Olivia Dean dominates Brit Awards 2026 as Styles, Rosalía and surprise guests deliver the night’s biggest moments
olivia dean swept the Brit Awards, winning artist of the year, song of the year, best pop artist and best album for The Art Of Loving — a clean sweep that turned the ceremony into a showcase of her music and stage presence.
Olivia Dean cleans up with four Brit wins
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 Art Of Loving. The singer made three trips to the podium that night and at one point appeared overwhelmed, saying: "It takes a lot of good people to make a good artist... I don't know what else to say. Thank you, bye!" In coverage of her performance, critics offered terse praise — "An immaculate performance. A musical masterpiece. A slap and a tickle. A cross between a prayer and a rave. "
She also used her acceptance moments to underline the record’s theme in a separate comment: the album “is just about love, and loving each other in a world that feels loveless right now. ” On stage, she leaned into the syncopation of Man I Need, filling the song with wriggles of pleasure and movements that tracked the joy of early romance.
Harry Styles opened with 'Aperture' and a gravity-defying entrance
Harry Styles opened the show performing his return single, Aperture, which was a UK No 1 in its release week and has since dropped down the charts. He appeared in what was described as a school-uniform look — actually a Chanel pin-striped suit — and recreated the track’s technically challenging choreography from the video despite a waistband that was said to be "high enough to crush his lungs. " Host Jack Whitehall summed up the stunt as "The musical equivalent of sitting on the washing machine. " The opening also featured what was called "descending from a ceiling on a disco ball, " a stunt one commentator said everyone should try at least once in their life.
Rosalía’s 'Berghain' and a Björk cameo stunned the room
Rosalía, described as one of the least familiar names on the lineup for some viewers, stole the show with a dramatic performance of Berghain. The song opened with thunderous strings and Wagnerian vocals, shifted tempo three times, introduced a guest verse from Björk and finished in an "almighty club breakdown. " Björk appeared dressed in the entrails of a blue alien, a sight that left the room spellbound. Rosalía later won best international artist and told the audience: "It's such an honour to bring my music far from home and I would love to share this with all my peers who also make music in Spanish. " The performance is also available to watch on YouTube.
Ronson, Raye and surprise guests supplied musical history and theatrical highs
Ronson received the outstanding contribution to music award. His accompanying set underlined an unorthodox career path: he scratched vinyl while Ghostface Killah delivered an avuncular roll through Ooh Wee, then the show moved into Amy Winehouse material, highlighting the long reach of Ronson’s influence. Raye performed Nightingale Lane, a song about the London street where she watched her first love walk away, climaxing in a wordless expulsion of pain; critics noted that the sound Ronson helped popularise is now being played by Raye in arenas. Bruno Mars did not perform Uptown Funk at the ceremony, while surprise guest Dua Lipa joined the bill to perform Dance the Night and Electricity.
