Wolf Alice use BRITs win to demand support for grassroots venues amid TV censorship row
wolf alice won Best British Group at the 2026 BRIT Awards and frontwoman Ellie Rowsell used the moment to press for rescue measures for small venues after a year that saw dozens of closures and thousands of jobs lost. The acceptance also unfolded alongside visible television interventions — including a camera-team effort to keep a revealing outfit out of frame and the removal of a joke from broadcast coverage — making the speech both a cultural appeal and a live-television flashpoint.
Wolf Alice acceptance speech and grassroots venue figures
Ellie Rowsell framed the band’s Group of the Year win as an opportunity to highlight the precarious state of grassroots music spaces. She thanked "the pubs and clubs and grassroots venues" where the band learned to play and urged support for "those who continue the fight to keep them open. " Rowsell highlighted numerical harms: last year 30 independent venues closed, 6, 000 jobs were lost, and over half of small venues reported making no profit.
An earlier January report referenced in her remarks said 30 venues closed in the 12 months up to July 2025 and that a further 48 sites had ceased operating as gig spaces — figures Rowsell used to underline why she called for practical support rather than ad hoc favours or limited funding schemes. She warned it "shouldn’t be a battle to survive" for artists and said a music career should feel like a viable choice "for anyone from any background. " What makes this notable is that the band tied a high-profile awards moment directly to measurable losses in the live sector, using concrete figures to press for policy and industry attention.
Co-op Live Arena ceremony and presenters Shaun Ryder and Bez
The awards were staged at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena on February 28, when the North London group collected the Best British Group trophy. The award was handed over by Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Bez, who took to the stage amid chants of "Manchester. " The win marked a repeat: Wolf Alice previously took the same prize in 2022.
Television coverage, camera action and a removed joke
Televised coverage of the BRITs drew attention beyond the acceptance speech. A camera team made visible efforts to keep Rowsell’s outfit from showing too much on air, described by onlookers as an attempt to keep her nipples out of frame, following a racy fashion choice. Separately, broadcasters removed a joke about Lord Peter Mandelson from the ITV coverage of the ceremony.
Presenter Jack Whitehall, who was at the tables during the show, said the event was "absolutely swarming with celebrities" and mentioned spotting figures including Calvin Harris and Andy Burnham as he moved among guests, lines that formed part of the evening’s lighter on-air commentary even as other elements were trimmed.
Band background, nominees beaten and dedication to early supporters
Rowsell, 33, led the band through an acceptance that also paid homage to the people who helped Wolf Alice in their early years: those who lent money, drove them around the country, offered floors to sleep on and bought tickets to early shows — and, as she joked, even purchased a piece of their "atrocious merch. " The band beat nominees including Pulp, The Last Dinner Party and Wet Leg to the Group of the Year prize.
Recent releases and upcoming live commitments
Wolf Alice released their fourth album, The Clearing, last year. The record received a five-star review on release and placed at Number 11 on a prominent 2025 list of best albums; the single "Bloom Baby Bloom" was ranked Number 12 on a comparable best-songs list. The band’s upcoming schedule includes a large outdoor show at London’s Finsbury Park this summer with The Last Dinner Party, Lykke Li, Rachel Chinouriri, Keo and Florence Road; the Trans Mission charity show at London’s OVO Arena Wembley in March; and a headline slot for the Teenage Cancer Trust series at the Royal Albert Hall that same month. Additional dates include headline appearances at Tramlines Festival, Kendal Calling and Eden Sessions, and festival sets at TRNSMT, Mad Cool and NOS Alive.
The combined elements of the evening — a high-profile award, quantified warnings about venue closures and job losses, visible on-air editing and camerawork, and a packed live schedule — framed the win as both celebration and a call to action for the live-music ecosystem.
