act, and Song of the Year for her current number one duet with Sam Fender, “Rein Me In.”
In the hotly contested Best British Artist category, she triumphed over formidable competition including breakthrough act winner Lola Young, Best Rap Act Dave and Best Rock Act Sam Fender.
Holding back tears as she accepted Album of the Year, Dean described the record as “just about love and loving each other in a world that feels loveless.” Earlier in the evening, during her first visit to the podium, she admitted: “I don't know if I ever really thought I'd get [a Brit Award], but I did!”
Her elegant live performance of “Man I Need” showcased the warmth and poise that have fuelled her rapid ascent. The Brit School alumna’s second album — brimming with jazz-tinged reflections on the jeopardies and joys of falling in love — also spawned top 10 hits including “Nice to Each Other” and “So Easy (To Fall in Love).” The quadruple triumph further cemented her status as Britain’s biggest new star, following her Best New Artist win at the Grammys in Los Angeles last month.
A City Turns Dean Feverish
Manchester embraced its adopted pop monarch wholeheartedly. Ahead of the ceremony, Dean performed a radiant, candlelit charity gig at the Albert Hall. Deansgate train station was temporarily renamed “Olivia Deansgate” in her honour, while the city’s Metrolink service drafted in fellow BRIT winner PinkPantheress — named Producer of the Year ahead of the show — as the voice of tram announcements.
“If you're heading to the show, make sure you hop off the tram at the Etihad campus,” she told passengers. “Keep it cute, keep it moving and I'll see you at the Brits.”
Sadly, she later revealed on Instagram that she was “devastated I won’t be able to make it,” having just returned from festival performances in Australia.
Harry Turns on the Style
Opening the ceremony in commanding fashion, Harry Styles — an investor in the arena — delivered a hypnotic rendition of his club-inflected new single “Aperture.” Dressed in high-waisted trousers, he cut a figure likened to a cross between David Byrne and a particularly dapper investment banker.
He had earlier appeared in one of several knowingly cringeworthy pre-recorded comedy sketches with host Jack Whitehall, who was overseeing the ceremony for the final time. Whitehall also drew laughs by pointing out Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in the audience, joking that the BRITs was the “only party he’s allowed into these days” — a reference to Prime Minister Keir Starmer blocking Burnham from standing as a Labour candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
K-pop group Huntr/x — comprised of Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — stormed an outdoor stage with their breakout hit “Golden,” adding to the night’s global flair.
International Milestones
Catalan trailblazer Rosalía made history by becoming the first BRIT winner recognised for music sung in a foreign language — an accolade that has traditionally gone to US artists. “Let’s keep celebrating the otherness,” she urged during her acceptance speech. “Let’s keep celebrating different music, different cultures, different languages.”
She later teamed up with Björk for a theatrical performance of her recent single “Berghain,” which Whitehall quipped began like the “Last Night of the Proms” and ended like an Ibiza rave.
Rosé also entered the history books as the first K-pop act to win a BRIT, claiming International Song of the Year for “APT.” alongside Bruno Mars.
Meanwhile, Best Group winners Wolf Alice used their moment on stage to advocate for grassroots venues and working-class artists. Singer Ellie Rowsell noted that 30 independent venues had closed in the last year. “It shouldn't be a battle to survive as a band,” she said. “We shouldn't be reliant on favours or winning one funding scheme in order to do things at a level we feel proud of.”
Raye — who scooped six awards at the 2024 ceremony — performed a reimagined “Where Is My Husband!” before segueing into her new soul ballad “Nightingale Lane.”
Emotional Tributes and Manchester Icons
The ceremony paid moving tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, who was awarded a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award seven months after his death at 76. A surprise video message from Dolly Parton praised his theatrical flair and musical gifts.
His widow, Sharon Osbourne, and daughter Kelly Osbourne delivered an affectionate eulogy. Sharon described him as proud to be a “working class Brummy” who never let anyone forget it — “the most humble egomaniac you could ever meet.”
Fans were then treated to a special arrangement of his 1991 hit “No More Tears,” performed by members of Black Sabbath and Metallica alongside Robbie Williams, who later closed the show with a full-throated tribute.
The newly introduced In Memoriam segment also honoured Stone Roses bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield and soul legend Roberta Flack.
Elsewhere, Rising Star winner Jacob Alon and Songwriter of the Year Noel Gallagher were recognised before the ceremony began. Gallagher, presented with the award by Bobby Gillespie and Pep Guardiola via video, thanked his bandmates — including “my brother” Liam Gallagher — for bringing his songs to life. “Without them, I’d just be a singer-songwriter. No one gives a [damn] about singer-songwriters,” he joked.
Outstanding Achievement recipient Mark Ronson paid tribute to the late Amy Winehouse, crediting her with kick-starting his career. She later appeared on screen during a medley of his hits, including “Valerie” and “Uptown Funk.” Ronson was joined on stage by Ghostface Killah for “Ooh Wee,” and by Dua Lipa, who strode down a runway for a jubilant performance of “Electricity,” finishing draped across his piano while sipping a Martini.
Manchester music royalty were well represented in the audience, including Tim Burgess of The Charlatans and Shaun Ryder of The Happy Mondays. Presenting an award, Ryder summed up the city’s mood succinctly: “Up the north!”
By night’s end, the BRITs had not only crowned a new pop sovereign but also delivered a ceremony rich in history, humour and heartfelt homage — all against the backdrop of a city whose musical legacy continues to shape the sound of Britain.