Noel Gallagher was presented with the prestigious Songwriter of the Year Award at the BRITs in Manchester – but fans have been wondering what he said in his heavily-censored acceptance speech.
The Oasis legend took to the stage at the Co-op Live arena to graciously accept the accolade from Primal Scream frontman, Bobby Gillespie.
Audiences both in the venue and watching at home on TV then watched a VT highlighting Noel Gallagher’s career achievements, plus a special pre-recored message by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
But when it was Noel’s turn to speak, ITV bleeped out quite a bit of what he said – a recurring theme throughout the expletive-ridden ceremony.
Thankfully, us lot here at The Manc were in the room itself, so we can tell you what Noel Gallagher actually said in his speech as he accepted his BRIT Award.
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“I’m going to start by saying, I’ve got to thank my brother,” – to rapturous applause.
He continued: “Bonehead, Guigsy, Tony McCarroll, Alan White, Gem, and Andy. They brought those songs to life.
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“Without them, I’d just be a singer-songwriter, and no one gives a sh*t about singer-songwriters.
“But more importantly I’d like to thank you, the people who have kept our songs alive for the last 34 years.
“You’ve given us the most extraordinary life. Thank you very much for that.
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“Have a great night.
“Up the f**king Blues.”
You can see the full list of winners from the BRIT Awards 2026 in Manchester HERE.
Featured image: The Manc Group
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The full list of winners from The BRIT Awards 2026 in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Sam Fender, and Dave are among some of the major names who took home awards at the 2026 BRITs.
The BRITs has landed in Manchester for the first time in its illustrious 48-year history tonight, electrifying the capital of the North’s newest – and Europe’s biggest – live entertainment arena, Co-op Live, as part of a two-year deal described as a ‘bold new chapter’ for the legendary event.
Tonight is all about celebrating the best British and international music talent the industry has to offer right now – with major awards of the night being handed out to the albums and songs of the year, and the individual artists and groups of the year.
Awards are also being handed out in music genre-specific categories, with accolades for the best pop acts, alternative / rock acts, and more.
Tied for the most nominations this evening are singers Olivia Dean and Lola Young, with five nominations each to their name.
Other acts with multiple nominations include Sam Fender, Dave, Wolf Alice, Lily Allen, Raye, Little Simz, Jim Legxacy, Taylor Swift, PinkPantheress, Calvin Harris, and plenty more.
On top of the regular roster of categories, a handful of other special ‘legacy’ awards are also to be given to music icons and industry leaders for their contribution to music, both throughout the past year and their entire careers – including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Songwriter of the Year Award.
The list of winners below is being updated live as the ceremony takes place in Manchester this evening – with the respective winners of each category highlighted in bold.
BRITs 2026 – Full list of winners
Here is full list of nominees and winners across all 16 categories at The BRIT Awards 2026, including international and genre-specific categories.
Album of the Year
Sponsored by Mastercard
Dave – The Boy Who Played The Harp
Lily Allen – West End Girl
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Sam Fender – People Watching
Wolf Alice – The Clearing
Artist of the Year
Dave
Fred again..
JADE
Lily Allen
Little Simz
Lola Young
Olivia Dean
PinkPantheress
Sam Fender
Self Esteem
Group of the Year
The Last Dinner Party
Pulp
Sleep Token
Wet Leg
Wolf Alice
Song of the Year
Sponsored by Mastercard, and voted for by the public exclusively via WhatsApp
These four awards are special category awards, already announced prior to the ceremony taking place, recognising each recipients contribution to the music industry, both in this past year alone and throughout their career.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Ozzy Osbourne
Songwriter of the Year – Noel Gallagher
Producer of the Year – Pink Pantheress
Outstanding Contribution to Music – Mark Ronson
The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard are taking place on Saturday 28 February from Manchester’s Co-op Live, and audiences at home can watch on ITV live or stream later on ITVX.
Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall is returning to presenting duties in 2026 – which is his sixth time hosting the show.
A beautifully chaotic Thursday night – Rossi. at YES Pink Room for BRITs Week 2026 for War Child | Review
Harry Quick
There’s something beautifully chaotic about watching Rossi. take over a room the size of YES’s Pink Room on a midweek night in Manchester.
No towering LED walls. No Ibiza sunset backdrop. Just low ceilings, flashing pink strobes, and a crowd packed in tight enough to feel every kick drum in your ribcage.
For a DJ who has commanded renowned venues across the globe like Space Miami, Hï Ibiza, and Manchester’s very own Warehouse Project, it felt almost mischievous seeing him in a space this intimate on a Thursday night.
If you were lucky enough to grab a ticket to this instalment of the BRITs Week 2026 for War Child fringe events, you could tell early doors that whoever had one was more than ready to turn up for him. When Rossi. stepped behind the decks, taking over from the talented Olive F, who set the tone for the evening, and once the headphones were firmly sat on his curly locks, he eased us in with a rolling, groovy opener – not so subtly dripping in snippets of his biggest and best tracks. We’d have to wait for those.
His sound sits in that sweet spot between underground grit and polished punch. Tech-house, but with his own East End character. The drums feel tight and deliberate. The basslines don’t just thud, they glide.
To start us out, we were hit with a few dancey vocals filled with his hometown of London’s Grime influence, all the way to Frank Ocean’s ‘Lost’ at 125 bpm. Within minutes, the pink room was in full swing.
From there, the set unfolded like a guided tour through the different shades of Rossi.’s catalogue. Underground favourites like ‘U WONT SEE ME’ slipped into the mix with a knowing reaction from the very keen lads at the front. ‘FREAK IN THE SHEETS’ followed later, cheeky and rhythmic, drawing that half-grin from dancers absolutely going for it at the front right.
It’s easy to forget how far he’s come. A decade ago, he was carving out space in the underground. Now he’s headlining globally recognised parties like Circoloco, Music On, Paradise, and Fuse, and launching a world tour that’s been tearing through the UK, Ireland, Europe, and the US. Yet here, there was no arena ego. Just a cheeky lad going back to his roots like he’s on his CDJs in the bedroom.
Mid-set, he began to lift the energy. Brighter synths edged in with the odd jangly finger floater for good measure (that’s what I’m calling that dance move anyway!). The percussion grew punchier. The room, already warm, never quite tipped into sweatbox territory. Strangers were dancing together. Drinks were abandoned on ledges. I had realised I’d bagged the perfect vantage spot overlooking things on the ledge, in prime view of a truly fortuitous occasion.
Rossi. at YES for BRITs Week 2026 for War Child / Credit: Holly Pimlott (Supplied)
Then came one of the night’s real eruptions. ‘High On Me’ – his breakout collaboration with Jazzy – landed like a spark in dry grass. The track, which stormed into the UK Top 20 and racked up over 20 million streams in a matter of weeks, felt enormous in a room this size.
Arms shot up. Lyrics were shouted back. For a few minutes, YES felt like the epicentre of British dance music or maybe a flashback to a ruthless TikTok doom scroll session.
But what impressed me most was the pacing. Rossi. didn’t sprint through bangers. He let grooves breathe. He allowed tension to stretch before unleashing the drop on almost every occasion. Teasing in a little snippet of an upcoming track, a few minutes before we could revel in it in full. It’s the confidence of someone who’s sold out 2,500-capacity headline shows – even breaking ticketing systems with demand – yet still understands that the magic is in the build.
The talented Olive F supported and set the tone for the evening / Credit: Holly Pimlott (Supplied)
As the final stretch approached, he nudged the tempo upward… and he was about to drop some serious crowd pleasers.
LEDs dampened. Darkness fell. The murmurings of ‘Lady – Hear Me Tonight’ rose in unison with the crowd’s curiosity. It didn’t take long until the entire gaff was going mental. Just pure, euphoric house music.
And to finish, with his headphones resting against the decks and mixing all said and done, he pressed play on the swan song. As ‘These Sounds Fall Into My Mind’ echoed around the room, the speakers hardly needed to be playing anymore. When he finally eased out, it felt less like an ending and more like an enticing warning shot for the summer ahead… hello, is that Ibiza calling?
Rossi. at YES wasn’t just a warm-up for this Saturday’s big BRIT Awards, it was proof that no matter how big the stages get, he thrives in the arm-flaring closeness of a proper club room.
Emily Sergeant -
1st March 2026 
