Manchester Welcomes the Brit Awards
Visitors arriving in Manchester this week have been entertained by the temporary renaming of Deansgate railway station to Olivia Deansgate, a tribute to the chart-topping musician. This gesture reflects the city's enthusiastic embrace of the Brit Awards, which will take place on Saturday at the Co-op Live arena. This marks the first time in its fifty-year history that the event is held outside London.
Recognising Regional Music Talent
Stacey Tang, chair of the Brit Awards, explained that relocating the event to Manchester was intended to acknowledge the geographical diversity of music talent across the UK.
“Creativity doesn’t happen in one postcode in the UK … so the idea that the biggest night in music should always be in London, I think, is ageing out,”she said.
Tang also noted the distinct approach from Manchester’s local authorities and Andy Burnham, the city’s mayor, describing it as
“really different”compared to London, with the city being more open and welcoming.
Fringe Events and Artist Engagement
Alongside the main ceremony, the awards organisers have hosted a fringe event in Manchester featuring collaborations with grassroots artists and intimate performances by pop stars such as Olivia Dean, who is nominated in five categories, and Robbie Williams. These shows are in support of the charity War Child.
Tang, who is also co-president of RCA Records, part of Sony, highlighted Manchester’s vibrant creative atmosphere.
“The investment that’s being made in Manchester, the kinetic energy around the city is really palpable,”she said.
“There’s always something that you can go to, meet other people who are like-minded, but also feel like ‘oh, wow, I belong in this city’, regardless of whether you live there or not.”
Manchester’s Growing Music Scene
The Manchester Brits event follows the precedent set by the Mobo awards, which have been hosted in various northern cities and will celebrate their 30th anniversary in Manchester at the end of March. Additionally, the MTV European Music Awards were held at Co-op Live in 2024, the same year the Northern Music Awards were launched in Manchester.
Industry Recognition of Northern Talent
Jo Twist, chief executive of the BPI, the record industry’s trade association, stated that research consistently shows Manchester as the UK’s leading city for producing chart-topping artists.
“Perhaps there has been a bit of a recent shift where the industry has recognised it should do more in actively finding talent and being there on its doorstep, supporting the ecosystem in meaningful ways. Global success stories do not just happen and artists don’t become global successes overnight either – they can take years of label support.”
Twist also referenced the BPI’s decision to move the Mercury Prize to Newcastle in 2024 for the first time, following the Leeds band English Teacher breaking a decade-long streak of London winners. The 2025 prize was awarded to Sam Fender, born and raised in North Shields, who celebrated in his hometown.
Supporting Emerging Northern Artists
Scott Lewis, label manager at EMI North based in Leeds, has spent the week conducting workshops with emerging artists, offering guidance on approaching labels and providing feedback on demos. He emphasized the importance of hosting major music events in the north.
“I do believe in the adage ‘if you can see it, you can be it’,”he said.
Lewis’s role was established in 2023 at EMI’s first major label office outside London, aimed at addressing the challenges northern musicians face in gaining exposure.
“It’s a case of talent being everywhere but opportunity not necessarily being everywhere,”he explained.
Future Developments and Northern Music Culture
Significant progress has been made through organisations such as Brighter Sound in Manchester, Generator in Newcastle, and Launchpad in Leeds, which nurture new talent with limited recognition. In 2028, a new Brit School will open in Bradford, a northern city known for its rich cultural heritage and vibrant grassroots arts scene.
Lewis described northern artists as possessing
“real integrity and humour,”citing examples such as Lily Fontaine from English Teacher, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, John Cooper Clarke, Jarvis Cocker, and Self Esteem.
“Northern artists, to me, are storytellers,”he said.
“I think it’s a bit of a northern trait to be a storyteller. I think you can pop down a coffee shop, or a pub, and end up sitting next to somebody, you’ll end up chatting, and they’ll tell you one of the best stories you’ve heard in your life. And you may never speak to them again but you take that with you. There’s a real beauty to that.”
