Olivia Dean preaches ‘the art of loving’ at Brit Awards ceremony plagued by censorship and dodgy jokes
Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This It was Olivia Dean’s night at the 2026 Brit Awards, as she took home the two top prizes for Artist and Album of the Year at a ceremony marked by frequent bouts of censorship and awkward moments. Dean, who won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the ceremony in January, has proved to be one of the UK’s biggest breakthroughs in years, winning over fans and critics with her soulful pop sound. She was one of a number of stars who attended the annual music awards show, which was held outside London for the first time in the award show’s history, instead taking place at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester. Accepting her award for Artist of the Year, Dean said: “I want to say thank you to my whole team, everybody down there, I love you, my band… it takes …

