The concert conveyed her artistic flair, that showcases a sense of classy, old-school jazz sounds, reflecting her difference from mainstream pop. The Brit-winner curated a setlist for her fans that met expectations, with performances of her top-charting songs such as ‘Nice to Each Other’, ‘So Easy (To Fall in Love)’, and a climactic close with ‘Man I Need’.

The start to the tour also saw live debuts of songs, such as ‘Loud’ and ‘Baby Steps’, making her performance a spectacle for fans who have been eager to see the songs performed. She also included a Curtis Mayfield cover, of the 1970s song, ‘Move On Up’, engaging with a wide audience who may enjoy a blast from the past.

After winning multiple Brit Awards, including ‘Artist Of The Year’, Dean has only gone up in the charts and respects of UK and worldwide listeners of all genres. A stand out award was also the ‘Song of the Year’ award for ‘Rein Me In’, alongside indie artist Sam Fender, which has remained at number one on the UK’s Singles Chart for seven non-consecutive weeks, however it did not appear in last night’s set list.

The artist blends sounds of jazz, pop, and R&B, with a classic neo-soul sound in her singing, reflecting an alternative pop that can be seen as nostalgic and comforting. With the release of her second studio album ‘The Art Of Loving’ debuting at number one in the UK, she became a chart-topper also in the US, where singles like ‘Man I Need’ became a top-10 hit.

Dean also has a wide music span, from topping charts and winning Brit Awards, the singer arguably gained mainstream attraction when she wrote and sang ‘It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be’ for the 2025 film ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ soundtrack. This signalled a romantic, comforting sound from the start, with her associations to the worldwide successful rom-com-franchise that is ‘Bridget Jones’.

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The UK leg of the tour continues until May, after performing at the London’s 20,000 capacity O2 for four nights in a row. The tour also stops at Manchester’s Co-op Live, before venturing to Europe stops, with a close back in London for two more nights, and two nights in Dublin’s Marlay Park.

The Ivor Novello Awards recognise excellence in British and Irish songwriting and composition for the screen. The award body remarks on their official site “winning an Ivor Novello is the highest global recognition for songwriting and composing.” This year, the ceremony is in partnership with Amazon Music and is set to take place on 21 May at London’s Grosvenor House.

61 nominees were named Tuesday (24 March) across seven different categories. And of those, 34 nominees are first time recipients. This includes Dean, Alon and Self Esteem co-writer Johan Hugo.

Veteran nominees include two-time winner Little Simz, who has gotten her fifth ever Ivor nod for her single ‘Free’ in Best Contemporary Song. Damon Albarn also received his fifth nomination for the Gorillaz’s ‘Damascus’ which features Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bay.

Lola Young has picked up her fourth ever nomination at the Ivors for her song, ‘Messy’ which is up for PRS for Music Most Performed Work. Welch joins Young in receiving her fourth Ivor Novello nomination, this year’s comes for her song, ‘Everybody Scream,’ for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. The song is co-written by Mistki and Mark Bowen.

Lily Allen’s ‘West End Girl’ is nominated for Best Album which marks the singer’s third Ivor nomination. And Coldplay also gets their third nod for their single ‘Viva La Vida’ for the PRS for Most Performed Work.  This category is said to celebrate “songs that received the most broadcast, online and general performances in the last year, based on PRS data.”

CMAT’s ‘Euro-Country’ has been nominated for Best Album, which is the Irish singer’s second nomination. The Ivors describe the Best Album category as celebrating “exceptional songwriting craft, creativity and cohesion across the record as a whole.” Other contenders for the award include Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving,’ Jim Legacy’s ‘Black British Music’ and Wolf Alice’s ‘The Clearing.’ Dean commented on the Instagram post below announcing her Best Album nomination with four heart emojis, and reposted the announcement to her Instagram Stories. Dean’s second nomination this year comes for her song, ‘Man I Need’ in the Most Performed Work category.

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Meanwhile, Tempest is set to compete against himself in for Best Contemporary Song with both ‘I Stand on the Line’ (co-written by Fraser T Smith) and ‘Know Yourself’ (co-written by Smith and Tom Rowlands) nominated for the award.   The Rising Star Award with Amazon Music is another exciting category at the Ivors. 2026 nominees include kwn, Jacob Alon, Chloe Qisha and Skye Newman. The award recognizes songwriters from the UK and Irelands who the Ivor Academy believes are “at the tipping point of greatness.” Last year’s nominees include, PinkPantheress, Holly Humberstone, Rachel Chinouriri and Lola Young, who won the award in 2025.   The Ivor Novello Awards are peer-judged by fellow songwriters and composers. They remain the most prestigious and enduring award to celebrate craft and cultural achievement. And at a time tense with generative AI edging into the creative industries, the Ivors Academy says “when questions around authorship and AI are reshaping the music landscape, The Ivors stand as a powerful affirmation of human creativity and the cultural value of songwriters.”   While fans wait for the awards ceremony on 21 May, Amazon Music has curated an “Ivors 2026″ playlist, including many nominees and spanning a wide variety of genres, here. See the full list of nominees in the post below

 

 

 

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Radio 1’s, Greg James announced the third and final lineup of acts this morning and it’s filled with wonderful additions to finalise an already incredible weekend. James shared with listeners that Dean would also be joined by a variety of other established artists, including Niall Horan, Myles Smith, CMAT, Kehlani and Dermot Kennedy.

Dean has simply taken the world by storm in this past year, even taking home a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in February of 2026. Not only has she solidified herself as a star through her Grammy win, the ‘Man I Need’ singer also took home four awards at the BRITS including Best New Artist.

Joining the bill days before Dean’s set are DJ’s Fatboy Slim and Sonny Foreda making for an action packed dance music celebration. Following on from this, the Saturday lineup is set to see incredible performances from Zara Larsson, Louis Tomlinson and Lola Young. The weekend is set to be an action-packed music venture.

Also featured on the Sunday bill are acts in the likes of Jorja smith, Maisie Peters, Charlie Hedges, Holly Humberstone, Maia Beth and countless other up and coming names.

One Direction fans are bubbling with excitement as two former members take the stage over the weekend. Both Tomlinson and Horan are set to have new music releasing this year, fans may potentially be lucky enough to hear some brand new material.

Saturday’s attendees are in for a treat; blonde bombshell, Larsson has experienced a renaissance of sorts with her latest album ‘Midnight Sun.’ Her music is everywhere, taking over social media platforms, Olympic skaters dancing to her tracks and TikTok dance trends in her name. It is safe to say the Swedish singer songwriter has come back around with a newfound hunger for stardom, and we cannot wait to see her dominate the Sunderland stage.

One of Britains biggest music events, the festival spans from May 22 – 24, set to feature three exciting stages, Main Stage, New Music Stage and BBC Introducing Stage.

Sunderland last hosted Radio 1’s Big Weekend way back in 2005 in which the event saw performances from Gwen Stefani, Foo Fighters and the Black Eyed Peas.Thousands of fans are set to attend the three-day event, making for a gorgeous weekend to remember featuring over 100 acts.

Tickets for the first day went on sale last week and Saturday and Sunday tickets are set to go on sale from 17:00 GMT Wednesday 11 March, Sunderland’s local residents are set to get priority.

General sale day tickets cost £44.50 per day whilst VIP tickets cost £106.00.

Praise for its ability to host in towns that do not often see music events, Radio 1’s Big Weekend provides attendees with a joyous weekend close to their hometown.

Grab your tickets now!

The full video of their acceptance can be seen below.

‘Rein Me In’ was released on the deluxe edition of Fender’s album, ‘People Watching.’  Before Dean joined the remix, it was originally the eighth track on the album. The BRIT Award-winning remix debuted on 6 June during a show at London Stadium, with Dean brought on stage to perform. The song, featuring Dean, was then recorded in studio and released on 20 June, including a verse written by Dean. Fender said ‘If I collaborate with another artist on one of my songs, I prefer they write a new part and make it their own, rather than singing whatever I’ve already written.’ He added that ‘Olivia added a female perspective to ‘Rein Me In’, and I think it’s all the better for it. Sharing the stage with her over these last few stadium shows has been a joy.’ Dean added, ‘’Rein Me In’ is my favourite song on Sam’s album, so it was a pleasure to write a new verse from a female perspective. I’ve been a fan of Sam’s for a while now, so I’m so pleased we got to work together on this duet.’ Clash Magazine says the remixed ‘Rein Me in’ ‘takes on tender new tones’ as well as ‘bringing out different shades within Sam Fender’s voice.’

The song has spent a staggering 35 weeks on the Official Charts Top 40 before reaching Number 1. This breaks a record of 19 weeks previously held by Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ Having been an occupant of the Top 40 since June 2025, it previously saw three separate peaks at number 5.

The win for ‘Rein Me In’ serves as a victory lap on a wildly successful year for both Fender and Dean, independently. In 2025 Fender won the Mercury Prize for ‘People Watching.’ The Mercury Prize judging panel said the album was recognized for ‘its cohesion, character and ambition’ and the album ‘will take pride of place in record collections for years to come.’

Also in 2025, Dean won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Her tearful acceptance speech was a tribute to her family, saying, ‘I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,’ and ‘I am a product of bravery and those people deserve to be celebrated.’

The BRIT Awards official page calls ‘Rein Me In’ ‘one of the defining tracks of the past year.’

Other Song of the Year Nominees at the BRIT Awards include Ed Sheeran for ‘Azizam,’ Lola Young for ‘Messy,’ Lewis Capaldi for ‘Survive’ and more.

Fender also won Best Alternative/Rock Act on Saturday night. While Dean also took home the BRIT Awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (for ‘The Art of Loving’) and Best Pop Act. Her four wins makes her the night’s most awarded artist.

A photo of the new station signage can be seen in the post below:

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Not all passengers have been so excited by the change. Some travellers took to X the afternoon the signage was installed, voicing concerns and complaints. One user called the renaming ‘a project designed to confuse tourists and those who rely on these signs including PRM.’ Another user responded, echoing frustrations, saying renaming stations for holidays or other events ‘doesn’t really help non English speakers or those with disabilities.’ Northern responded to the original complaint saying ‘I am sorry for any confusion, this has been done to celebrate the BRIT Awards and the signs will change back after.’

Dean has racked up five nominations, making her one of the most nominated artists of the 2026 BRITs. Her nominations include Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for ‘Man I Need’ and Album of the Year for ‘The Art of Loving.’

As just her sophomore album, ‘The Art of Loving’ has continued Dean’s meteoric rise to worldwide popularity. Debuting at Number 1 on the UK Albums chart with 52, 366 album-equivalent units sold, it was Dean’s first number-one album and the biggest debut for a British female solo artist since Adele’s ’30.’ Following this success, the singer took home the Grammy Award for Best New Artist earlier this year.

Manchester Evening News reported that ahead of the BRITs, Dean will play Manchester’s Albert Hall, an intimate show apart of the official BRITs Week celebrations. This show comes as part of a two-night series of sets in partnership with charity War Child and The Warehouse Project. All proceeds from the sets will go to benefitting War Child’s work providing emergency aid, mental health support and campaigning for the rights of children affected by war worldwide.

‘Oliva Deansgate’ Station and the War Child benefit concerts are all a part of a wide range of cultural events the city of Manchester is holding this week to celebrate the BRITs. The BRIT Awards official page detailing the culture events notes Manchester as a ‘vibrant creative community.’  Elsewhere on their site, the say the city has ‘deep and rich roots in music’ and the BRIT Awards will be ‘a welcome addition to its music legacy.’

The 2026 BRIT Awards with Mastercard will take place Saturday February 28 and will be broadcast in the UK on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player. Performances from the ceremony will be shared on YouTube, for international audiences.

Bad Bunny scored one of the night’s most coveted trophies, taking home Album of the Year for ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos‘ further cementing his status as a crossover force who moves freely between Latin music and the mainstream pop charts. The Puerto Rican star arrived at the show with six nominations and left having made history for Latin representation in the Grammys’ top categories. His win capped a year in which Spanish-language releases continued to dominate global streaming and festival lineups.

Kendrick Lamar reaffirmed his place as one of rap’s defining artists, converting a leading tally of nine nominations into multiple wins across the evening. He took Record of the Year for ‘Luther’, his collaboration with SZA, extending a run of critically acclaimed projects that have bridged commercial success and social commentary. Lamar’s victories follow his clean sweep at the 2025 Grammys and underscore the Recording Academy’s continued recognition of his ambitious studio work.

Pop icon Lady Gaga also enjoyed a strong night, collecting Best Pop Vocal Album for ‘Mayhem‘ a project that saw her return to high-energy, theatrical pop after recent project in film and jazz. She was also in the running for Song of the Year with ‘Abracadabra’ highlighting her continued presence in the Grammys’ most competitive fields. While she missed out on that top songwriting prize, Gaga’s wins reinforced her reputation as one of the ceremony’s most reliable performers and nominees.

For British artists, the 2026 ceremony proved especially significant. London singer-songwriter Olivia Dean was named Best New Artist, marking a major breakthrough on the global stage after several years of critical acclaim at home and steady chart growth. Fellow UK talent Lola Young won Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Messy’ a confessional track that beat out previous Grammy favourites including Sabrina Carpenter and Gaga in one of the night’s most closely watched categories.

Beyond the headline names, the winners’ list showcased an eclectic mix of genres and generations. Billie Eilish took Song of the Year for ‘Wildflower’, while British veterans The Cure won Best Alternative Music Album for ‘Songs of a Lost World‘ reflecting how legacy acts and emerging stars continue to coexist on the Grammy stage. With nearly 100 awards handed out across pop, rap, rock, R&B, dance, global and classical fields, the 2026 edition painted a picture of an industry still dominated by a handful of marquee names but increasingly open to fresh perspectives from across the world.

Their findings display a significant increase of 4.9 per cent from 2024 in both streaming and sales, with a 13.3 per cent rise in vinyl sales, and shockingly nearly an 80% boost in cassette tape sales. The BPI uses a metric they call “album equivalent sales” which uses data on physical and digital sales to create an approximate number of albums sold overall. 2025 produced equivalent sales of 210.3 million albums for UK artists, an impressive growth from last year, but considerably smaller than 2024s 9.7 per cent gain over 2023.

The BPI’s report, which uses data from the Official Chart Company, also recorded a 5.5 per cent increase in total streaming figures to 210.3 billion total streams, a 5.5 percent increase from last year, and it marks the first year that has amassed more than 200 billion streams. Streaming has again established its dominance as the primary source for music listeners, occupying 89.3 per cent of all music access.

As for physical media, their renaissance continues, with the exception of the less-nostalgic compact disc. CD sales dropped 7.9 per cent, still showing the highest physical media numbers of 9.7 million units, but in its place demand for vinyls and cassettes surged. The stated gain of almost 80 per cent cassette sales may only amount to a total of 330,000 tapes, but when added to the 7.6 million vinyls sold and the 9.7 million CDs, it led to a cumulative increase of 1.4 per cent and a final total of 17.6 million physical copies.

Oasis’s 2025 live tour took hold of the British consciousness

There have been several significant events and releases that have garnered a lot of the spotlight on British music, most notably this year’s Oasis reunion tour. New albums from established performers like Sam Fender have yielded strong sales, and streaming has driven massive attention on a new wave of female breakthrough artists, including PinkPantheress, Olivia Dean and Lola Young.

Certainly, the Gallagher brothers have made the headlines non-stop since they revealed they had set aside their differences in 2024. In the wake of their tour selling out every date, Oasis’s 2010 compilation album ‘Time Flies… 1994-2009’ shot to number one in the Official UK Album Charts again multiple times throughout this year, and finished the year as the fourth most popular album.

Sam Fender’s album ‘People Watching’ earned him the 2025 Mercury Prize, and was the only original release by a UK artist to reach the end of year album charts. Also this year was ‘Even In Arcadia’, the latest release from our own Sleep Token, the most popular and mysterious masked band in rock and heavy metal. Both albums have earned their respective creators international praise and attention, which has showed in both streaming and digital sales.

And finally, the bright young stars of the new era. Olivia Dean broke new records this year when her single ‘Man I Need’ and album ‘The Art Of Loving’ topped both of their respective charts in the same week. Newcomer Lola Young’s ‘Messy’ was the second most popular single of the entire year, an incredible feat for a new artist.

Outside of the UK, Taylor Swift claimed both the most popular album for the second consecutive year, and the best selling vinyl for the fourth year in a row, with her album ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’.

If you didn’t know the name Olivia Dean, you probably will after this moment, which punches her one way ticket to the summit of the music industry.

On just her second offering, her album, ‘The Art Of Loving’ has claimed the throne in the UK Charts this week, leapfrogging the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Doja Cat. Her single ‘Man I Need,’ which has spiralled into popularity, also claimed pole position on the UK Singles Charts. 

Both mark the first time the singer has achieved either feat. The last female artist to have such a debut week, (53,00 units moved) was none other than Adele in 2021. Whilst following  those footprints seems unimaginably difficult, there is certainly no better way to go about it…

Dean has also topped the Official Vinyl Albums Charts. Oh, and dispute having the number one single, that wasn’t enough for her, she also snags number 4 (Nice To Each Other) AND number 9 (So Easy (To Fall In Love)).

Following the excitement, fans were delivered a second serving. Dean announced on her social media that two more O2 dates would be added to next year’s ‘Art Of Loving Tour’. 

That brings what is now an O2 Residency to six nights in total. Dean was performing in venues holding less than 5,000 people just one year ago. She will now sing to around 120,000 fans over 6 nights in what’s arguably the country’s greatest arena.

She really does make it look dangerously easy, but has stayed personal and connected with her followers. In a wholesome heartfelt style, that the London born singer has always embodied, she shared a heartfelt thank you to her fans on her Instagram.

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The artist wrote: “my heart is so full thank u for receiving the album so warmly. feeling very loved and understood!”

That would be a career defining feat for many, but you can’t ignore the feeling that this could be merely a surface scratching procurement.

Pre-sale tickets will be available from 10am on Wednesday 8th October.

To gain access, you can order the number one album from Dean’s official store by 5pm on Monday 6th October.

General sale tickets will be released at 10am on Friday 10th October.

This is without a doubt her biggest ever tour, which will take to central Europe after Britain.

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Last year, Dean’s ‘Messy’ tour was of an astonishingly small scale comparatively. It included venues like the Eventim Apollo in London, the O2 Academy in Bristol and the University Stylus in Leeds. None of the venues on that tour breached a capacity of 5,000.

She even performed to 70 people in a 2017 show. Next year she will play to over 20,000 fans per night as she visits London, Manchester and Glasgow on her sold out journey around the UK. the tour will head into central Europe following these dats, before finishing an Encore at Fairview Park, Dublin.

The 26 year old Londoner has had an impressive rise, particularly taking off within the last 6 years. In 2021 she was named as Amazon Music breakthrough artist of the year. She then bagged BBC Introducing artist of the year in 2023, a prestigious award that’s been won by names like Catfish and the Bottlemen, Declan McKenna and Nia Archives.

The artist also conquered TikTok earlier in the year with the release of the hit single ‘it isn’t perfect but it might be,’ which featured in ‘Bridget Jones: Mad about the boy.’ Fans fell obsessed with the nostalgic romantic feel of the song, often using the song a theme which can be heard across Dean’s discography.

@oliviadeano_it isn’t perfect but it might be! (live from rak studios) for bridget jones the movie directed by jake erland♬ It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be – from “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Olivia Dean

Dean’s 2023 debut album ‘’Messy’’ was nominated for a Mercury Prize and rightly so. The album is an eclectic masterclass. Unrestricted by the borders of genre, it dips into soul, r&b, pop, jazz and many more. It’s a journey of love, heartache and a real look into an empowering young woman embracing what life is throwing at her. It felt new and refreshing at the time, it feels even more so now.

Earlier this month we saw the same story after the singer released her third song from the upcoming album: ‘‘Man I Need’, this follows the songs ‘Nice to Each Other’ and ‘Lady Lady’, the first of which has done incredibly well.

Even more recently she collaborated with Sam Fender on a duet of his song ‘Rein Me in’, which was unveiled in front of 80,000 fans at St James’ park. Olivia Dean is a gem in the heart of the UK’s music scene, that is no longer a question, (if it ever was).

Speaking to Elle earlier in the year Dean comically pointed out one example of how she’s had to adjust to life as a star. “‘I used to be on the Tube saying all my personal business.’ She laughs, holding her phone up to mimic sending a voice note. ‘I’d be like, Sis, so basically, he said that…’ Then I realised I probably shouldn’t be doing that.’”

If you still want to see her you can, but you’ll need to catch a plane, train or boat to go with that ticket. The tour will showcase the eponymous album, which is set for release on September 26.

She has also added an extra date to her tour in Glasgow, Manchester and Dublin. She announced this on Instagram, writing in the caption “can’t believe i’m saying this but presale sold out so quickly we’re adding some extra shows general sale 10am on friday bst / 11am cest !!! wow wow wow”.

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Olivia Dean attended the prestigious BRIT performing arts school, with alumni including Amy Winehouse, Geordie Greep, Adele and Jessie J. In 2019, she released her first EP ‘OK Love You Bye‘, introducing the music scene to her neo-soul melodies and heartfelt, authentic lyrics.

She first gained recognition when she won Amazon Music‘s 2021 Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Since then, she has grown exponentially in popularity, going on to win the BBC Introducing Artist of the Year in 2023. 2023 also saw the release of Dean’s debut album ‘Messy’, which was released to critical acclaim. Listen to ‘Messy’ below:

Dean shot to stardom after the release of her debut album, which was nominated for the 2023 Mercury Prize. In the same year, Dean was also nominated for 3 BRIT Awards, Best New Artist, Mastercard Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.

This year, she has also added to her stardom after she was selected to write the lead single in the soundtrack to the 2025 film Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Olivia Dean wrote the incredible song ‘It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be’ for the film, a song which gained widespread radio play. Watch Dean perform this song on her YouTube channel below:

Olivia Dean has been busy this summer, playing a secret set at Glastonbury Festival, a top act at Forwards Festival in Bristol and even a performance at British Summer Time (BST) 2025 at Hyde Park. Her ‘The Art of Loving Live‘ tour begins in the USA in October 2025.

Before the main tour begins, Dean is playing acoustic sets of the new album at album launch events next month (September 2025), starting in Edinburgh before visiting Liverpool, Leeds, Kingston, Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham, where she will discuss the new album with fans during these intimate sets at small venues. Tickets for these events are currently sold out though she has suggested she will add new dates to her acoustic sets due to high demand.

Dean has currently released three singles from her new album, ‘Nice To Each Other’, ‘Lady Lady’ and ‘Man I Need’. Watch the music video to her latest single ‘Man I Need’ below:

Tickets for Olivia Dean’s 2026 ‘The Art of Loving Live‘ tour can be bought here. General sale begins tomorrow Friday 29 August. Deans new album ‘The Art of Loving‘ is available for pre-order here, which will be released on 26 September 2025.