Olivia Dean And Lola Young Lead BRIT Awards 2026 Nominations With Five Apiece

Olivia Dean and Lola Young are the stars of the 2026 BRIT Awards nominations, each securing five nods in a year dominated by emerging UK talent.

Dean, signed to Capitol, returned to No.1 on the UK Albums Chart in 2026 with The Art Of Loving and reached a career-high No.3 in the US. She is also the first confirmed performer for the ceremony and is part of the Grammy line-up, where she holds multiple nominations.

Lola Young, Dean, and Sam Fender, who earned four nominations, are all contenders for Artist of the Year, alongside Dave, Fred Again.., Jade, Lily Allen, Little Simz, PinkPantheress, and Self Esteem.

The Mastercard Album of the Year race features Dave (The Boy Who Played The Harp), Lily Allen (West End Girl), Olivia Dean (The Art Of Loving), Sam Fender (People Watching), and Wolf Alice (The Clearing).

The BRIT Awards 2026 take place at Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 28 February. Jack Whitehall returns as host, with the show airing live on ITV.

“Five BRIT nominations, how is this even possible?” said Lola Young. “I’ve had this dream a thousand times, so I’m slightly convinced that my alarm clock is about to wake me up. I am so grateful for this moment.”

Olivia Dean added:

“It feels crazy to have five BRIT Award nominations, it’s very surreal and I’m still processing it. Going to the BRITs feels like a full-circle moment 10 years after attending BRIT School.”

A record 69.2% of nominations feature women or non-binary artists, the highest proportion ever. First-time nominees include Bad Bunny, Doechii, Geese, Turnstile, and Rosalía, while Pulp earns its first nod in 30 years for Group of the Year following the success of More.

Other multiple nominees include Lily Allen, Wolf Alice, Dave, Fred Again.., and Jim Legxacy, reflecting a strong year for UK music across genres. Highlights include Lily Allen’s West End Girl, Wolf Alice’s The Clearing, and Dave’s chart-topping The Boy Who Played The Harp.

Breakthrough artist nods feature EsDeeKid, Barry Can’t Swim, Jim Legxacy, Lola Young, and Skye Newman, while soundtrack success is recognised with Cynthia Erivo for Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” International categories feature Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Rosalía, Geese, and Haim.