Wolf Alice: wolf alice use winner’s speech to call for UK to be ‘proud’ of grassroots music
wolf alice used their BRIT Awards 2026 Best British Group acceptance speech to call for support for Britain’s small venues and to ask the UK to be proud of its grassroots scene. Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell, 33, delivered the speech at the ceremony in Manchester and thanked those who helped the band in their early days.
Wolf Alice acceptance speech in Manchester
Rowsell made the remarks on stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live; other coverage named the location as Co-op Live Arena, and the ceremony was held on February 28, 2026. The band won the Best British Group prize, a trophy they also won in 2022, beating the likes of Pulp, The Last Dinner Party and Wet Leg for the 2026 honour.
Calls for grassroots venues support
Rowsell used the moment to highlight the pressures facing grassroots venues. She thanked “all of the pubs and clubs and grassroots venues across the country where we quite literally learned to play our instruments and write our songs, ” adding: “Thank you for opening your doors to us and thank you to those who continue the fight to keep them open. ”
Numbers: closures, jobs and profits
She warned of industry losses in blunt terms: “It’s worth mentioning that despite the billions of pounds the live sector contributes to our economy, last year 30 independent venues closed down. Six thousand jobs were lost, and over half of small venues reported making no profit at all. ” A separate figure from a report in January was cited as showing 30 venues closed in the 12 months up to July 2025, with a further 48 ceasing to operate as gig spaces.
Presentation and in-ceremony moments
The award was presented by Happy Mondays stars Shaun Ryder and Bez, who chanted “Manchester” as they took to the stage; Rowsell thanked them in her speech. Outside the speech itself, one account noted a camera-team scramble to keep the frontwoman’s nipples out of frame, and mentioned the band’s racy fashion on the night.
Band history, members and songs
Rowsell dedicated the award to those who helped the band in their early years, saying they couldn’t have done it “without all the people who lent us money, drove us around the country, let us sleep on their floors, bought tickets to our early shows, and even bought a piece of our atrocious merch. ” She added with a laugh: “Although I don’t think anyone actually did that, that’s completely fair enough. ”
The London-formed rock band — also described as a North London band — released their 1970s-influenced fourth studio album The Clearing in 2025. Their earlier albums are My Love Is Cool, Visions Of A Life and Blue Weekend. The group is made up of singer Ellie Rowsell, guitarist Joff Oddie, drummer Joel Amey and bassist Theo Ellis. Some of their best known songs include Don’t Delete The Kisses, Bloom Baby Bloom and Just Two Girls.
Touring and festival schedule
Alongside the speech and award, upcoming live plans were outlined elsewhere: the band are set to play a huge outdoor show at London’s Finsbury Park this summer where they will be joined by The Last Dinner Party, Lykke Li, Rachel Chinouriri, Keo and Florence Road. They are also due to play the ‘Trans Mission’ charity show at London’s OVO Arena Wembley in March and headline the Teenage Cancer Trust series at the Royal Albert Hall that same month. Additional dates include headline slots at Tramlines Festival, Kendal Calling and Eden Sessions, plus appearances at TRNSMT, Mad Cool and NOS Alive.
Reception and accolades for The Clearing
‘The Clearing’ was widely praised on release last year, receiving a five-star review in one appraisal and placing at Number 11 on a 50 best albums of 2025 list. The single “Bloom Baby Bloom” was placed at Number 12 on a 50 best songs of the year rundown.
Throughout her acceptance Rowsell argued that it “shouldn’t be a battle to survive as a band or any artist, ” saying “we shouldn’t be reliant on favours or anyone on funding schemes in order to do things at a level we feel proud of. ” She concluded by urging that a music career “shouldn’t feel like a golden ticket, but a viable career decision for anyone from any background” and called for action to “nurture and protect the UK’s amazing music scene. ”
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