While young talents were rewriting the charts, legends like Ozzy Osbourne and Amy Winehouse received touching tributes.
The British music scene has crowned its new queen. Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean made a grand triumph at the 46th Brit Awards ceremony in Manchester on Saturday. This 26-year-old artist turned her nominations into four wins, solidifying her status as a global star.
Fresh off her recent Grammy win for Best New Artist, Olivia Dean also dominated the Co-op Live arena back home. With her acclaimed album “The Art of Loving,” she snagged the most prestigious award of the evening—Album of the Year—against some stiff competition. She beat out big names like Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Lily Allen, and rapper Dave.
Alongside the main award, Dean snagged trophies in the following categories:
- Best Artist
- Best Pop Artist
- Song of the Year (for the duet “Rein Me In” with Sam Fender)
International Stars and Live Censorship
The night also featured some strong international moments. Spanish singer Rosalía was named Best International Female Artist and wowed the audience with a joint performance with the legendary Björk. The International Song of the Year award went to Rosé (from Blackpink) and Bruno Mars for their viral hit “APT.”
The Brooklyn rock band Geese stirred up some buzz, being named Best International Group. British TV had to step in and bleep out drummer Max Bassin's speech, where he openly supported Palestine and sharply criticized the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This year, organizers didn’t forget history either.
- Mark Ronson received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music and closed his speech with a musical tribute to the late Amy Winehouse.
- Sharon and Kelly Osbourne accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award for rocker Ozzy Osbourne. In honor of the Black Sabbath frontman, Robbie Williams performed onstage.
- Robbie Williams remains the most successful artist in the history of these awards, tallying 18 gongs (solo and with Take That), a record held since the BPI began awarding them in 1977.
