{"id":433606,"date":"2026-02-19T05:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T05:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/433606\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T05:51:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T05:51:10","slug":"here-are-our-predictions-in-every-category","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/433606\/","title":{"rendered":"Here Are Our Predictions in Every Category"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t2026\u2019s BRIT Awards<\/a> is poised to be the most anticipated ceremony since 2022, where Adele<\/a> juked it out with Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran and Sam Fender in a bombastic contest that was sorely needed after a COVID-impacted ceremony the proceeding year. While recent years have provided crowning moments for nascent superstars (RAYE<\/a>, 2024; Charli XCX<\/a>, 2025) a shake-up has felt necessary, and we\u2019re certainly due one next Saturday (Feb. 28).<\/p>\n

\n\tFor the first time in its history, the ceremony will take place outside of London and head to Manchester, the English city with a musical heritage and pedigree that few on earth can match. The event will take place at the Co-op Live Arena which was first opened in 2024, and is pitching itself as the U.K.\u2019s premier events space.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tAnd then comes the talent. Following a strong showing at the Grammys<\/a> earlier this month, there\u2019s a pep in the step of the U.K. music industry<\/a>, which has weathered change and trusted the process of investing in emerging talent. New stars like Olivia Dean<\/a>, Lola Young<\/a> and Central Cee<\/a> have all taken on the world, and proved that this island still has the talent to go toe-to-toe with major global stars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tHarry Styles<\/a> will be in the house to give his first comeback performance ahead of his new album. Local hero Noel Gallagher<\/a> will also collect songwriter of the year, and Mark Ronson<\/a> will be honored with the outstanding contribution to music prize.<\/p>\n

\n\tThere are 13 trophies up for grabs at the 2026 ceremony, with general fields for U.K. acts, international names and a number of genre-specific contests to keep an eye on. Young and Dean lead all nominees<\/a> with five each, followed by Sam Fender <\/a>(four), Dave<\/a>, Wolf Alice<\/a>, Lily Allen<\/a>, Jim Legxacy<\/a> and Fred again..<\/a> (three each). One winner has already been announced: Jacob Alon scooped the Critics\u2019 Choice prize<\/a>, seeing off competition from Rose Gray and Sienna Spiro.<\/p>\n

\n\tAhead of the big night, these are how we see the races unfolding and our predicted winners in each category.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
<\/a><\/p>\n

\tAlbum of the year<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Dave, The Boy Who Played the Harp; Lily Allen, West End Girl; Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving; Sam Fender, People Watching; Wolf Alice, The Clearing<\/p>\n

\n\tThe biggest prize of the night, and for good reason. Each year, only five records of the highest quality make this category, which seeks to capture the story of British music in the past 12 months. Four of the nominees (Dave, Lily Allen, Olivia Dean and Sam Fender) can lay claim to career-highs and consider themselves in the running. Wolf Alice\u2019s The Clearing, however, arguably does not quite reach the same heights as the band\u2019s previous work, and despite hitting No. 1 on the U.K.\u2019s Official Albums Chart<\/a> on its release week, the LP has since fallen out of the top 100.<\/p>\n

\n\tAllen\u2019s West End Girl proved a remarkable comeback, while Dave\u2019s The Boy Who Played The Harp showcased one of British music\u2019s finest lyricists. Sam Fender\u2019s People Watching boosted his stature and scooped<\/a> the Mercury Prize back in October. But for its chart ubiquity (seven weeks at No. 1) and for allowing its performer to level up to international superstar status, Olivia Dean\u2019s The Art of Loving<\/a> ought to be the winner here.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: The Art of Loving<\/p>\n

\tArtist of the year<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Dave, Fred again.., JADE, Lily Allen, Little Simz, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, PinkPantheress, Sam Fender, Self Esteem<\/p>\n

\n\tThere\u2019s a prevailing sense that the 2026 BRITs will be Olivia Dean\u2019s night, and mimic the recent clean sweeps by RAYE<\/a> (2024) and Charli xcx<\/a> (2025). The competition is fierce, however. Lola Young triumphed at the Grammys earlier this month (best pop solo performance), while Lily Allen re-established herself as a genuine heavyweight in British culture, two decades on from her debut LP. PinkPantheress, too, turned in a barnstorming mixtape with Fancy That.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tBut since the artist of the year prize was introduced in 2022 (the female solo and male solo categories were combined), it has shared its winner with the album of the year category: Adele (2022), Harry Styles (2023), RAYE (2024) and Charli xcx (2025). We see no reason why Olivia should buck the trend, and expect her to snag both prizes.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Olivia Dean<\/p>\n

\tGroup of the year<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Pulp, Sleep Token, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, Wolf Alice<\/p>\n

\n\tRock and indie music has struggled for representation at the BRITs in recent years, but 2026\u2019s group of the year field shows that the scenes are in rude health. All but one of the nominated acts had\u00a0a No. 1 album on the U.K.\u2019s Official Albums Chart in 2025, while The Last Dinner Party\u2019s From the Pyre came in at No. 2 (behind Taylor Swift). Sleep Token also pulled off a rare feat<\/a> by concurrently topping charts in the U.K. and the U.S. when Even in Arcadia bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.\u00a0Pulp\u2019s return to the studio for More (their first LP in 24 years) also drew critical acclaim.<\/p>\n

\n\tWet Leg and Wolf Alice are the only two of the nominees to have won this category before. Given that the latter are set to perform live on the night, it could be an indicator that they\u2019ve been favoured by the BRITs Voting Academy.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Wolf Alice<\/p>\n

\tBreakthrough artist<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Barry Can\u2019t Swim, EsDeeKid, Jim Legaxcy Lola Young, Skye Newman<\/p>\n

\n\tKnown as the best new artist category between 2020 and 2025, it has returned to the best breakthrough title, which it was known from 2003 to 2019. The change in semantics means that Lola Young \u2013 an artist with three albums to her name \u2013 can go toe-to-toe with Skye Newman, who has released just one EP in her nascent career (but performed well on the U.K. Singles Chart). Both are having breakout periods, in their own way.<\/p>\n

\n\tYoung feels like an obvious frontrunner in this category, though Liverpudlian rapper EsDeeKid\u2019s recent success on the Billboard Hot 100 is impressing the British industry, which makes up the majority of the voting panel. But given the success of Young\u2019s \u201cMessy,\u201d her Grammy win, and her impending comeback<\/a> in the live arena, it would be a shock if she didn\u2019t collect this prize and give one of the night\u2019s best \u2013 and sweary<\/a> \u2013 speeches.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Lola Young<\/p>\n

\tSong of the year<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: \u201cBlessings,\u201d Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas; \u201cThe Days (NOTION Remix),\u201d CHRYSTAL & NOTION; \u201cDefying Gravity,\u201d Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande; \u201cAzizam,\u201d Ed Sheeran; \u201cVictory Lap,\u201d Fred again.. & Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax; \u201cSurvive,\u201d Lewis Capaldi; \u201cMessy,\u201d Lola Young; \u201cNice to Meet You,\u201d Myles Smith; \u201cMan I Need,\u201d Olivia Dean; \u201cWHERE IS MY HUSBAND!,\u201d RAYE; \u201cRein Me In,\u201d Sam Fender & Olivia Dean; \u201cFamily Matters,\u201d Skye Newman<\/p>\n

\n\tSong of the year is one of the two categories (alongside international song of the year) to be voted for by fans via WhatsApp. This voting mechanism will benefit songs that can mobilize multiple fan groups to rally around a single song. \u201cRein Me In\u201d could bring together both Dean and Fender\u2019s huge fanbases, and would dovetail with news that the song is poised to contend for the No. 1 spot on the U.K. Singles Chart in the coming weeks. \u201cDefying Gravity\u201d could also be in the running if fans of Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and the Wicked franchise get on board.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: \u201cRein Me In\u201d<\/p>\n

\tInternational artist of the year<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Bad Bunny, Chappell Roan, CMAT, Doechii, Lady Gaga, Rosal\u00eda, Sabrina Carpenter, sombr, Taylor Swift, Tyler, the Creator<\/p>\n

\n\tNow here are some serious heavyweights. Nearly every act in this category (Sombr aside, perhaps) could emerge triumphant. They\u2019ve dominated charts, headlined festivals and stadiums, and given us some of the finest music of the year. Rosal\u00eda, however, earned the best reviews of her career with her 2025 album LUX<\/a>, and voters could be swayed by making history by making her the first Latin artist to win this category (votes were cast before Bad Bunny\u2019s acclaimed Super Bowl halftime show). The Catalonian star will also perform live on the night, which feels like a giveaway.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Rosal\u00eda<\/p>\n

\tInternational group of the year<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Geese, HAIM, HUNTR\/X, Tame Impala, Turnstile<\/p>\n

\n\tTwo previous winners of the international group category (Tame Impala, 2016; HAIM, 2022) feature in this year\u2019s field, but neither really feel like front-runners: Tame\u2019s Deadbeat divided critics, while HAIM\u2019s I Quit didn\u2019t resonate quite in the same way as past albums. That leaves two rock bands, Geese and Turnstile, and animated K-pop group HUNTR\/X whose \u201cGolden\u201d \u2013 which features in Netflix\u2019s Kpop Demon Hunters \u2013 dominated the U.K. Singles Chart for 10 weeks in 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tNo K-pop group has ever won the trophy (BTS and Blackpink have competed in the category in recent years) and this could be the right moment to honor the scene. But votes were cast in December 2025, right as the Geese buzz was reaching fever-pitch, and we think they could cause a major upset here.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Geese<\/p>\n

\tInternational song of the year<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: \u201cOrdinary,\u201d Alex Warren; \u201cPink Pony Club,\u201d Chappell Roan; \u201cNo Broke Boys,\u201d Disco Lines & Tinashe; \u201cSailor Song,\u201d Gigi Perez; \u201cThat\u2019s So True,\u201d Gracie Abrams; \u201cGolden,\u201d HUNTR\/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI); \u201cDie With a Smile,\u201d Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars; \u201cLove Me Not,\u201d Ravyn Lenae; \u201cAPT.,\u201d ROS\u00c9 & Bruno Mars; \u201cManchild,\u201d Sabrina Carpenter; \u201cundressed,\u201d sombr; \u201cThe Fate of Ophelia,\u201d Taylor Swift.<\/p>\n

\n\tMuch like in the song of the year category, this fan-voted prize will likely reward a track with multiple collaborators or broad appeal. \u201cAPT.\u201d from ROS\u00c9 & Bruno Mars could benefit from this voting method, as could \u201cDie With A Smile,\u201d another Mars number (this time with Lady Gaga). The sheer success of \u201cGolden\u201d on the U.K. Singles Charts, however, and a mobilized voting base could see this home to victory.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: \u201cGolden\u201d<\/p>\n

\tDance act<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas, FKA twigs, Fred again.. Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax, PinkPantheress, Sammy Virji.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince their return in 2022, genre categories were previously voted by fans. In 2026, they\u2019ve returned to the BRITs Voting Academy, which means that nominees do not have to energize fans in a strategic voting campaign. Harris has previously won the prize (2022) and Fred again.. has been nominated in this category for the past four years, but never gone all the way.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat said, FKA twigs will likely be a frontrunner for the prize, given that Eusexua triumphed in the best dance album category at the Grammys. PinkPantheress, whose Grammy-nominated Fancy That mixtape was the sound of the British summer in 2025, will also be a strong contender. With the latter\u2019s \u201cStateside\u201d now peaking on the U.K. Charts following a timely Zara Larsson remix, she deserves to take the crown.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: PinkPantheress<\/p>\n

\tAlternative\/rock act<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Blood Orange, Lola Young, Sam Fender, Wet Leg, Wolf Alice<\/p>\n

\n\tSam Fender is something of a heavyweight in this category. Reintroduced in 2022, the Geordie hero has won the category twice previously (2023, 2025). Wolf Alice and Wet Leg have also been nominated multiple times, and Blood Orange is recognized for the first time at the BRITs (and deservedly so). Young featuring as a nominee in both alternative\/rock act and pop act categories feels like a voter quirk that ought to have been nixed, but there\u2019s a good chance she sees off Fender if voter fatigue comes into play.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Lola Young<\/p>\n

\tHip-hop\/grime\/rap act<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Central Cee, Dave, Jim Legxacy, Little Simz, Loyle Carner<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile Carner and Legxacy both turned in fine projects (more on the latter shortly) in 2025, this feels like a three-way battle between Cench, Dave and Little Simz. The former scored the highest-ever charting U.K. rap album on the Billboard 200 (Can\u2019t Rush Greatness, No. 9), and it was considered a major snub<\/a> when he didn\u2019t collect the prize in 2025. Dave\u2019s The Boy Who Played the Harp, meanwhile, spawned a U.K. No. 1 single with \u201cRaindance\u201d and a sold-out arena tour. Simz has also been nominated three times previously for this category but has never come away with a win despite critical acclaim.<\/p>\n

\n\tGiven that Dave (a previous category winner in 2022)\u00a0is the only act of the trio to also be nominated in the album of the year category, it appears voters have been dazzled by his latest campaign.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Dave<\/p>\n

\tPop act<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: JADE, Lily Allen, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, RAYE<\/p>\n

\n\tUndeniably the strongest of the genre categories. JADE is the current reigning champ, and wowed<\/a> the nation at 2025\u2019s ceremony with her performance of \u201cAngel of My Dreams\u201d, but her story has not progressed at the same rate as her fellow nominees. RAYE is recognized despite releasing just one song (the chart-topping \u201cWhere Is My Husband!\u201d) and both Dean and Young\u2026 well, you know the story there.<\/p>\n

\n\tAllen, however, seems to be a real contender. West End Girl felt like an instant classic on release, and she\u2019s set to play her first arena run of her career in 2026. She\u2019s only won one BRIT Award during her career (British female solo, 2010) and her superb comeback narrative could be enough to stop a clean sweep by Dean in her categories.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Lily Allen<\/p>\n

\tR&B act<\/p>\n

\n\tNominees: Jim Legxacy, Kwn, Mabel, Sasha Keable, Sault.<\/p>\n

\n\tOf the genre categories, the R&B act field touts the fewest household names and most modest commercial success: none of these acts released an LP that reached the top 20 on the U.K.\u2019s Official Albums chart in 2025. There is serious creativity in this field, however. Jim Legxacy\u2019s Black British Music mixtape earned rave reviews upon release and he was one of a handful of features on Dave\u2019s The Boy Who Played the Harp LP. That should be enough to put him out front to pick up this gong.<\/p>\n

\n\tPredicted winner: Jim Legxacy<\/p>\n

\t


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