The true winners and losers

Music Correspondent

Nudity, swearing, petulance, membership anthems, extra nudity and a lady dressed as a horse – the 2025 Brit Awards had all of it.
Charli XCX was the massive winner, taking dwelling 5 prizes in all – together with finest artist, finest album and track of the yr.
US star – and the BBC’s Sound of 2025 – Chappell Roan picked up two awards; whereas Ezra Collective, The Final Dinner Occasion, Fontaines DC and Stormzy bought one apiece.
However no-one’s solely involved in all that. This is what actually went down on the 2025 ceremony at London’s O2 Area.
Most predictable winner: Charli XCX

Hear, this was by no means going to be something apart from Charli’s evening.
The pop star’s seventh album, Brat, captured the cultural zeitgeist in a method that few artists ever handle.
Launched in June, the document mixed abrasive dance-floor beats, hovering hooks and meme-friendly art work; because the 32-year-old assessed her place within the music business, the actual and imaginary rivals she’s amassed alongside the best way, and whether or not or to not depart all of it behind to have a child.
Within the star’s personal phrases, the album was “chaos and emotional turmoil set to a membership soundtrack”.
Simply as everybody was absorbing that, she employed a bunch of visitor stars – Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Addison Rae, Bon Iver – and re-recorded a wholly new, generally superior, model of the album.
Critics referred to as it “pop music for the long run” and praised the best way its “painfully relatable” lyrics captured Charli’s coming of age.
Knowingly trashy, but surprisingly deep, it was simply the perfect British album of the final 12 months – and one which proved Charli’s detractors incorrect.
“I really feel like dance music, digital music, will get a extremely dangerous rep as a result of everyone seems to be like, ‘It is not that deep, is it? And I type of really feel it’s,” she mentioned after gathering her second award.
“This style of music, for me, is euphoric, it permits me to flee, it permits me to really feel on such a deep stage.”
Greatest visible pun: This coat

Teddy Swims, swimming in teddy bears. We see what he did there.
Least sensible gown: Jade Thirlwall
Jade Thirlwall was the final of the Little Combine crew to launch a solo profession, however she’s been giving it her all.
In addition to successful finest pop artist at Saturday’s ceremony, she placed on one of many evening’s highest-concept performances – a five-act melodrama in regards to the cruelty of the music business and her artistic rebirth.
Over the course of the evening, she wore six completely different outfits. However she selected the incorrect one for climbing the steps to choose up her trophy. Thank goodness the Sugababes have been there to assist.
Sneakiest host: Jack Whitehall

Jack Whitehall made a welcome return because the ceremony’s host, after 4 years away.
As ever, his jokes have been near the bone… together with a passing reference to allegations surrounding some presenters on Brits broadcaster ITV.
“ITV had so a lot of its presenters cancelled this yr that they needed to come crawling again to an ex, and what an honour it’s to be internet hosting once more the largest evening in British music,” he joked.
Later, he described Youtuber-turned-musician KSI as “an inspiration”.
“Since you take heed to Kendrick Lamar and you are like, ‘I could not do this in 1,000,000 years’. Then I take heed to your track and I am like, ‘Oh, I may do this’.”
Talking earlier than the present, Whitehall revealed a sneaky secret: He makes use of a pretend script throughout rehearsals.
“Beforehand I used to do the precise script in rehearsal, and then you definately’d have an hour of individuals from document labels and publishers coming and knocking on the dressing room door going, ‘You’ll be able to’t say this, you’ll be able to’t say that’,” he instructed Coronary heart radio.
“So now I simply do that pretend script, which if you happen to heard it, you would be like, ‘That is the lamest script ever’, as a result of it is all me simply complimenting everybody and going, ‘Oh, our subsequent award is the perfect musician I’ve ever heard. They’re nice.'”
Ouchiest harm: Stormzy

“I am carrying shades as a result of I mashed up my eye enjoying padel [ball],” mentioned Stormzy, as he accepted the prize for finest rap/hip-hop artist.
“I’ve bought a really sore eye. I’ve bought a bruised cornea.
“My eye’s sore beneath right here, I am not being a mad man with shades on inside.”
Most overworked censors: ITV

Sabrina Carpenter pretended to pleasure a Beefeater.
Charli XCX gave a speech in a see-through high, with no bra.
One in all Jade Thirlwall’s dancers mooned on the digital camera.
Danny Dyer uttered one of many English language’s most offensive swear phrases.
I might guess that ITV’s responses to Ofcom are going to make an attention-grabbing learn.
Phrase of the censor’s considerations even filtered via to the world throughout the present, a lot to Charli’s annoyance.
“I heard that ITV have been complaining about my nipples,” she mentioned from the rostrum. I really feel like we’re within the period of free the nipple although, proper?”
As followers applauded, the singer grimaced: “They put the clap observe on, cool. Thanks for being on my facet.”
Most criticised business: The music business

The Brits have been arrange in 1977 to have fun the British Music Business, and they’re run by the BPI – an organisation funded by, and representing, the largest document labels within the nation.
However numerous the winners on Saturday used their speeches to criticise the best way they’re being handled.
“Are we constructing careers, or are we simply chasing moments – as a result of moments fade and careers take time,” mentioned Myles Smith. “So please stick to artists previous a viral hit.”
Chappell Roan, who received finest worldwide artist, had the same plea.
“I needed to write a variety of dangerous songs to get to the nice ones – and artists deserve that freedom, to discover horrible ideas, and to flop, and rise, and never be pressured into making music primarily based off of what is trending.”
Charli XCX’s a number of victories proved their level. Signed on the age of 14, she needed to battle to make the music she needed – after years of being instructed her songs have been too abrasive and uncommercial.
“It feels very nice to be recognised on this album, after I have not made any sacrifices,” she mentioned.
“I have been doing my very own factor in my very own nook of the business – and I assume, this time, tradition caught up with us.”
Humblest brag: Myles Smith

Myles Smith has had an unbelievable 12 months. After giving up his job to pursue music, his feel-good pop anthem Stargazing went viral. So viral that it ended up because the best-selling British track of 2024.
Requested in regards to the second he realised it had taken on a lifetime of its personal, he instructed us: “I bought new wi-fi the opposite day, they usually put me on maintain… and it was Stargazing.
“And that mentioned two issues. One: That is like, probably the most irritating factor. However on the identical time, I had made it to carry.”
“Did you sing it for the operator after they picked up?” we requested.
“No, I used to be handed to seven extra individuals.”
See? Being a pop star would not provide you with any shortcuts on this planet of broadband service supplier name centres.
Weirdest crimson carpet encounter: Jared Leto
Why did Jared Leto open his crimson carpet interview by attempting to show us an English accent?
To seek out out, you’d need to ask Jared Leto and, frankly, we’re too scared.
Most fabricated award: Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter was the evening’s greatest star – opening the present with a cheeky wink, a phalanx of Beefeaters and a vaudevillian mash-up of Espresso, Mattress Chem and… er, Rule, Britannia.
However was the choice at hand her the “world success” award a thinly-veiled ploy to tempt her again on to the stage?
The prize was initially created in 2013 to recognise British acts who had bought tens of millions of information and live performance tickets overseas. The earlier recipients have been One Course (2013-14), Sam Smith (2015), Adele (2016-17) and Ed Sheeran (2018-19).
Six years in the past it was deserted altogether… till they wanted one thing to honour Sabrina.
To be honest, the singer racked up an unbelievable 21 weeks at primary within the UK singles chart final yr – greater than anybody has ever achieved in a single calendar yr – so her trophy wasn’t completely undeserved.
Horsiest lady: HorsegiirL

Quite a lot of viewers have been left perplexed when Jack Whitehall sat down with Danny Dyer and what gave the impression to be his date: A lady with a horse for a face (we’re not being unkind, see above for proof).
Nicely, it seems that Danny’s neighbour was a German DJ who goes by the identify of HorsegiirL and retains their identification hidden behind a masks. Form of like Deadmau5, however with fetlocks.
Perhaps subsequent yr she will come again to do a duet with Foals.
Greatest speech: Ezra Collective
Ezra Collective made historical past by turning into the primary jazz band to win the Brit Award for finest group – beating earlier title-holders like Coldplay, The Treatment and Convey Me The Horizon.
Taking to the stage, frontman Femi Koleoso had just a few phrases to say about cuts to music schooling, and the shortage of funding for youth golf equipment like Tomorrow’s Warriors – the place his band bought their begin.
“I will bang this drum a bunch of occasions and I will proceed to take action till your complete nation will get it”, he mentioned.
“This second proper right here is due to the nice youth golf equipment, and the nice lecturers and the nice colleges that assist younger individuals enjoying music.
“The explanation we proceed to bang this drum is as a result of so most of the issues that face better society within the UK… we’re not sure of the way to repair it, however the resolution lies with giving a teen a trumpet, the answer lies in giving a teen a saxophone.
“As a result of once you do this, you give them a dream, an aspiration and a objective.”
To show his level, he invited the London youth group Kinetika Bloco onto the stage of the O2, to blast via Ezra Collective’s infectiously upbeat jazz anthem Shaking Physique.
Greatest photocall: Charli XCX

This yr’s Brit Award trophies, designed by Gabriel Moses, have been solid in bronze… They usually have been heavy.
Weighing 1.6kg every, you might break a toe if you happen to dropped one. And Charli needed to decide up 4 of the issues for her winner’s photograph.
It took roughly six individuals to rearrange them in her arms (“do not push them between my boobs”, she squealed at one level) earlier than she was prepared for the flashbulbs.
“Is that this lame?” she requested on the final second. “It feels lame.”
Then she dropped all of them and fell to the ground in a match of giggles.