Olivia Dean crowned new UK queen of pop as Brit Awards hit the north
Olivia Dean swept the night at the Brit Awards in Manchester, taking every category in which she was nominated and reinforcing her rise after a recent Grammy victory. The move of the ceremony from London to Manchester for the first time in nearly 50 years framed a night of theatrical performances, surprise honours and local tributes.
Olivia Dean's four wins and acceptance moments
Dean won four awards: artist of the year (best British artist), song of the year, best pop act and best album for The Art of Loving. The 26-year-old Londoner made three trips to the podium during the evening and at moments appeared overwhelmed; she held back tears and said the album is "just about love and loving each other in a world that feels loveless. " On an earlier visit to the stage she exclaimed, "I don't know if I ever really thought I'd get one [a Brit award], but I did!"
Song of the year was credited to her current number one collaboration with Sam Fender, Rein Me In, and the album award recognised The Art of Loving, described during the night both as a transatlantic hit and as a "future classic. " Dean also performed an elegant rendition of Man I Need on the night.
The Art of Loving and chart footprints
The Brit victory followed Dean's success at the Grammys last month in Los Angeles, where she won best new artist. Her pillowy, jazz-toned second album is noted in the programme for songs about the jeopardies and joys of falling in love; tracks Man I Need, Nice to Each Other and So Easy (To Fall in Love) all reached the top 10 last year. Organizers and fans treated the album and its singles as central to her quadruple win.
Rosalía and Björk turn Berghain into a showstopper
International attention on the show landed on Rosalía's performance of Berghain, a dramatic staging built around thunderous strings and Wagnerian vocals. The piece began like an opera, changed tempo three times, introduced a guest verse from Björk and concluded with a heavy club breakdown; Björk appeared costumed in what was described as the entrails of a blue alien. The sequence was widely called audacious, and Rosalía later won best international artist, telling the audience that it was "such an honour to bring my music far from home" and expressing a desire to share recognition with peers who make music in Spanish. She also urged the industry to "keep celebrating the otherness, " calling for celebration of different music, cultures and languages.
Harry Styles, other performers and closing tributes
Harry Styles opened the evening performing Aperture while dressed in what was likened to a school uniform — in reality a Chanel pin-striped suit — delivering technically challenging choreography despite a high waistband that commentators joked could "crush his lungs. " Host Jack Whitehall described the opening as "the musical equivalent of sitting on the washing machine" and noted the set shifted from classical touches into club energy. Other performances included best group winners Wolf Alice, pop star Raye and Alex Warren, who was joined on piano by a velvet-clad James Blunt. Robbie Williams closed with a full-throated tribute to Ozzy Osbourne alongside some of the late star's former bandmates.
Manchester tributes, transport gestures and wider firsts
The ceremony marked a civic pivot when the Brits left London for Manchester for the first time in nearly 50 years. In the run-up, Dean — a Brit School alumnus — warmed the city with a candlelit charity gig at Manchester's Albert Hall on Thursday. As a local tribute, Deansgate train station was temporarily renamed Olivia Deansgate for the week. Another Brit winner, PinkPantheress, who had been named producer of the year ahead of the event, temporarily served as the official voice of the Manchester Metrolink and was heard telling passengers heading to the show to "hop off the tram at the Etihad campus. "
Competitive categories and historical milestones
Dean beat a field that included breakthrough act winner Lola Young, best rap act Dave and best rock act Sam Fender for the best British artist prize. The evening also produced historic firsts: Rosalía became the first Brit winner recognised for music sung in a foreign language, and Rosé became the first K-Pop act to win a Brit — taking international song of the year for APT, her duet with Bruno Mars. CMAT, who had been nominated in the same international category as Rosalía, staged a mock collapse in mock tears at the result.
Across the show, a mix of out-of-control wardrobes, odd behaviour and dazzling performances defined the programme. The performance of Berghain was subsequently made available on YouTube, and the night's sequence of wins and set pieces underlined why organizers chose Manchester as the new stage for this edition of the awards.
