Sam Fender Up for 4 BRITs Awards

This is not Sam Fender's first time at the BRITs; he took home the Critics' Choice Award in 2019. He has also won Best Alternative/Rock Act twice before, in 2022 and 2025. The North Shields musician has a history of donating his awards to his local pub, where they are used as beer pumps. His album "People Watching" is also nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize, an award he won in October 2025 for the same album. For Album of the Year, he's up against Dave's "The Boy Who Played The Harp," Lily Allen's "West End Girl," Olivia Dean's "The Art of Loving," and Wolf Alice's "The Clearing." The nominated track, "Rein Me In," is a collaboration with Olivia Dean, who is one of the most-nominated artists of the night with five nods. They first performed the song together during Fender's sold-out shows at St James' Park in June 2025. The fan-voted Song of the Year category is crowded with twelve nominees, including tracks by Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi, and RAYE. In the Artist of the Year category, Fender faces a broad field of talent, including Dave, Fred again.., Lily Allen, Little Simz, and Olivia Dean. For Best Alt/Rock Act, he's competing against Blood Orange, Lola Young, Wet Leg, and Wolf Alice. This year marks the first time the BRIT Awards will be held in Manchester, at the Co-op Live arena. The ceremony will be hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall for the sixth time. Performers on the night include Harry Styles, RAYE, Olivia Dean, and Wolf Alice.