Wolf Alice urge support for grassroots venues after Best British Group win
wolf alice secured the Best British Group prize at the 2026 BRITs on February 28, and frontwoman Ellie Rowsell used the moment to press for support for small and grassroots music venues — an issue she framed as critical to the future of British music. The North London band accepted the trophy at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena and mixed a call for policy attention with thanks to the people who helped them at the start of their career.
Rowsell’s acceptance speech highlighted venue closures and job losses
Ellie Rowsell named the plight of pubs, clubs and grassroots venues as central to the band’s gratitude, thanking "those who continue the fight to keep them open" and saying: "Thank you for opening your doors to us. " She referenced a January report that found 30 venues closed in the 12 months up to July 2025 and that a further 48 had ceased operating as gig spaces. Rowsell also noted that last year 30 independent venues closed down, 6, 000 jobs were lost and over half of small venues reported making no profit at all.
Trophy handed over by Shaun Ryder and Bez, with a shouted "Manchester" as they took the stage
The Best British Group award was presented to the band by Shaun Ryder and Bez of Happy Mondays. As Ryder and Bez took to the stage, they chanted "Manchester, " and Rowsell used the moment to dedicate the prize to the people who helped Wolf Alice in their early years, specifically thanking those who lent them money, drove them around the country, let them sleep on their floors, bought tickets to their early shows and even bought a piece of what she called the band’s "atrocious merch. " Rowsell added a self-deprecating aside suggesting she did not think anyone actually bought that merch.
Wardrobe moment and camera scramble amid racy fashion on the night
The evening also saw a visible camera-team effort to keep a racy wardrobe moment out of frame as the frontwoman posed on stage, with broadcast crews visibly trying to avoid capturing her nipples. A social media post celebrated the win with the line "Wolf Alice are your Group of the Year. "
Releases and festival dates: 'The Clearing', Finsbury Park and a busy live calendar
Wolf Alice released their fourth album, The Clearing, last year; the album received a five-star review upon release and later secured the Number 11 spot on a 50 best albums of 2025 list. The single "Bloom Baby Bloom" was placed at Number 12 on a 50 best songs of the year rundown. The band are lined up to play a huge outdoor show at London’s Finsbury Park this summer alongside The Last Dinner Party, Lykke Li, Rachel Chinouriri, Keo and Florence Road.
They are also due to play the "Trans Mission" charity show at London’s OVO Arena Wembley in March and to headline that month’s Teenage Cancer Trust series at the Royal Albert Hall. Other upcoming live dates include headline slots at Tramlines Festival, Kendal Calling and Eden Sessions, plus appearances at TRNSMT, Mad Cool and NOS Alive.
