Sam Fender

By spending 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK singles chart, it overtakes a record set by American crooner Frankie Laine with his track I Believe, in 1953

Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts

Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon was the big winner at the 2026 Ivor Novello awards, which acknowledge the best in British and Irish songwriting and screen composition

If she needs a few tips in advance of meeting with the BBC brass she could probe It Takes Two presenter and former contestant Fleur East who was also attending the glitzy ceremony, which is one of the highlights of the UK music calendar

But one thing remained the same and that was the fashion on display — with catwalk ready looks from the likes of Olivia Dean, Rosalía and Harry Styles

Dean delivers each song with unfussy exuberance — she somehow captures both the otherworldly poise of Diana Ross and the charm of your best friend killing it at karaoke — and has become the voice of a generation whose romantic lives have been complicated by dating apps and other digitally mediated mating rituals

The Brits Awards red carpet was as vibrant as ever, with some amazing musical talent making an appearance for the UK's biggest night in music

It's the first time the ceremony has been held outside London since its inception in 1977 — but two Londoners, Olivia Dean and Lola Young, lead the nominations with five apiece

Last year's coveted prize was awarded to Geordie singer Sam Fender

The ceremony is being held outside London for the first time in the award show’s history, taking place instead next month on 28 February at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester