Sam Fender’s Manchester night: a double BRIT win overshadowed by an angry TV edit and a public kiss

Why this moment matters now: sam fender collected two BRIT Awards during the ceremony relocated to Manchester, but the immediate impact landed squarely with fans and viewers who felt the broadcast shortchanged one of his victories. The televised edit left audiences frustrated even as Fender celebrated a milestone win and a public moment with his rarely-seen girlfriend, Rosa Collier.

Sam Fender's win — who felt the fallout and why viewers were fuming

The public reaction landed faster than the acceptance speech: viewers watched a condensed highlights package that squeezed one of Fender’s wins into a matter of seconds, prompting strong complaints on social media. Several viewers used profanity while demanding fuller coverage; examples of the backlash included: "why the f*** didn't they show my Sam Fender winning alternative rock act" and "Dance act, rock act and hiphop not even live?, [broadcaster] what the f*** is going on tonight?"

Here's the part that matters for fans: the win was not shown live in full and instead appeared inside a rapid reel alongside winners in Pop, R&B, Dance and Rap/Hip Hop and Grime, a change from previous ceremonies when these awards were broadcast in their entirety.

What took place at the Manchester ceremony

The 46th edition of the awards was staged in Manchester at the Co-op Live arena for the first time. Sam Fender, from North Shields, appeared on the winners’ podium twice that night: first as a joint recipient of Song of the Year for "Rein Me In" alongside Olivia Dean, and later for his third Alternative/Rock Act prize — completing a hat-trick in that category after earlier wins.

• Song of the Year: "Rein Me In" — Sam Fender and Olivia Dean (the song reached number one the previous weekend after 35 weeks in the Top 40).
• Alternative/Rock Act: Sam Fender — this marked his third win in the category, having won it twice before.

Winners’ acceptance for Song of the Year was brief, with neither Fender nor Olivia Dean delivering an extended speech before later returning to the stage for additional recognition.

Rosa Collier and the televised kiss

Before heading onto the stage to accept Song of the Year, Sam Fender, 31, shared a congratulatory kiss with his rarely-seen girlfriend, Rosa Collier. The pair’s public gesture happened as the award was presented by Robbie Williams and was visible to the arena audience.

Rosa Collier works as an actress and met Fender while studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. A friend described the relationship as having started in 2022, moving from a loose dating period of a few months into something more serious in 2023; the friend added that they have travelled together, recently went on holiday to the Maldives, that Collier knows Fender’s family and band well, and that she is on tour with him now — often seen cheering from the crowd.

Wins, milestones and a quick career rewind

Sam Fender’s night added to an established run of achievements: his inaugural BRIT came in 2019 with the Critics' Choice award — the same year his debut album, Hypersonic Missiles, reached number one. He had already claimed the Alternative/Rock Act prize twice prior to this ceremony, and his recent calendar included a third number one album, People Watching, a Mercury Prize, a headline performance at London’s Finsbury Park and three consecutive sold-out nights at St James' Park in Newcastle.

• 2019: Critics' Choice award and Hypersonic Missiles reached number one.
• Recent year: third number one album (People Watching) and Mercury Prize win.
• Major live milestones: headline at Finsbury Park and three sold-out St James' Park nights.

sam fender was nominated for four awards that night, and the Song of the Year victory represented his first BRIT of the evening before the later Alternative/Rock Act recognition.

Broadcast choices, fan response and what could follow

The trimmed coverage — where some category wins were rolled into a highlights segment rather than shown live — provoked the loudest response from viewers. Winners in less-prominent categories were presented in a condensed reel, a change that many fans noted had not been standard in previous ceremonies. The real question now is whether future broadcasts will restore live presentation of all categories or continue to lean into shorter highlight formats.

Olivia Dean was one of the evening’s other major figures: she swept four BRIT Awards that night and secured both a number one single and number one album in the same week — a feat last achieved by another female artist in 2021 — with the single "Man I Need" and the album The Art Of Loving, released in 2025. Meanwhile, Lily Allen did not win in the categories where she had been nominated.

It’s easy to overlook, but the tension here is less about trophy counts and more about how broadcast packaging shapes which moments feel celebratory for viewers at home.

Short Q&A

Q: Was the Alternative/Rock Act win shown live? A: No — that award was condensed into a highlights reel rather than receiving full live airtime.

Q: Did Fender share any notable public moments? A: Yes — he kissed Rosa Collier before accepting Song of the Year.

Q: Has Fender previously won BRIT Awards? A: Yes — his first BRIT was the Critics' Choice award in 2019, and he had previously won the Alternative/Rock Act prize twice before completing a third win this ceremony.

Writer’s aside: What’s easy to miss is how broadcast editing choices can reshape a night’s narrative — even when the on-stage achievements are substantial, the way viewers experience those achievements matters just as much.