The true winners and losers

Nudity, swearing, petulance, membership anthems, extra nudity and a girl dressed as a horse – the 2025 Brit Awards had all of it.

Charli XCX was once the massive winner, taking house 5 prizes in all – together with preferrred artist, preferrred album and tune of the yr.

US celebrity – and the BBC’s Sound of 2025 – Chappell Roan picked up two awards; whilst Ezra Collective, The Ultimate Dinner Celebration, Fontaines DC and Stormzy were given one apiece.

However no-one’s best fascinated with all that. Here is what truly went down on the 2025 rite at London’s O2 Area.

Concentrate, this was once by no means going to be anything else as opposed to Charli’s evening.

The pop celebrity’s 7th album, Brat, captured the cultural zeitgeist in some way that few artists ever set up.

Launched in June, the report blended abrasive dance-floor beats, hovering hooks and meme-friendly art work; because the 32-year-old assessed her position within the track business, the true and imaginary competitors she’s amassed alongside the best way, and whether or not or to not go away all of it in the back of to have a child.

Within the celebrity’s personal phrases, the album was once “chaos and emotional turmoil set to a membership soundtrack”.

Simply as everybody was once soaking up that, she employed a number of visitor stars – Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Addison Rae, Bon Iver – and re-recorded a completely new, on occasion awesome, model of the album.

Critics known as it “pop track for the longer term” and praised the best way its “painfully relatable” lyrics captured Charli’s coming of age.

Knowingly trashy, but strangely deep, it was once simply the coolest British album of the closing three hundred and sixty five days – and one who proved Charli’s detractors improper.

“I believe like dance track, digital track, will get a truly unhealthy rep as a result of everyone seems to be like, ‘It isn’t that deep, is it? And I roughly really feel it’s,” she mentioned after amassing her 2d award.

“This style of track, for me, is euphoric, it permits me to flee, it permits me to really feel on the sort of deep degree.”

Teddy Swims, swimming in teddy bears. We see what he did there.

Jade Thirlwall was once the closing of the Little Combine team to release a solo occupation, however she’s been giving it her all.

In addition to successful preferrred pop artist at Saturday’s rite, she placed on probably the most evening’s highest-concept performances – a five-act melodrama in regards to the cruelty of the track business and her ingenious rebirth.

Over the process the evening, she wore six other outfits. However she selected the improper one for mountain climbing the steps to pick out up her trophy. Thank goodness the Sugababes have been there to assist.

Jack Whitehall made a welcome go back because the rite’s host, after 4 years away.

As ever, his jokes have been on the subject of the bone… together with a passing connection with allegations surrounding some presenters on Brits broadcaster ITV.

“ITV had such a lot of of its presenters cancelled this yr that they needed to come crawling again to an ex, and what an honour it’s to be web hosting once more the most important evening in British track,” he joked.

Later, he described Youtuber-turned-musician KSI as “an inspiration”.

“Since you pay attention to Kendrick Lamar and you might be like, ‘I could not do this in 1,000,000 years’. Then I pay attention in your tune and I am like, ‘Oh, I may do this’.”

Talking sooner than the display, Whitehall printed a sneaky secret: He makes use of a faux script all through rehearsals.

“Up to now I used to do the true script in practice session, and you then’d have an hour of folks from report labels and publishers coming and knocking at the dressing room door going, ‘You’ll be able to’t say this, you’ll’t say that’,” he advised Middle radio.

“So now I simply do that faux script, which should you 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 coolest musician I have ever heard. They are nice.'”

“I am dressed in sun shades as a result of I mashed up my eye taking part in padel [ball],” mentioned Stormzy, as he approved the prize for preferrred rap/hip-hop artist.

“I have were given an overly sore eye. I have were given a bruised cornea.

“My eye’s sore underneath right here, I am not being a mad guy with sun shades on within.”

Sabrina Wood worker pretended to excitement a Beefeater.

Charli XCX gave a speech in a see-through best, with out a bra.

Certainly one of Jade Thirlwall’s dancers mooned on the digital camera.

Danny Dyer uttered probably the most English language’s maximum offensive swear phrases.

I might wager that ITV’s responses to Ofcom are going to make a captivating learn.

Phrase of the censor’s considerations even filtered via to the sector all through the display, a lot to Charli’s annoyance.

“I heard that ITV have been complaining about my nipples,” she mentioned from the rostrum. I believe like we are within the technology of unfastened the nipple even though, proper?”

As enthusiasts applauded, the singer grimaced: “They put the clap observe on, cool. Thank you for being on my facet.”

The Brits have been arrange in 1977 to rejoice the British Tune Trade, and they’re run by means of the BPI – an organisation funded by means of, and representing, the most important report labels within the nation.

However a number of the winners on Saturday used their speeches to criticise the best way they’re being handled.

“Are we construction careers, or are we simply chasing moments – as a result of moments fade and careers take time,” mentioned Myles Smith. “So please persist with artists previous a viral hit.”

Chappell Roan, who received preferrred global artist, had a an identical plea.

“I needed to write a large number of unhealthy songs to get to the nice ones – and artists deserve that freedom, to discover terrible ideas, and to flop, and upward push, and no longer be harassed into making track based totally off of what is trending.”

Charli XCX’s more than one victories proved their level. Signed on the age of 14, she needed to struggle to make the track she sought after – after years of being advised her songs have been too abrasive and uncommercial.

“It feels truly great to be recognised in 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 stuck up with us.”

Myles Smith has had an out of this world three hundred and sixty five days. After giving up his process to pursue track, his feel-good pop anthem Stargazing went viral. So viral that it ended up because the best-selling British tune of 2024.

Requested in regards to the second he realised it had taken on a lifetime of its personal, he advised us: “I were given new wireless the opposite day, and so they put me on cling… and it was once Stargazing.

“And that mentioned two issues. One: That is like, probably the most frustrating factor. However on the similar time, I had made it to carry.”

“Did you sing it for the operator once they picked up?” we requested.

“No, I used to be handed to seven extra folks.”

See? Being a pop celebrity does not come up with any shortcuts on this planet of broadband provider supplier name centres.

Why did Jared Leto open his crimson carpet interview by means of seeking to train us an English accessory?

To determine, you’ll have to invite Jared Leto and, frankly, we are too scared.

Sabrina Wood worker was once the evening’s greatest celebrity – opening the display with a cheeky wink, a phalanx of Beefeaters and a vaudevillian mash-up of Coffee, Mattress Chem and… er, Rule, Britannia.

However was once the verdict handy her the “international luck” award a thinly-veiled ploy to tempt her again directly to the degree?

The prize was once firstly created in 2013 to recognise British acts who had bought thousands and thousands of information and live performance tickets out of the country. The former 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 once deserted altogether… till they wanted one thing to honour Sabrina.

To be truthful, the singer racked up an out of this world 21 weeks at primary in the United Kingdom singles chart closing yr – greater than any individual has ever completed in one calendar yr – so her trophy wasn’t solely undeserved.

A large number of audience have been left confused when Jack Whitehall sat down with Danny Dyer and what gave the impression to be his date: A girl with a horse for a face (we are not being unkind, see above for evidence).

Smartly, it seems that Danny’s neighbour was once a German DJ who is going by means of the title of HorsegiirL and assists in keeping their identification hidden in the back of a masks. Kind of like Deadmau5, however with fetlocks.

Possibly subsequent yr she will be able to come again to do a duet with Foals.

Ezra Collective made historical past by means of changing into the primary jazz band to win the Brit Award for preferrred team – beating earlier title-holders like Coldplay, The Remedy and Carry Me The Horizon.

Taking to the degree, frontman Femi Koleoso had a couple of phrases to mention about cuts to track training, and the loss of investment for formative years golf equipment like The next day to come’s Warriors – the place his band were given their get started.

“I will bang this drum a number of instances and I will proceed to take action till all the nation will get it”, he mentioned.

“This second proper this is on account of the nice formative years golf equipment, and the nice academics and the nice colleges that give a boost to younger folks taking part in track.

“The explanation we proceed to bang this drum is as a result of such a lot of of the issues that face larger society in the United Kingdom… we are not sure of find out how to repair it, however the answer lies with giving a youngster a trumpet, the answer lies in giving a youngster a saxophone.

“As a result of while you do this, you give them a dream, an aspiration and a function.”

To turn out his level, he invited the London formative years team Kinetika Bloco onto the degree of the O2, to blast via Ezra Collective’s infectiously upbeat jazz anthem Shaking Frame.

This yr’s Brit Award trophies, designed by means of Gabriel Moses, have been solid in bronze… They usually have been heavy.

Weighing 1.6kg every, you have to ruin a toe should you dropped one. And Charli had to pick out up 4 of the issues for her winner’s picture.

It took roughly six folks to prepare them in her fingers (“do not push them between my boobs”, she squealed at one level) sooner than she was once in a position for the flashbulbs.

“Is that this lame?” she requested on the closing second. “It feels lame.”

Then she dropped all of them and fell to the ground in a have compatibility of giggles.