Wolf Alice Wins Best British Group at 2026 BRIT Awards

At the 2026 BRIT Awards held Saturday night at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena, Wolf Alice claimed the Best British Group prize for the second time, using their acceptance speech to spotlight the struggles of the UK's grassroots music venues. The North London rock band, fronted by Ellie Rowsell, beat out competitors including Pulp, The Last Dinner Party and Wet Leg, receiving the award from Happy Mondays members Shaun Ryder and Bez amid chants of "Manchester."

Rowsell, 33, dedicated the win to the band's early supporters, crediting those who lent money, provided rides, offered crash space and purchased early tickets or merchandise. "Starting a band can be the hardest part, and we couldn't have done this without all the people who lent us money, drove us around the country, let us sleep on their floors, bought tickets to our early shows and even bought a piece of our atrocious merch," she said, adding with a light touch that no one likely bought the latter.

She then turned to the live music sector's challenges, thanking pubs, clubs and independent venues where the band honed their craft. Rowsell highlighted stark figures: 30 such venues closed last year, 6,000 jobs were lost, and...