BRITs 2025: Charli XCX makes it a Brat BRITs, winning five awards including album of the year

This year's most nominated artist, she took the first prize of the night, best song, telling the crowd: "I'm really happy that a song about underwear now has a Brit award, very important stuff and I'm sure that that proves something about songwriting but I'm not quite sure what."

The 32-year-old, whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison, went on to win best dance act and artist of the year, joking that there had been complaints about her sheer top, and adding "free the nipple".

Taking the top prize of the night, best album, she said: "I used to tell myself awards weren't important, and that was easy to do as until last year I wasn't nominated for anything.

"I always felt like an outsider, particularly in the British music industry, it feels really nice to get recognition for this album. I've not changed anything… I guess culture caught up with us and wanted to be on this journey."

She'd already picked up BRIT songwriter of the year award earlier this week.

Her success follows a Brat Summer, which saw her sixth album - featuring "slime green" artwork - go viral, influencing the US presidential campaign of Kamala Harris and making it into the Collins Dictionary as word of the year.

The biggest night in British music, the ceremony at London's O2 arena was hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall, who was back for the fifth time.

There were live performances by artists including Sabrina Carpenter, who opened proceedings, Myles Smith and Sam Fender.

Former Little Mix star JADE took her first solo award for best pop act, presented by girl band Sugababes.

She thanked her fans for their support, her parents for "for making me feel like it was a realistic goal to be a pop star ever since I was a little girl," and her former bandmates who she said changed her life.

British singer-songwriter Myles Smith - whose single Stargazing became one of the UK's biggest hits of 2024 - had previously been named as this year's rising star.

His award was presented to him on the night by last year's winners The Last Dinner Party.

The singer-songwriter - who said he was from what has been called "the worst town in Luton," raised by a single mother - asked the government why they treated the British music industry "as an afterthought".

He also asked big music venues what they were doing to help keep grassroots venues alive, as well as highlighting the importance of music managers supporting stars beyond their first hit.

British jazz quintet Ezra Collective took group of the year, paying tribute to the "great youth clubs, great schools, and great teachers" inspiring young people to take up music.

Alaos announced ahead of the ceremony, Sabrina Carpenter became the first international artist to receive the global success award after breaking records in the UK charts.

She held the top spot on the Official UK Charts for a combined 21 weeks in 2024, the first artist to do so in 71 years.

Her mega-hits Taste, Please Please Please and Espresso also held the top three spots simultaneously, making her the first female artist to do so.

A pre-recorded video by music legend Diana Ross led into her award, which was given to her by her close friend, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown.

Accepting her prize, Carpenter spoke about coming to the UK with her mother previously when no one knew who she was, and now coming back and "getting to headline the O2".

She also spoke about her appreciation of British humour, saying "your humour is so, so dry," and her admiration for the British love of caffeine, mainly via a nice cup of tea.

Chappell Roan took song of the year for Good Luck, Babe! as well as international artist of the year.

Stormzy thanked Jesus for his win in the hip-hop, grime, rap act category, saying he thought fellow nominee, Central Cee, was rap artist of the year.

Apologising for wearing his sunglasses on stage, which he said was because he'd "mashed up his eye playing padel" (a sporting mash-up of tennis, squash, and badminton), he read a short Biblical quote as he accepted his prize.

Raye took British R&B act. Last year she made BRITs history when she secured six awards, the most by an artist in a single year.

Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC took international group of the year for the second time.

British indie rock act The Last Dinner Party took best new artist after winning the BAFTA rising star award last year.

They called small independent venues the "lifeblood of the music industry", adding, "we wouldn't be here without them".

At the end of the night there was a special tribute to former One Direction star Liam Payne, who died in October following a fall from a hotel balcony at the age of 31.

Full list of BRIT winners:

Song of the year

Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish - Guess featuring billie Eilish

Artemas - I Like The Way You Kiss Me

The Beatles - Now And Then

BL3SS x Camrin Watsin featuring bbyclose - Kisses

Central Cee featuring Lil Baby - BAND4BAND

Chase & Status / Stormzy - Backbone

Coldplay - feelslikeimfallinginlove

Dua Lipa - Training Season

Ella Henderson (feat Rudimental) - Alibi

JADE - Angel Of My Dreams

Jordan Adetunji - KEHLANI

KSI featuring Trippie Redd - Thick Of It

Myles Smith - Stargazing

Sam Ryder - You're Christmas To Me

Sonny Fodera / Jazzy / DOD - Somedays

Alternative rock act

Sam Fender

Beabadoobee

The Cure

Ezra Collective

The Last Dinner Party

Pop act

JADE

Charli XCX

Dua Lipa

Lola Young

Myles Smith

Dance act

Charli XCX

Becky Hill

Chase & Status

Fred again..

Nia Archives

Group of the year

Ezra Collective

Bring Me The Horizon

Coldplay

The Cure

The Last Dinner Party

International song of the year

Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe!

Benson Boone - Beautiful Things

Beyoncé - TEXAS HOLD 'EM

Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Djo - End Of Beginning

Eminem - Houdini

Hozier - Too Sweet

Jack Harlow - Lovin On Me

Noah Kahan - Stick Season

Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen - I Had Some Help

Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone - Fortnight

Teddy Swims - Lose Control

Tommy Richman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Hip-hop/ grime/ rap act

Stormzy

Central Cee

Dave

Ghetts

Little Simz

R&B act

Raye

Cleo Sol

FLO

Jorja Smith

Michael Kiwanuka

International group of the year

Fontaines DC

Amyl And The Sniffers

Confidence Man

Future & Metro Boomin

Linkin Park

Best new artist

The Last Dinner Party

English Teacher

Ezra Collective

Myles Smith

Rachel Chinouriri

International artist of the year

Chappell Roan

Adrianne Lenker

Asake

Benson Boone

Beyoncé

Billie Eilish

Kendrick Lamar

Sabrina Carpenter

Taylor Swift

Tyler, The Creator

Artist of the year

Charli XCX

Beabadoobee

Central Cee

Dua Lipa

Fred again..

Jamie xx

Michael Kiwanuka

Nia Archives

Rachel Chinouriri

Sam Fender

Album of the year

Charli XCX - BRAT

The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World

Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism

Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching

The Last Dinner Party - Prelude To Ecstasy

-SKY NEWS