Lola Young and Olivia Dean dominate The BRIT Awards 2026 nominations

The 46th annual BRIT Awards are taking place on Saturday 28 February at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, the first time the ceremony has been held outside of London. Lola Young and Olivia Dean, both BRIT school alumni, are this year’s frontrunners, with five nominations each, including British Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Act, although we will have to wait until the big night to see who comes out on top.

The most competitive category is Album of the Year, as the five nominated albums are equally deserving of the title. The gospel influenced UK rap of Dave’s The Boy Who Played the Harp, alongside Lily Allen’s candid lyricism in West End Girl, makes this category hard to call. With the international success of Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving, the authenticity and vulnerability of Sam Fender’s songwriting in People Watching, and, of course, the classic soft rock of Wolf Alice’s The Clearing. The coveted title of Album of the Year could go to any one of them. Arguments could be made that Dean is slightly favoured to win due to her success at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on 1 February this year, winning Best New Artist, the most recent non-American to do so since Dua Lipa in 2019. Despite this, the critical acclaim of all the nominees makes it impossible to predict who will win the title and follow the footsteps of 2025 Album of the Year winner BRAT by Charli XCX.

It is clear 2026 is celebrating newer artists such as Young and Dean, rather than the established music royalty of previous years

Among the many deserving nominees is the 7-time BRIT winner, Ed Sheeran, who despite having amassed 25 nominations over his career, appears to have been snubbed in 2026, earning just one nomination for Song of the Year with his first single ‘Azizam’ from his eighth studio album Play. With one nomination in a highly competitive, not to mention diverse category, with nominees spanning from musical numbers, like ‘Defying Gravity’ by Cynthia Erivo (feat. Ariana Grande), to the soul-influenced pop of RAYE’s ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’, it seems increasingly likely Sheeran will leave the BRITs empty-handed this year.

At least Sheeran’s contribution to music this past year has received some recognition, unlike Florence + The Machine, whose 2025 LP, Everybody Scream, is absent from the 2026 awards, even in the genre-specific category. With strong contenders for Alternative/Rock Act, including Blood Orange, Young, Fender, Wet Leg, and Wolf Alice, it seems the 2010 Album of the Year winners have been snubbed. When looking at the BRIT nominees, it is clear 2026 is celebrating newer artists such as Young and Dean, rather than the established music royalty of previous years. Allowing different artists to shine is, of course, crucial for diversity and competition within the British music scene.

The BRITs is an excellent presentation of the incredible music Britain can be proud of, creating global hits from our small island

It can’t be denied that the Artist of the Year nominees are those who have defined and shaped the musical landscape of the past year. The 10 nominees are an excellent representation of the variety of talent in the British music industry, including the frontrunners Young and Dean, but also Fender, Allen, PinkPantheress, Self Esteem, Little Simz, JADE, Fred again.., and Dave. Each nominee reminds us of the importance of British voices in the global music industry, with Allen bringing the streets of the West End to the international stage with West End Girl, and PinkPantheress’ remix of her single ‘Stateside’ with Zara Larsson going viral across the globe.

Across the 16 categories, the very best of British and international music is on display, making it a spectacular celebration of the music we have come to love this year. Besides the awards and nominations, it is set to be a brilliant night of entertainment with performances from Dean, Mark Ronson, Harry Styles, and Wolf Alice. Regardless of who wins, the BRITs is an excellent presentation of the incredible music Britain can be proud of, creating global hits from our small island.