Genre lines don’t mean much anymore, and last night’s Brit Awards proved it.
The biggest winners? Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, two artists who have mastered the art of bending pop, dance, and indie into their own unique sonic worlds—and taking over the mainstream while doing it.
Charli XCX—once an underground club kid, now an arena-filling icon—took home Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for Brat, a record that blurred the edges of hyperpop, dance, and alt-pop in a way only she can.
She also took home Best Dance Act, giving a nod to her producers AG Cook, Finn Keane, and George Daniel with a cheeky “I wouldn’t be up here without these three straight white men.” Then she got serious, defending dance music’s emotional depth: “It’s euphoric. It allows me to escape. It allows me to feel. And if that’s not deep, I don’t know what is.”
The ceremony, hosted by Jack Whitehall, had its fair share of standout moments. Sabrina Carpenter delivered a Cool Britannia-inspired performance complete with dancing King’s Guard soldiers and a massive Union Jack backdrop. Teddy Swims and Jorja Smith brought their signature soul and R&B to the stage, while a tribute honored the late Liam Payne.
Chappell Roan, the self-proclaimed “thrift-store-disco queen,” took home International Artist of the Year and Best International Song for Good Luck, Babe!—a song that blends theatrical pop with indie sleaze. She beat out some of the biggest names in music, from Billie Eilish to Kendrick Lamar, proving that bold, high-drama pop is carving out serious space in the industry.
The Last Dinner Party took Best New Artist, using their moment to call out the ongoing struggles of UK grassroots music venues. Bassist Georgia Davies put it bluntly: “None of this happens without them, and they’re disappearing. If bigger venues chipped in, we wouldn’t be losing them at this rate.” The band dedicated their win to the indie artists keeping the scene alive.
Other big moments? Ezra Collective made history as the first jazz group to win a Brit Award, grabbing Best Group, while Fontaines D.C. won Best International Group for the second time. Accepting from Australia, they gave a shoutout to fellow nominees Amyl and the Sniffers: “If you’re there, we’re sorry we’re not having a drink with you.”
This year’s Brits weren’t about one sound or one scene—it was about artists who refuse to stay in one lane. And if Charli and Chappell’s wins are anything to go by, the future of mainstream music is looking a lot more interesting.
