Olivia Dean has been crowned the UK’s new queen of pop, winning four awards at the 2026 Brit Awards, marking the first time in nearly 50 years that the ceremony was held outside London, in Manchester.
Dean triumphed in a highly competitive category for Best British Artist, defeating breakthrough act Lola Young, Dave for Best Rap Act, and Sam Fender for Best Rock Act. She also won Best Album for her transatlantic hit The Art of Loving, Song of the Year for her number-one collaboration with Fender, Rein Me In, and Best Pop Act.
“This album is just about love and loving each other in a world that feels loveless,” Dean said, holding back tears. “I don’t know if I ever really thought I’d get one, but I did!” she added, celebrating on the winner’s podium.
Performances and Highlights
Dean delivered an elegant performance of her track Man I Need, while the show also featured acts such as Harry Styles, Brit-winning group Wolf Alice, pop star Raye, and Alex Warren, accompanied on piano by James Blunt.
Robbie Williams closed the ceremony with a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, joined by some of the late star’s former bandmates. Catalan singer Rosalía made history as the first Brit winner for music performed in a foreign language, performing alongside Björk in a showstopping rendition of her single Berghain.
Rosé also made history as the first K-Pop act to win International Song of the Year for her duet with Bruno Mars, APT.
Dean’s Rise to Stardom
Dean, 26, cemented her status as Britain’s biggest new star, following her success at last month’s Grammys in Los Angeles, where she won Best New Artist. Her second album, filled with jazz-toned tracks about love, includes hit singles Man I Need, Nice to Each Other, and So Easy (To Fall in Love), all of which reached the Top 10 in the UK charts last year.
Ahead of the ceremony, Dean performed a charity concert at Manchester’s Albert Hall, delighting fans with a candlelit set. In her honor, Manchester’s Deansgate train station was temporarily renamed Olivia Deansgate for the week.
With her quadruple win at the Brits, Olivia Dean continues to dominate the UK music scene, combining critical acclaim with commercial success and redefining pop music in 2026.
