Brit Awards nominations put Olivia Dean and Lola Young in the spotlight
The Brit Awards nominations 2026 have put two of the past year’s fastest-rising names, Olivia Dean and Lola Young, at the centre of the UK’s biggest pop night, with five nods apiece ahead of a ceremony that moves to Manchester for the first time.
Dean is in contention for artist of the year and album of the year, while Young appears across major categories including artist of the year, breakthrough and song of the year. Both have moved quickly from buzz to mainstream, the sort of momentum that, in Brit Awards terms, can turn a strong year into a defining one.
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Sam Fender follows with four nominations, including album of the year and song of the year for his duet with Dean, “Rein Me In”. For Fender, it adds another high-profile moment after a year already marked by industry prizes and strong sales.
A return from Pulp gives this year’s list a jolt of history. The band have received their first Brit nomination since 1996, the year Jarvis Cocker’s stage protest during Michael Jackson’s performance became global news. Cocker has spoken in recent years about how that moment threatened to eclipse the music.
“For a while, I thought that was really the only thing I was going to ever be remembered for,” he said. “So the fact that we have been nominated again for some music that we’ve made, I feel like that’s laid that to rest.”
Pulp are nominated for best group, a category crowded with established names and newer acts. The nomination also reflects the success of More, their first album in 25 years, which has helped pull the band back into the centre of the conversation.
For Dean, the nominations come with the kind of neat symmetry that awards nights like to celebrate. “It feels crazy to be nominated for five Brit Awards,” she said, adding that returning in this context is a “full-circle moment”.
The ceremony is due to take place on 28 February at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, marking the first time the event has been staged outside London since it began in 1977. Jack Whitehall will host.
You can view the nominations list and official ceremony details via the official BRITs site
For more intelligent coverage of Britain’s music, culture and live events, follow EyeOnLondon. What do you make of this year’s nominations, and who would you back to win?
[Image Credit | The Brit Awards]
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