The Critics’ Choice shortlist for the 2026 BRIT Awards with Mastercard has been released, bringing back the award’s original name after being known as the Rising Star prize from 2020 to 2025. This is a nod to the UK’s growing musical talent. The three chosen artists—Jacob Alon, Rose Gray, and Sienna Spiro—were announced on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Jack Saunders on December 3, 2025. They are part of a new wave of British innovation that is about to change the soundscape. Supported by BBC Radio 1, this prestigious award has long been a crystal ball for the industry, sending stars like Adele, Florence + The Machine, Sam Smith, and more recent winners like The Last Dinner Party and Myles Smith to the top. The shortlist shows the raw, unfiltered promise of these solo trailblazers by only allowing artists who haven’t had a Top 20 album or more than one Top 20 single by October 31, 2025. The winner, who will be announced in January, will join a small group of alumni whose early success often leads to major breakthroughs around the world.
Jacob Alon, a 24-year-old sonic architect from London, is in charge of the group. His first album, Louder, Please, which came out just a year ago, has already been talked about as a possible Mercury Prize winner. Alon’s music is a mix of introspective electronica and pulsing indie rock, and it draws from a wide range of sources, including Radiohead and Arca. Millions of people have listened to songs like the haunting “Echo Chamber,” which has hooks that are ready for the club and layers of vulnerability that draw people in. Alon said in a heartfelt statement that “one year ago, I was manifesting so hard for my album to travel, to find its people.” This is a reflection on the life-changing journey that led to this nomination. Critics say he is a good way to measure how the UK’s electronic scene is changing, where personal release meets dancefloor joy. On February 28, 2026, the BRITs ceremony will take place for the first time outside of London, at Manchester’s Co-op Live. If Alon wins, it could mean a change in the country’s creative pulse to the north.
Rose Gray, a 28-year-old Brit School graduate, is the indie-folk enchantress on the shortlist. Her storytelling skills bring to mind the ghosts of Amy Winehouse and Raye, two other graduates of the same school. Gray’s breakthrough EP, In Limerence, came out on Polydor Records and made it to the shortlist for the 2025 Mercury Prize. The album’s confessional lyrics and shimmering acoustic arrangements make you think of rainy London evenings. Her voice, a smoky mix of grit and grace, shines on songs like “Faded Maps,” which is about lost love and starting over in the city. She has a loyal fan base thanks to small shows and viral TikTok sessions. “I’m so beyond honored and grateful,” Gray said when she heard the news. Her words were like those of an artist who started honing her craft in South London’s underground venues. Gray’s nomination feels like a coronation for folk’s quiet revolutionists, promising to bring heartfelt, rootsy resonance to the BRITs stage. The Critics’ Choice award focuses on “creative ambition and artistic bravery.”
Sienna Spiro, a 20-year-old prodigy whose old-soul jazz-pop fusion carries on the work of legends like Etta James and Frank Sinatra, rounds out the shortlist. Her father is the famous jeweler Glenn Spiro. In early 2025, Spiro’s self-titled debut, Velvet Echoes, came out on Capitol/Method and got great reviews for its sophisticated swing and cinematic style—think Norah Jones meets modern R&B. “Midnight Waltz” and other hits have charmed playlists all over the world. Her smooth voice and piano-driven melodies bring back memories of a time when things were more glamorous, but for Gen Z. Even though she rose to fame quickly, Spiro’s inclusion shows how good the award is at finding timeless voices among short-lived trends. “This group has the same early spark as past winners,” said Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK. “It’s a great reminder that creative ambition leads to commercial success.” Spiro’s poised elegance could lead to BRITs glory, as she easily connects with people of all ages.
The return of the Critics’ Choice name for 2026 isn’t just a trip down memory lane; it’s a deliberate nod to how important critical acclaim is in a time when algorithms often take the place of art. The award has become a crucial launchpad, especially since the BRITs are going to Manchester for the first time, which will help it reach more people outside of London. It is chosen by a panel of experts from the media, broadcasting, and industry. For Alon, Gray, and Spiro, this shortlist is more than proof; it’s a call to the world, like the journeys of past nominees like Dua Lipa and Jorja Smith, who turned early buzz into lasting legacies. As the January reveal and the February ceremony broadcast on ITV and ITVX get closer, one thing is clear: these three aren’t just rising stars; they’re the start of the next golden age of British music, ready to wow, disrupt, and define.
