Full list of BRIT Awards 2026 nominations: Lola Young and Olivia Dean lead with five nods each followed by comeback queen Lily Allen

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Lola Young and Olivia Dean are the frontrunners for the 2026 BRIT Awards, each receiving five nominations. Lily Allen, making a successful return to music, is also a strong contender with three nominations.

After eliminating separate awards for male and female artists in 2022, the award show has received significant criticism for the lack of female nominees. This was especially noticeable in 2023, when all the nominees for Artist of the Year were men.

This year marks a significant shift, as women and nonbinary individuals now make up 70% of the nominations.

Lily returned to the music scene in October 2025 with “West End Girl,” her first album in seven years, which she described as a record about getting even.

The 40-year-old singer’s new album tells the story of her divorce from David Harbour, the star of ‘Stranger Things,’ and reveals details about an alleged affair that occurred during their marriage.

Lily is competing with Lola and Olivia for the Artist of the Year award. She’s also in the running for Album of the Year and is nominated as a Pop Act.

Lola, age 24, has been nominated for both Breakthrough Artist and Alternative/Rock Act. However, it’s unclear if she’ll be at the awards ceremony.

She reacted to the news with disbelief and excitement, saying she couldn’t believe she’d received five BRIT Award nominations. It felt like a dream come true, and she half-expected to wake up at any moment.

I’m truly touched and incredibly grateful for this. It’s an honor to be recognized, especially with such a talented group of nominees.

Things took a turn for me back in September. After a scary moment onstage in New York where I actually collapsed, I realized I desperately needed to prioritize my well-being. I had to make the tough decision to cancel the rest of my tour dates and really focus on getting myself healthy and centered. It was a wake-up call, and honestly, taking that time to recharge was exactly what I needed to get my head in a better place.

Olivia, age 26, had a breakout year, achieving a rare feat: topping both the UK singles and album charts in the same week. She’s the first female artist to do so since Adele in 2021, with her hit song “Man I Need” and album “The Art Of Loving.”

She has been nominated in five categories and will be performing at the Award ceremony.

It’s amazing to go from being a student in the audience at The BRIT School to performing there ten years later, and I can’t wait to play in Manchester,” Dean said.

After winning the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album ‘People Watching,’ Sam Fender is up for four awards at the BRITs.

Dave received awards in three categories: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act.

Last year, the 27-year-old musician released his third album, ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp.’ He’s now made history as the first British rapper to have three albums reach the top of the UK charts.

The BRIT Awards are back on February 28th, and this year they’re being held in Manchester at the new Co-op Live arena, a major center for music and culture.

The annual music awards show, traditionally held at London’s O2 Arena since 2011 and known as the biggest night in British music, will be held in Manchester this year. According to the Daily Mail, the event is expected to move to different cities around the UK in the years to come.

Jack Whitehall is back to host The BRIT Awards for the sixth time. He’s hosted the show before in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025.

He left the show in 2022, with Mo Gilligan hosting for the next two years. In 2024, Maya Jama, Roman Kemp, and Clara Amfo all co-hosted the event.

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2026-01-21 20:49