Rosalia wins international prize as CMAT breaks down and artists warn over Reform UK rise
rosalia claimed the international artist award at the 46th BRIT Awards in Manchester, a night that also saw CMAT collapse into mock tears and a series of red-carpet warnings about the rise of Reform UK. The ceremony, held on Saturday at Co-op Live in Manchester and staged at the Co-op Live Arena for the first time, featured high-profile wins, political remarks and a censorship controversy in the televised broadcast.
Rosalia's win and CMAT reaction
Spanish singer Rosalia, 33, accepted the Best International Artist prize after beating the likes of Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga. Accepting the gong from JADE, she said: "It's such an honour to bring my music far from home and I would love to share this with all my peers who also make music in Spanish. "
Irish singer CMAT, real name Ciara Mary‑Alice Thompson and aged 30, had been shortlisted for international artist of the year but missed out. She dramatically broke down in what was described as mock tears onstage and was also described as collapsing into fake tears for the cameras as the winner was announced.
Red carpet warnings on Reform UK
On the red carpet, artists including CMAT, Wet Leg, Loyle Carner, Wolf Alice and Self Esteem voiced concern about the rise of Reform UK and urged musicians not to shy away from politics. CMAT said: "I'm not a big fan of anyone trying to argue that art is not a political place. " She added: "Everything is politics. But more than ever, art is politics because you don't get to make art in a fascist state. Fascism is on the rise in every single country in the world. It's showing its ugly head in Ireland, it's showing its ugly head all over the UK and don't even get me started on America. "
CMAT also criticised Berlin film festival jury president Wim Wenders for suggesting cinema should "stay out of politics", a remark that sparked a row and led to an open letter signed by 80 film professionals. She called that position "cowardice" and argued it shows a separation from how "normal people live their everyday lives, " saying successful artists have "wiped their hands clean" of obligations to the working classes and oppressed.
Wolf Alice, Gaza and media criticism
Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis, whose band won group of the year, said: "[Musicians] have the power to expose people to information they might not have got somewhere else. " He said musicians had taken up the mantle on issues such as the genocide in Gaza because of a lack of coverage in traditional media. "Some of the major news outlets over the course of 2025 particularly were downplaying things and artists were taking up the mantle of that, and that's, one, really brave and two, really, really amazing. I feel like other artists have done it so well. It's a shame. It says more about the legacy media than it does about us artists. "
Ellis described the rise of the far right in the UK as "shocking" and pointed to the Green party victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection, with Reform in second, as evidence of "how extreme times are. " He said: "the rise of Reform is a really bad thing that people should take very seriously. "
Wet Leg, Self Esteem and Gorton reaction
Wet Leg frontwoman Rhian Teasdale said plainly: "I think that to be apolitical is political. " Guitarist Joshua Omead Mobaraki, speaking on behalf of the band that were nominated in the alternative/rock category, said: "Yeah, I don't want Reform UK to win any seats. " He praised Hannah Spencer, the Green party's new MP: "I think she's sick. She's so cool. Congratulations to the people of Gorton and Denton for getting that done. I feel a lot of hope. I feel a lot of excitement. I think we need it. "
Self Esteem, who was nominated for artist of the year, warned: "This country's getting scarier and scarier. It's really serious now. " She said she sympathised with artists who felt unable to speak out, but that she "just can't not say what I think because it's too frightening. " She added: "I'm genuinely terrified that we're going into a dark place, darker than where we are already. "
Other winners and ceremony moments
Olivia Dean, 26, dominated the night with four awards, winning Best Artist, Best Album, Best Song and Best Pop Act. In the Song of the Year category she had been nominated twice, for "Man I Need" and for "Rein Me In" with Sam Fender — the latter won. Olivia became the first woman to claim the UK's No 1 single and album in the same week since Adele in 2021, with "Man I Need" and the album The Art Of Loving, both released in 2025.
Lily Allen, 40, who released her fifth studio album West End Girl, did not win in Artist of the Year, Album of the Year or Best Pop Act and did not attend the ceremony. The album chronicles the collapse of her marriage to Stranger Things star David Harbour, 50, and details his alleged affair with "Madeline" while they were together. Despite eight previous nominations, she has won only one BRIT award.
Manchester-born Noel Gallagher, 58, was honoured with Songwriter of the Year after reuniting with his brother Liam for a mammoth Oasis reunion tour.
Censorship during the televised broadcast
During the ceremony itself, the US band Geese used their acceptance speech for international group to say "free Palestine"; that remark was censored in the televised broadcast of the ceremony.
The event took place at Co-op Live in Manchester as the 46th edition of the BRIT Awards and was staged at the Co-op Live Arena for the first time on Saturday. Time-stamped coverage of the night was published with the times 08: 59 GMT 01 Mar 2026 and updated 09: 01 GMT 01 Mar 2026.
Sunday's reaction on and off the red carpet underscored a ceremony that mixed musical celebration with stark political warnings, live-stage emotion and broadcast controversy.
