Noel Gallagher accepts Songwriter of the Year in Manchester, praises Liam and Oasis bandmates
noel gallagher collected the Songwriter of the Year award at the BRITs ceremony in Manchester and used his acceptance to praise his younger brother Liam, thank multiple former Oasis bandmates and reference the city and his football loyalties. The speech, which included some expletives and a rallying cry, was censored on television broadcast but circulated in full elsewhere.
Noel Gallagher thanks Liam and a long list of collaborators
The Oasis guitarist and High Flying Birds frontman specifically thanked his brother Liam, and named Bonehead, Guigsy, Tony McCarroll, Alan White, Gem and Andy when he accepted the award. He said those people ‘‘brought those songs to life’’ and that without them he would ‘‘just be a singer-songwriter’’ — a line he punctuated with profanity in the live speech. He also publicly acknowledged Liam's distinctive voice and presence as a crucial part of their shared catalogue.
Presentation, Pep Guardiola message and the Manchester setting
The prize was handed to Gallagher by Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie in front of a packed crowd at the Co-op Live Arena. A video package during the presentation included a personal message from Pep Guardiola, identified in the ceremony materials as the manager of Gallagher's beloved team Manchester City. Gallagher returned to the Manchester theme in his closing lines with the exhortation ‘‘Up the fucking Blues. ’’
Reaction from Liam and the decision to honour Gallagher
Liam was not in attendance; minutes after the acceptance speech he posted on X: "All hail the greatest songwriter this country has ever seen since Lennon n McCartney ps my name is liam x. " BRITs organisers said they selected Gallagher because he had "permeated the fabric of British culture for over 30 years" and because his songs "continue to resonate with audiences around the world like no other. " At the same time, others noted that Gallagher had not released any new songs over the past 12 months.
Controversy over new material and Gallagher's on-air remarks
Gallagher has admitted publicly that he ‘‘hasn't written a song for two years’’ and said he was unsure how he had been chosen, though he would ‘‘take it. ’’ He challenged critics to meet him on the red carpet and said: "If anybody's got a problem with it, meet me there. We'll have it out on the red carpet. " He derided competing songwriting teams as "wet wipes" and referenced "all 11 of them" when taunting those who might disagree with the award decision.
Reunion tour, studio work and the BRITs haul
The acceptance followed last year's large-scale Oasis reunion tour, which Gallagher thanked when he said he also wanted to thank the rest of the Roll With It band after that hugely successful run. He has said he is back in the studio now, though whether that work is for another Oasis project or something else remains unclear in the provided context. The BRITs in Manchester also saw Olivia Dean win four awards, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year, sweeping every category in which she was nominated.
The televised broadcast censored some of Gallagher's language, but an uncensored version of the full acceptance speech was subsequently made available for viewing. In his remarks he thanked the public for keeping the songs alive "for the last 35 years, " and urged the assembled crowd to have a good night before closing with his football slogan.
