For the last couple of years, the Brits have been too predictable.
Multiple trophies for Harry Styles (2023), Raye (2024) and Charli XCX (2025) reflected a period where one artist could dominate, as new talent struggled to break through.
This year is different. Some of the categories are impossible to call – especially the hotly-contested best British artist, where Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Lily Allen, Dave, Sam Fender and PinkPantheress would all be deserving winners.
Dean is considered front-runner for best album. Her second record, The Art of Loving, is brimming with memorable songs about the jeopardies and joys of falling in love. Since its release last October, it has topped the charts on four separate occasions.
But she faces strong competition from Mercury Prize winner Sam Fender and a resurgent Lily Allen, whose candid exposé of her failing marriage became one of last year’s most talked-about albums.
Lola Young’s Messy – another unflinching portrait of romantic disharmony – is a strong contender for song of the year. (She actually performed it at last year’s Brit Awards, but it remained on the charts during the eligibility period for the 2026 ceremony.)
Her rivals for that prize include Raye’s blockbuster R&B anthem Where Is My Husband and Myles Smith’s ubiquitous radio hit Nice To Meet You.
Dean, meanwhile, has two chances at winning the title with Man I Need and Rein Me In, the latter a chart-topping duet with Fender.