Olivia Dean dominates Brit Awards 2026: the real winners and losers

olivia dean was the clear victor at the Brit Awards 2026, walking away a four-time winner after collecting artist of the year, song of the year, best pop artist and best album for The Art Of Loving. The singer appeared overwhelmed as she made her third trip of the night to the podium and thanked collaborators in a short speech.

Olivia Dean's big night

Pop star Olivia Dean won every category in which she was nominated: artist of the year, song of the year, best pop artist and best album, for the future classic The Art Of Loving. The coverage described her work with phrases such as "An immaculate performance. A musical masterpiece. A slap and a tickle. A cross between a prayer and a rave. " She made three trips to the podium during the evening; on her third visit she said, "It takes a lot of good people to make a good artist... I don't know what else to say. Thank you, bye!" The night was described elsewhere as belonging to Dean, a deserved four-time winner whose album was called "just about love, and loving each other in a world that feels loveless right now. " Her stage delivery on Man I Need drew attention for its joy — filled with wriggles of pleasure and "ahh this is happening!" facial expressions — and she was noted as embodying that album spirit in performance.

Rosalía's audacious Berghain set

Rosalía, described as probably the least familiar performer on the line-up, stole the show with a dramatic performance of her recent single, Berghain. The number was said to be full of thunderous strings and Wagnerian vocals: it starts off as an opera song, changes tempo three times, introduces a guest verse from Björk and ends with an almighty club breakdown. Björk joined the performance dressed in the entrails of a blue alien, an audacious visual that left the room spellbound. The ceremony that hosted these ultra-expressive performances was characterised as protest-filled and relatively edgy, with ITV censors said to have "had their work cut out. " The performance was also noted as being available to watch on YouTube.

Harry Styles' Aperture return

Harry Styles opened the show by playing Aperture in what was described as a school uniform — actually a Chanel pin-striped suit — and the set recreated the single's video choreography. Aperture was described as his return single and a UK No 1 in release week which is fairly swiftly dropping down the charts. The waistband of his suit was said to be high enough to crush his lungs, but that did not stop him recreating the video's fluid, technically-challenging choreography on stage; he jived with his considerable band and backing singers and moved alongside dancers in snail T-shirts and sunglasses. Host Jack Whitehall called the performance "The musical equivalent of sitting on the washing machine. " It was also said, "It's called 'descending from a ceiling on a disco ball', and everyone should do it at least once in their life. " unclear in the provided context

Ronson and surprise guests

Ronson was given the outstanding contribution to music award. His accompanying performance traced an odd and influential path through pop: he was described as happily scratching vinyl as Ghostface Killah gave an avuncular roll through Ooh Wee, before moving into Amy Winehouse material, from slow symphonic moments to parpy big-band arrangements such as Valerie. The coverage argued that this trajectory helped reshape pop, and that Raye now plays that sound in arenas and on the Brit stage because of Ronson's influence. Bruno Mars did not perform Uptown Funk at the ceremony, while surprise guest Dua Lipa brought A-list stardust to performances of Dance the Night and Electricity.

Raye, CMAT and other standouts

Raye's performance of Nightingale Lane — a song about the London street where she watched her first love walk away from their relationship — was described as less a song and more a vehicle for unmoored expression, climaxing in a stunningly sung, wordless expulsion of pain. Country-pop singer CMAT, who had been up for the best international artist prize, reacted to losing by collapsing in mock tears for the cameras. The night featured a range of standout moments across artists and styles, and commentators noted a mix of dazzling performances, out-of-control wardrobes and odd behaviour that made the awards only half the story.