Sam Fender won two awards at the Brit Awards 2026 in Manchester after previous wins at the annual event
Sam Fender and his band at the Brits(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Saturday night ended up being a great one for North Shields’ own rock legend Sam Fender, as he added to his tally of Brit Awards with another two as the event moved to Manchester. However, his fans were left ‘fuming’ at home as one of his wins was ‘edited’ down to just a few seconds of screen time.
Sam got his first Brit seven years ago, when he took home the Critics’ Choice trophy in 2019, the very same year that he got his first number 1 album with debut Hypersonic Missiles. Since then, Sam had taken home the Alternative/Rock Act twice, before Saturday night brought a hattrick of triumphs in that category, as he beat off competition from the likes of Wolf Alice and Wet Leg.
His third win in Alternative/Rock came after Sam was on the winners’ podium right at the start of the show, as he and Olivia Dean – who ended up winning four Brits on the night – accepted Song of the Year for their duet Rein Me In, which gave Sam his first ever number 1 single last weekend, after 35 weeks in the top 40.
Sam Fender on stage accepting the ‘Song of the Year’ award with Olivia Dean and Robbie Williams (Image: Getty Images)
Their winners’ speech for that one ended up being pretty short, as neither had much to say and then, Sam’s other victory was cut down to part of a highlights package that saw it grouped in with the winners of Pop, R&B, Dance and Rap/Hip Hop & Grime. The fact that those awards, all seen in full in previous years, were effectively ‘glossed over’ didn’t go down well with plenty of people who tuned into at home.
Taking to X, one complained: ‘why the f*** didn’t they show my sam fender winning alternative rock act,” as another ranted: ‘Dance act, rock act and hiphop not even live? ITV what the f*** is going on tonight?’
ITV viewers did get to see Sam and his bandmates on stage, with Sam explaining that he didn’t think they’d won, as you’d normally get a hint you were about to win if a camera crew surrounded your table, which didn’t happen on Saturday. He also took the opportunity to celebrate an amazing year, which saw him get his third number 1 album with People Watching, win the Mercury Prize, play the biggest gig of his career to date at London’s Finsbury Park and sell out three nights at St James’ Park in Newcastle.
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