Rosalia’s Berghain moment at the Brits and the latest GNTM upheavals

Riley Calderon

Published: March 1, 2026 7:44 PM ET

Rosalia’s Berghain moment at the Brits and the latest GNTM upheavals

rosalia took center stage at a recent awards night with a staged, orchestral performance of the Lux lead single "Berghain, " and later won International Artist Of The Year — a night that has already been compared to memorable television moments. At the same time, Germany’s Next Topmodel presented two contentious installments: an angel-wing shoot in episode six and a pressure-filled week for male models.

Rosalía staged Lux’s "Berghain" with orchestra, elaborate sets and a surprise guest

The Spanish star Rosalía brought elements of her theatrical album Lux to the awards stage, performing the lead single "Berghain" with elaborate sets and a live orchestra. The show blended the album’s classical and operatic influences with the hip-hop and traditional Spanish-infused sounds tied to her earlier work. In a largely unbilled appearance, Björk performed Rosalia’s Berghain verse live — marking Björk’s first time on that awards stage in more than 30 years.

Rosalia won International Artist Of The Year and used her speech to champion difference

After the performance, Rosalia was awarded the International Artist Of The Year prize, beating Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga. On stage she said she was grateful just to be there and to perform: "I was so grateful just to be here tonight, just to perform, so this is insane. " She added a call to celebrate diversity: "Let's keep celebrating the 'other'-ness. Let's keep celebrating different music, different cultures and different languages. " Comedian Jack Whitehall also heaped praise on her performance during a later segment of the show.

GNTM episode six: angel wings, a Peter Lindbergh homage and a flustered Vanessa

In episode six of Germany’s Next Topmodel, the contestants faced an angel-wing photoshoot. The candidates received wings in black or white and were styled to the show’s concept; the outfits produced looks that a critic likened to "Victoria’s Angels with a Pink-Allergy. " Eighteen-year-old Vanessa opened the shoot with the now-famous line "Ich freue mich auf das Shooting, weil ich da Face serven kann!" but also appeared not to have fully understood the assignment, making the aside: "Weiße Flügel? Lernen wir jetzt Klavier, oder was?"

Hosts announced two fashion icons for the set: Nadja Auermann and Armin Morbach. Auermann framed the brief as "eine Hommage an Peter Lindbergh. " Only Bianca, who is forty-seven years old, and Ursula, who is fifty-four, seemed to recognize Lindbergh’s legacy; many of the younger contestants did not. Vanessa’s take on the concept summed up the confusion for some: "Einer davon war ein Fotograf und eine ein Model, und die haben darüber gesprochen, dass ein anderer Fotograf gestorben ist und wir jetzt ein Shooting in seinem Stil machen!" Armin Morbach made the photos while Auermann and Heidi Klum observed; Klum repeatedly nicknamed Morbach "Ahmiiiehn. " Morbach’s first tip was directed at Bianca.

Companion documentary flop, Zoe Saip’s makeover and slipping broadcast numbers

A companion documentary effort titled "On & Off the Catwalk by Heidi Klum" was intended to accompany the show but failed to lift interest in early weeks. A previous ex-contestant, Zoe Saip, was recalled as an example of a harsh makeover: Saip, who appeared on the show in 2018 as a younger analogue to supermodel Abbey Lee, was then subjected to a forced makeover that observers compared to turning her into a Dolly-Buster lookalike before she was eliminated. A recent Sunday broadcast of the programming drew 590, 000 viewers and ranked behind a rival channel’s offering; even a repeat of the comedy "Wir sind die Millers" found more viewers than that patchwork format. The coverage suggested the program needs models who were not created by its host to boost audience interest.

Male models on the Spree: shorts, a 50s shoot and personal struggles under Andreas Ortner

Heidi Klum announced an early restyling and put male models through a retro 1950s-style swimwear shoot on a boat on the Spree, with photographer Andreas Ortner directing. Klum prefaced the session with: "Ich werde heute schon mal auf das komplette Paket achten, " as the chosen male models posed in minimal shorts. Yanneck declared, "Ich habe einen recht ansehnlichen Körper, " while still needing practice. Hyan spoke openly about shame: "Ich schäme mich schon so ein bisschen über meinen Körper, " explaining he had been thin, then gained weight and found the shoot overwhelming: "Es fällt mir sehr schwer. "

Trans man Jill described a fraught childhood with female sex characteristics and relief at finally feeling ready: "Ich habe wirklich sehr, sehr versucht, das gute, schöne Mädchen zu sein und das Frausein zu akzeptieren. " He said the pressure once became unbearable: "Irgendwann war es so schlimm vom Leidensdruck, dass ich mich bewegen musste, weil sonst hätte ich das nicht überlebt. " Jill is taking testosterone and noted increasing hair thinning; his hat cast too much shadow so he had to shoot without it: "Ich hätte gerne bisschen volleres Haar. " Klum offered sympathy and a possible hair system: "Ich finde es natürlich schon bisschen traurig, dass er sich schämt, dass er so starke Geheimratsecken hat. "

Alexavius confided in Klum about a large mole on his leg that he always hid: "Leute machen sich darüber lustig. " Klum replied, "Das macht dich aber auch einzigartig, " and Alexavius responded, "Das zu hören, war ganz krass. " The photographer added praise: "Fand ich sehr gut. " Godfrey positioned himself as experienced: "Shooting ist meine Stärke. Das ist für mich wie ein Universitätsabschluss, den ich abgeschlossen habe, " and insisted, "Fotoshootings ist mein Zuhause. Da muss mich erst mal jemand hier besiegen. " Yet the session proved difficult; Ortner instructed, "Ganz natürlich, nicht zu gepost bitte!" and Godfrey recalled, "Dann kam schon mal die erste Ohrfeige. " Ortner urged, "Nicht so hart, ganz locker, 50er-Jahre, sehr relaxt. Entspann dich ein bisschen, " and Godfrey reflected that being criticized was a novel pressure: "Das war schon eine große Drucksituation für mich, weil ich es auch nicht gewohnt bin, als Model kritisiert zu werden. "

Later, a water catwalk set against a Berghain backdrop allowed models another chance; guest juror and Lagerfeld muse Baptiste Giabiconi offered catwalk coaching. Futuristic 1980s outfits were presented to rave beats from a live DJ while models walked in ankle-high water. At one point Klum celebrated a call for change with the line "Es wird Zeit für mehr Plus-Size-Männer, " in an exchange that referenced a contestant named Carstens.