Sam Fender wins two BRIT Awards as viewers slam ITV for editing coverage
sam fender collected two BRIT Awards on Saturday as the ceremony moved to Manchester, but viewers at home were left furious when one of his victories was given only seconds in the televised show. The contrasting scenes — a public celebration at Co-op Live and a compressed television highlight reel — have driven fresh scrutiny of how the ceremony is presented.
Sam Fender and Rosa Collier share kiss as Song of the Year is awarded
At the start of the show at Manchester's Co-op Live arena, the 31-year-old musician and Olivia Dean accepted Song of the Year for their collaboration Rein Me In. As Robbie Williams presented the prize, Sam leaned in to kiss his rarely-seen girlfriend, actress Rosa Collier, before walking on stage. The pair's relationship has been described as secret until recent years: a friend says they began dating in 2022, spent a few months together loosely before the relationship became more serious in 2023, and have travelled together, most recently on a holiday to the Maldives. Rosa met Sam while she was studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, knows his family and band well, and is reported to be on tour with him and cheering from the crowd.
Rein Me In reaches No. 1 after 35-week chart run
Rein Me In, the Dean–Fender collaboration, topped the UK singles chart the week before the ceremony after spending 35 weeks in the Top 40. That run delivered Sam his first ever No. 1 single and formed the backdrop to the Song of the Year trophy. Olivia, 26, told the room the track had been a pleasure to be part of, and the brief acceptance moment on stage reflected that the pair had little else to add after the song's chart breakthrough.
Alternative/Rock hat-trick over Wolf Alice and Wet Leg
Later in the evening Sam secured his third Alternative/Rock Act award, completing a hat-trick in that category. He had previously won the prize twice and first picked up a BRIT in 2019 with the Critics' Choice award, the same year his debut album Hypersonic Missiles reached number one. This latest Alternative/Rock victory saw him named ahead of contenders including Wolf Alice and Wet Leg.
ITV editing draws viewer backlash on X
Viewers watching the main television broadcast were angered when Sam's second win was effectively trimmed into a highlights montage that bundled the Alternative/Rock award together with the Pop, R& B, Dance, Rap/Hip Hop and Grime categories. The awards in question had in prior years been shown live in full; the compressed presentation prompted widespread frustration on X, with fans using strong language to question why the Alternative/Rock Act announcement had not been shown live. ITV audiences did still see Sam — from North Shields — and his band on stage, but many said the brief airtime did not match the moment in the arena.
Milestones stack up: People Watching, Mercury Prize and headline shows
Sam used the podium to reflect on a banner year. He has earned a third number one album with People Watching, won the Mercury Prize, performed his biggest gig to date at London's Finsbury Park and sold out three consecutive nights at St James' Park in Newcastle. He also said he had not expected to win the award later in the night; winners often learn in advance when camera crews gather around a table, a routine that did not take place for him on Saturday.
Olivia Dean dominated the evening, taking home four BRITs — Best Artist, Best Album, Best Song and Best Pop Act — and became the first woman since 2021 to have the UK's No. 1 single and album in the same week, with Man I Need and The Art Of Loving, both released in 2025. By contrast, Lily Allen, despite chart activity last year with her fifth studio album West End Girl, left without awards after losing in categories including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Pop Act.
What makes this notable is the gap between the ceremony floor and the television edit: the awards elevated key achievements on stage while the broadcast choices produced immediate backlash and questions about which moments viewers at home are shown.
