Brits go Brat as Charli XCX wins five awards

Charli XCX's album Brat topped the UK charts in October 2024, after it was re-released as a remix album

The Brit Awards belonged to Charli XCX on Saturday night, who completed her transformation from underground hero to bona fide pop star by winning five awards including best artist, album and song of the year.

Ezra Collective, Sam Fender, Stormzy and best new artist The Last Dinner Party were the other big British winners on Saturday night, while Fontaines DC and Chappell Roan bagged the international awards.

The night also included a memorable, blush-inducing performance from US pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter, who was handed the global success award at London's O2 Arena.

The arena fell silent near the end of the show for a moving video tribute to the late Liam Payne, who died last October.

The year of the Brat

Charli XCX won all of the biggest prizes on the same night that her collaborator AG Cook won best producer

Despite not performing, Charli XCX stole the show by winning the biggest awards of the night - artist of the year, album of the year for her cultural phenomenon Brat, and song of the year for Guess.

"This is cool, I'm really happy that a song about underwear now has a Brit award, very important stuff", said Charli, dryly, on stage after collecting her first award.

"I'm sure that that proves something about songwriting but I'm not sure what."

She went on to thank Eilish - the first non-Brit to appear on a best song-winner - for her guest vocals on Guess which she delivered at just three days notice. "Thank you Billie for running and gunning..."

The 32-year-old from Essex also picked up the best dance act and songwriter of the year awards.

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In her speech for best dance act, she spoke of the importance of the night-time genre. "I feel like dance music, electronic music gets a really bad rep' because everyone is like, 'it's not that deep, is it?'. And I kind of feel it is," she said.

"This genre of music for me is euphoric, it allows me to escape, it allows me to feel on such a deep level."

As she collected her fifth and final award of the night for best album, Charli told the crowd how she had "always felt like an outsider" up until this point.

"Culture caught up with us and wanted to be on the journey with us - I am living proof that it takes a long time but you don't need to compromise your vision," she added.

Sabrina rules the Brits

Sabrina Carpenter appeared to get up close and personal with a dancer dressed as one of the King's Foot Guards

It's always difficult getting the tone of the opening performance right - but Carpenter certainly nailed the brief with her mash-up of mega-hit Espresso and recent favourite from her best-selling album, Bed Chem.

Fans of the star who have been eagerly following her Short n' Sweet Tour will have recognised some elements of it in her Brits performance - which was given a suitably British update with the opening strains of Rule, Britannia! and a, ahem, close encounter with a red-coated, bearskin-wearing "soldier".

Carpenter also became the first international star to accept the returning global success award, jokingly saying it was "an insane honour, for such a tea-drinking country you streamed the [heck] out of Espresso."

Wearing some lingerie that might have been a little bit too racy for the pre-watershed slot, her performance around a heart-shaped bed was energetic and embodied her cheeky style that has elevated her fame in recent months.

Best pop act winner, Jade - of Little Mix fame - attempted to top this with a performance of her song Angel Of My Dreams.

In it she appeared in a blonde wig and big white fur coat before disappearing briefly somewhere in a crowd of dancers and re-emerging as an angel suspended above the stage.

Carpenter performed a mash-up of her hits Espresso and Bed Chem

Protecting artists and spaces

Myles Smith accepted the rising star award

Several artists used their winning platform to urge the powers-that-be to do more to protect artists and give them the time, space and funds to develop.

Jazz group Ezra Collective - who closed the night with an upbeat performance alongside Jorja Smith - won group of the year, with Femi Koleoso expressing that giving a young person at a youth club a trumpet, for example, could help to fix "so many of the problems that face greater society in the UK".

Chappell Roan, who won best international act and international song for Good Luck, Babe!, noted via a video link how she had to write "a lot of bad songs to get to the good ones".

Rising star winner Myles Smith - or "The Luton Bob Dylan", as host Jack Whitehall called him - performed his hit Stargazing and called on the government to stop treating British music as an "after thought". "How many more venues need to close?" he asked, before urging the music industry itself to stick with artists past their first viral hits and tours.

• Radio 1's BRITs Debrief

It was also a night that marked the return of Sam Fender, with the Geordie singer-songwriter picking up the best alternative/rock act.

He thanked his band in his speech, saying he would just be a "mad man shouting at walls" without them.

It marks the end of a huge week for Fender, who also topped the UK album charts with People Watching - which had the biggest opening week for a British album since Harry Styles' Harry's House in 2022.

He topped off the evening with an emphatic performance of its title track.

Jade's performance of Angel Of My Dreams was one of the awards' most memorable moments

Best hip-hop winner Stormzy thanked Jesus and read a verse from the bible before explaining that he was wearing shades as he had "mashed my eye up playing padel".

Best R&B act winner Raye said via video that she was "still recovering" from last year's event when she won a record-breaking six awards.

Dublin rock band Fontaines D.C said they were "buzzing" to win best international group and did so, fittingly, from Down Under.

And Teddy Swims performed his hit Lose Control on a flame-filled stage - a potential fire hazard in his baggy oversized jacket - before Lola Young sang her viral hit in a Messy makeshift room.

Return of the Jack - best gags

Jack Whitehall returned to hosting duties and poked fun at the celebs in the audience

It's four years since Whitehall last hosted the Brit Awards - with Mo Gilligan filling the gap - and he noted how broadcasters ITV "had to come crawling back to an ex" in asking him back.

He poked fun at the stars in the audience, underlining how Charli, in true British style, "had asked not to perform on the show so she can get drunk".

And referencing Stormzy's recent high profile adverts, he called the star "the grime scene's Ronald McDonald - he's loving it".

Aiming one of many light digs at YouTuber KSI, the host joked: "You are as good a rapper as Aitch... from Steps".

Having flown over from US filming commitments a few days ago, he showed little signs of jet lag in his bid to "Make the Brits Great Again", as he had joked in a pre-show video this week.

"If you thought Trump-Zelensky was cringe then wait until you hear me..." he quipped.

It reached peak cringe though when his parents appeared alongside him in one segment, with his dad dressed as Kanye West.

The biggest cheer of the night came when actor Danny Dyer told Whitehall that "the world is being run by cranks".

Tributes paid to Liam Payne

Liam Payne's boyband One Direction won seven Brit Awards

Liam Payne, who tragically died in Argentina aged 31, had a huge connection to the Brits, both as part of One Direction and as a solo artist.

The ceremony included a touching tribute to the star, which was a bit of a gear shift towards the end of the fun-packed show, as Whitehall queued up a sombre black and white montage of Payne's career, including music and quotes from him and his bandmates.

"I hope that me singing today brings enjoyment to someone," he was heard saying.

Seven-time Brit winner Dua Lipa won nothing on the night despite having received four nominations.

There were also snubs for rock royalty The Beatles, Coldplay and The Cure, who like Dua, all lost out to Charli in various catergories.

Let's hope they're not too Bratty about it.