Pink Pantheress Makes History as First Woman and Youngest Winner of Producer of the Year at BRITs 2026
pink pantheress has been named Producer of the Year by the BRIT Awards, becoming both the first woman to receive the prize since its 1977 inception and the youngest ever recipient. The announcement, confirmed on Monday February 23, comes ahead of the awards ceremony taking place this weekend and marks a significant milestone in the event’s history.
Pink Pantheress: a landmark BRITs victory
The Producer of the Year honor positions Pink Pantheress among a long list of established producers. She joins past winners whose ranks include Sir George Martin, Trevor Horn, Brian Eno, the Eurythmics’ David Stewart, Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, A. G. Cook, Fred Again.. and Paul Epworth. The award was selected by a panel of expert judges from the music production sector, and organisers have flagged the choice as both timely and significant for its recognition of a female producer.
Why this win matters
Pink Pantheress described the moment as bittersweet and expressed surprise at being the first woman to win a prize that dates back nearly five decades; she characterized the previous absence of female winners as crazy. The ceremony itself is notable this year for moving outside London for the first time in its nearly 50-year history.
From DIY bedroom recordings to mainstream milestones
Her rise has been rooted in a DIY approach: she recorded much of her music at home, sometimes using a sock stretched over a microphone to reduce popping, and even experimented with a karaoke microphone from a gaming console that had a USB connection when she lacked a proper studio mic. She taught herself production techniques, learning basics from online tutorials and taking inspiration from female artists such as Nia Archives, Tinashe and WondaGurl. At 17, while at a girls’ school, she began producing for a friend who wanted to sing; that early work helped set the foundation for her later success.
Tracks, streams and recent releases
- Notable songs cited in connection with her profile include "Illegal", "Stateside" and "Boy's A Liar".
- Her breakout lo-fi tracks "Break it Off" and "Pain" were posted on TikTok five years before this award.
- She has accumulated over one billion streams and achieved a major worldwide hit with 2023's "Boy's a Liar, Pt. 2".
- Her sample-heavy mixtape "Fancy That" became her first top 10 album last year and was nominated for the Mercury Prize.
- Her production style has been described as self-taught, featuring skittering breakbeats and sugar-strand melodies.
BRITs 2026 ceremony: location, rivals and honours
The 2026 BRITs will be hosted in Manchester at Co-op Live, marking the first time the awards have been held outside London in nearly 50 years. The announcement of Pink Pantheress’s Producer of the Year win was confirmed on Monday February 23, ahead of the ceremony this weekend. The event’s chair, Stacey Tang, who serves as Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK, praised Pink Pantheress as an inventive and instinctive voice in British pop who is reshaping modern pop and opening doors for a new wave of female producers.
Other nominations, honours and the event lineup
Pink Pantheress is also nominated on the night in the Artist of the Year and Dance Act categories. Additional BRITs honours and participants named for the 2026 ceremony include:
- Jacob Alon — winner of the 2026 BRITs Critics’ Choice Award
- Mark Ronson — recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Music
- Noel Gallagher — set to attend after Oasis’ Live ’25 reunion tour and awarded Songwriter Of The Year
- Jack Whitehall — returning to host for the sixth time
- Trophy design by Matthew Williamson
- Leading nominees include Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Sam Fender, Lily Allen and rapper Jim Legxacy
- Performers announced include Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, HUNTR/X’s EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, Wolf Alice, Mark Ronson, Alex Warren, Sombr and Rosalía
Viewers at home will be able to watch the ceremony live on television and online platforms. The decision to honour Pink Pantheress as Producer of the Year underscores a rare acknowledgement of female producers at a high-profile awards moment and reinforces the prominence of DIY production pathways in contemporary pop.
Details remain fixed as provided in the announcement; further developments connected to the ceremony and any post-award responses may emerge during the weekend.
