The BRIT Awards have always had a knack for spotting the future before the rest of the world catches up! Adele, Florence Welch, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, Jessie J – the Critics’ Choice honour (returned to its original name for 2026 after several years as the Rising Star Award) has become one of the most reliable predictors of which artists will define the next decade of British music.
Now, the BRITs have revealed the three artists vying for the 2026 Critics’ Choice Award, supported by BBC Radio 1, and the shortlist reads like a snapshot of where UK music is headed next: emotionally dense songwriting, dance-floor pop revivalism, and bold, genre-fluid new voices ready to take global stages.
This year’s nominees – Jacob Alon, Rose Gray and Sienna Spiro – arrive at vastly different moments in their early careers, yet all three have already carved distinct musical identities. And if history is any indication, one of them may soon become a household name.
JACOB ALON: THE STORYTELLER WHO’S QUIETLY TAKING OVER
Few new artists have built momentum as steadily – or as organically – as Jacob Alon. Raised in Fife and steeped in the folk traditions of the Scottish east coast, Alon writes songs that feel weathered, as if they’ve been living in the bloodstream for years. Their debut album ‘In Limerence’ earned a Mercury Prize shortlist spot in 2025, and suddenly the soft-spoken singer-songwriter found themself thrust into the national conversation.
Jacob’s strength lies in a kind of emotional excavation. Their arrangements are bare but deliberate, blending acoustic intimacy with sudden, cinematic swells. They’ve already earned a BBC Introducing Artist of the Year title and delivered one of the most talked-about sets on the Glastonbury BBC Introducing Stage last summer – a performance some critics called “the moment Alon’s career quietly shifted gears”.
For an award that has historically championed boundary-defining vocalists, Jacob fits neatly into the lineage of previous alumni: artists whose raw honesty disarms before it dazzles.
“Ya beauty! Tapadh leibh for recognising my work for this award you legends! Even though I’m Scottish & Irish before I’m British, I appreciate the BRITs critics for this recognition. I really care about and believe in this music and it makes my world brighter every time it reaches someone else. Hopefully this nomination means some more beautiful people might find something in this wee album. ‘Mon the gays!!!” – Jacob Alon
ROSE GRAY: THE POP INSURGENT BRINGING RAVE CULTURE TO THE MAINSTREAM
If Jacob Alon represents introspection, Rose Gray is the opposite: ecstatic, explosive, and built for the dance floor.
The East London singer – whose debut album ‘Louder, Please’ landed earlier this year – has become one of the most exciting new figures in the UK club-pop renaissance. Pulling inspiration from ‘90s rave energy, glossy electro-pop, and the industrial sheen of modern club music, Gray has carved out a sound that feels nostalgic but entirely new.
Her follow-up deluxe project, ‘A Little Louder, Please’, expanded her sonic world even further. She spent 2025 on a string of major festival bills and landed a coveted support slot for Kesha on her European tour – a co-sign that confirmed what fans on TikTok and in nightclubs already knew: Rose Gray is on the brink of international stardom!
Where Alon is subtle, Gray is maximalist. Her choruses are engineered for mass euphoria, for nightclub catharsis, for festival tents packed to capacity. In a year when British dance-pop is undergoing a renaissance, her nomination feels particularly timely.
“I’m so excited for this nomination!! This moment feels like a special reminder of how far this journey has carried me and what a crazy year it’s been. One year ago, I was manifesting so hard for my album ‘Louder, Please’ to travel, to find its people, to really get its light. And it did. Releasing this record has genuinely changed my life. I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been part of this journey and I can’t wait for what’s to come. Thank you BRITs!” – Rose Gray
SIENNA SPIRO: THE RAW NEW VOICE ALREADY FILLING ROOMS ACROSS CONTINENTS
Sienna Spiro’s rise has been the most rapid of the three. Only launching her music career in 2024, she entered 2025 with real momentum – thanks largely to her debut EP ‘SINK NOW, SWIM LATER’ which showcased her ability to translate real experiences into timeless, modern songs, with the fan-favourite ‘MAYBE.’ marking a breakthrough moment that drew praise from artists including SZA, Snoh Aalegra, Finneas and Mark Ronson.
Her rise has been fuelled by a voice that cuts clean through the noise – unpolished in the best way, full of cracked edges and lived-in emotion. Her latest single ‘Die On This Hill’ became her first UK Top 10 hit, turning Spiro from a promising newcomer into a legitimate chart presence almost overnight. Since then, she’s toured relentlessly, opening for Sam Smith on their To Be Free: New York City residency, before headlining her own sold-out dates across Europe. Festival slots, late-night TV appearances, and a growing U.S. fanbase have pushed her profile even further, positioning her as one of the most compelling new performers of the moment.
“So beyond honoured and grateful to be nominated for this year’s Critics’ Choice BRIT Award! To think I started releasing music last year, I would never have expected this at all. Thank you so much!” – Sienna Spiro
The Critics’ Choice Award was first introduced in 2008 to spotlight the UK’s next generation of game-changing talent. It’s decided by a panel of music journalists, radio and TV heads, plus industry insiders. To qualify, artists must not have achieved a Top 20 album or more than one Top 20 single by October 31st 2025.
As well as the fore mention artists, past winners and nominees include heavyweights such as James Blake, Emeli Sandé, Tom Odell, Ella Eyre, James Bay, Years & Years, Rag’n’Bone Man, Dua Lipa, Jorja Smith, Sam Fender, and – most recently – Myles Smith and The Last Dinner Party. Many of those names have since gone on to global success — underlining how the Critics’ Choice remains one of the best predictors of the next wave of big UK artists.
This years winner will be revealed in mid-January, ahead of the main BRIT Awards 2026 ceremony, which takes place on Saturday February 28th 2026 at Co-op Live, Manchester – the first time the BRITs will be held outside London.
Speaking following the unveiling of the 2025 nominees, Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK said: “How exciting to spotlight a new wave of UK musicians shaping popular culture. Awards and recognition for emerging artists is now more important than ever, and Critics’ Choice has long championed brilliantly talented new artists. This cohort shares the same early spark displayed by previous winners like Adele, Florence + The Machine, Sam Fender, Myles Smith and Emeli Sande. This year’s finalists are a great reminder that commercial momentum grows from creative ambition and artistic bravery.”