BA (Hons) Media and Communications students Helena Leiduck and Adriana Fernandez recently attended the 2026 Brit Awards, an opportunity provided by entertainment PR firm DawBell PR.
A chance to discover what happens behind the scenes at one of the UK's biggest music events and awards shows, Helena and Adriana share their account of the evening below!
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For most people, the BRIT Awards are an evening spent watching live performances and major award wins from home. For us, however, this year’s ceremony became a firsthand experience inside one of the UK’s most influential music events.
The BRIT Awards are the United Kingdom’s leading music awards ceremony, celebrating achievements in British and international popular music. Each year, they bring together globally recognised artists, emerging talent, and industry professionals for a live televised event that combines performances, awards and extensive media coverage.
This year’s ceremony took place in Manchester at the brand-new Co-op Live arena, marking a significant moment as the event moved away from London for the first time.
A night of major performances
One of the most striking aspects of the evening was the line up of artists, which ranged from global superstars to rising names in the industry.
The show opened with Harry Styles, one of the UK’s most influential contemporary musicians. He performed the live debut of his new song Aperture, marking his return to the stage after a longer break from live performances and setting the tone for the night.
For Helena, the standout was Olivia Dean, a London-born artist who has quickly become one of the most prominent voices in the UK music scene. She was one of the biggest winners of the evening - receiving winning four major prizes including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year for Rein Me In with Sam Fender. Her performance of Man I Need was one of the most memorable moments of the night.
For Adriana, the highlight of the night was Rosalía, an internationally celebrated artist whose work bridges traditional Spanish music with contemporary sounds. Seeing a Spanish artist of this global calibre perform live at one of the UK’s biggest music events made the experience particularly meaningful.
We also saw performances from RAYE, known for her critically acclaimed songwriting and distinctive style, and Wolf Alice, alongside emerging artists like Sombr, representing the next generation of the music industry.
Experiencing these performances live highlighted something that is not always obvious from watching at home: the BRIT Awards are not only about celebrating music, but also about shaping what and who will define the industry in the coming years.
An unexpected perspective: inside the press gallery
When we arrived at the arena, we discovered that our seats were in the press gallery, a designated section within the venue where journalists, critics, and media professionals are seated to cover the event in real time.
As Media and Communications students, this gave us a unique and highly relevant perspective.
Rather than simply watching the event, we were sitting among professionals who were actively reporting on it. Writing articles, preparing interviews, and reacting instantly to what was happening on stage. This made the experience feel far more immersive, as we were part of the media environment itself.
Listening to conversations about upcoming interviews, editorial decisions and live coverage offered insight into how entertainment journalism operates under time pressure. At the same time, there was a noticeable balance between professionalism and genuine enjoyment of the event.
We also took the opportunity to engage with those around us, making the experience not only observational but interactive, particularly valuable given our academic focus.
Understanding the show as a television production
Watching the BRIT Awards from this perspective also revealed how strongly the event is shaped by its role as a live television broadcast.
Performances are carefully designed for the camera, with artists often directing their energy toward broadcast angles rather than solely the live audience. The entire event is structured around timing, transitions, and visual impact for viewers at home.
One of the most fascinating aspects was the pace. Even during commercial breaks, the arena remained active. Stage crews worked rapidly to dismantle and rebuild sets within minutes, ensuring the show continued seamlessly.
We also noticed a slight delay between the live experience and the televised version. Friends and family watching from home were a few moments behind what we were seeing in the arena, highlighting the complexity of coordinating a live broadcast of this scale.
From anticipation to experience
Our journey to Manchester began the day before the ceremony. When we arrived, checked into our hotel, and took time to reflect on what we were about to experience. The anticipation built quickly, particularly as we discussed the artists we were hoping to see and what the event might reveal about the industry.
Preparing for the evening itself became part of the experience. By the time we arrived at the arena, the sense of occasion was undeniable, not just as attendees, but as students aware of the professional environment we were about to step into.
What we learned from the experience
Beyond the music, attending the BRIT Awards provided an invaluable insight into the intersection of media, entertainment, and live broadcasting.
Observing how journalists work during major events, how television productions are coordinated, and how artists interact with both live and broadcast audiences gave us a deeper understanding of the industry we hope to enter.
Experiences like this demonstrate how classroom learning translates into real-world practice. Concepts we discuss in lectures, such as media production, live broadcasting, and entertainment journalism, suddenly felt very tangible when witnessed first-hand at an event of this scale.
A moment we won’t forget
Attending the BRIT Awards was not only an exciting personal experience but also a reminder of the opportunities that studying Media and Communications can lead to.
We are incredibly grateful to the University for making this experience possible – particularly to our tutor Jacqui Swift, who arranged the opportunity in collaboration with DawBell PR. Being able to witness one of the UK’s biggest music events from the press gallery, surrounded by industry professionals, is something we will carry with us long after the final award was handed out.
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With thanks to Maria Barham, Kate Etteridge and Rachael Chinery at DawBell PR for making this experience possible.