Olivia Dean and Sam Fender win song of the year as Brit Awards begin

Pop star Olivia Dean and singer-songwriter Sam Fender have won song of the year for Rein Me In as the 2026 Brit Awards got under way.

The song, which features on Fender’s album People Watching, beat the likes of Raye, Lola Young and Calvin Harris to the gong.

Dean, 26, said: “I just want to say thank you to Sam, I think this is a beautiful song, it’s just been a pleasure to be a part of it.”

Fender, 31, added: “I love this song, I wrote it about four years ago, and I loved it then, and Olivia made it her own, and I just want to say thank you to Olivia and her fans.”

Dean is most nominated at the awards with five nods, alongside Young.

The Man I Need singer is nominated for artist and album of the year, pop act, and had two chances at winning song of the year for Man I Need and Rein Me In, the latter thanks to a guest spot with Fender.

Young, 25, is up for best pop act, artist of the year, breakthrough act, best alternative and rock act and best song.

Elsewhere, Rapper Dave has won the award for hip hop, grime and rap act.

It comes after Harry Styles opened the show with a performance of his latest single Aperture.

Styles, who is known for his flamboyant style, removed the jacket of his Chanel suit for the performance, and took to the stage in his suit trousers and tie.

He was joined by a gospel choir for the performance, which opened with synchronised hand shaking and head movements and concluded in the same way.

The performance comes three years after his last performance on the Brits stage at the awards in 2023, which saw him take home four gongs following the release of his album Harry’s House.

Dean later performed Man I Need against a pink backdrop in a black sparkling dress.

Elsewhere, Britpop band Pulp scored their first nomination in 30 years, in the best group category, while last year’s Mercury Prize winner Fender has four nominations.

Lily Allen, whose album West End Girl caused a stir when it was released last year, is nominated in three categories – for best album, artist of the year, and pop act.

Singer-songwriter Alex Warren’s Ordinary is competing with US pop stars including Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter in the international song of the year category.

Also among the musical names performing at the show are singer-songwriter Raye as well as rock band Wolf Alice, Mark Ronson and American singer-songwriter Sombr, whose real name is Shane Boose.

Advance winners already announced include Oasis’s Noel Gallagher, who will be named songwriter of the year, while record producer and DJ Ronson will be honoured with the outstanding contribution to music award.

Singer-songwriter PinkPantheress, whose real name is Victoria Walker, is the recipient of this year’s producer of the year award.

The 24-year-old is the first woman and youngest ever artist to win the accolade, according to the Brit Awards.

The ceremony is being hosted by comedian and actor Jack Whitehall and is being broadcast on ITV and ITVX.