Noel Gallagher booed seconds after picking up Songwriter of the Year at the BRITs
noel gallagher was booed seconds after picking up the Songwriter of the Year award at the BRIT Awards in Manchester, even as he used his acceptance to praise his younger brother Liam and thank the band that revived Oasis songs on last year’s reunion run.
Acceptance at Co-op Live Arena
Noel Gallagher accepted the Songwriter of the Year prize at the ceremony held at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester on February 28, 2026. The prize was presented by Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie in front of a packed crowd. As he took the stage the 58‑year‑old thanked his brother Liam, and singled out the Roll With It band — naming Bonehead, Guigsy, Tony McCarroll, Alan White, Gem and Andy — saying that without them the songs would not have been brought to life.
Noel Gallagher's uncensored BRITs speech and the ITV cut
The acceptance speech was later shown uncensored by one outlet after parts of it were censored on ITV. During his remarks Gallagher returned to Manchester themes and closed with a rallying line aimed at the local club, saying: "Up the fucking Blues. " That line followed an appearance or message connected to Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, which figures in how the moment played to the crowd.
Booing and a divided crowd
The ceremony saw a sharp reaction from the audience: he was booed just seconds after picking up the award. The crowd also reacted to Pep Guardiola’s involvement — a personal message or onstage introduction tied to Guardiola divided the arena — and the atmosphere shifted between applause for the award and audible dissatisfaction from parts of the audience.
Liam Gallagher watched from afar and posted on X
Liam Gallagher was not in attendance. Minutes after Noel’s speech, Liam posted on X: "All hail the greatest songwriter this country has ever seen since Lennon n McCartney ps my name is liam x. " The post underlined the public sibling exchange after Noel, 58, accepted the Songwriter of the Year prize while Liam is 53.
Backlash over new material and talkSPORT comments
Noel addressed criticism that he has not released new songs recently, saying on talkSPORT that "I haven't written a song for two years. I'm not sure how I've got away with that one, but I'll take it. " He added a confrontational line about meeting critics on the red carpet and taunted competing songwriting teams as "wet wipes songwriting teams, all 11 of them. " Gallagher also said he is back in the studio now, a comment that followed the sell‑out Oasis reunion tour last year and his thanks to the musicians who played on those shows.
BRITs night and other winners
The organisers selected the Songwriter of the Year as a recognition of "exceptional songwriting, " an honour previously given to artists such as Ed Sheeran, Kid Harpoon, RAYE and Charli XCX. Olivia Dean dominated the night, taking home four awards, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.
Gallagher leaves Manchester having accepted a major songwriting honour, faced boos from parts of the crowd, and signalled he is back in the studio — the next confirmed development he has publicly announced is that he is working on new material in the studio.
