The BRIT Awards have unveiled the glistening trophy for next year’s ceremony, which will also mark the first time the awards have been held outside of London
The BRIT Awards have finally revealed the prestigious trophy for the 2026 ceremony. The trophy for 2026 features a sweet nod to Manchester, with the designer being “proud” to honour his hometown.
Next year, the ceremony will be held in Manchester – the first time it has left London since its launch in 1977, when it was known as The British Record Industry Britannia Awards. This year, the trophy has been designed by Manchester-based Matthew Williamson.
Williamson has expressed his pride in creating the award for the ceremony set to take place in his hometown of Manchester. Drawing inspiration from his Manchester roots and the city’s worker bee mascot, the trophy features an amber figure atop a globe, symbolising the global influence of British music.
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Speaking to the PA news agency about the honour of designing the award, Williamson said: “It means a huge amount, personally, it means a lot, professionally, it means a lot.” He added: “I think overall, I’m just really honoured to be in this position, I feel it’s quite a weighty project, and I’m fully aware of the designers that have gone before me, these icons of design, so I’m carrying quite a sort of heavy torch, so to speak, but very proud.”
The Manchester-born designer further shared his love for his city, stating: “Personally, I’m from Manchester, I love everything about the city, so it has an extra resonance, because it’s going to be here, it’s a real milestone moment.”
Williamson, who has a background in fashion, home and lifestyle design, reminisced about watching the awards ceremony with his family every year during his childhood. The 54-year-old designer recalled: “I remember watching it and feeling that I probably shouldn’t be watching it, so I was pretty young.
“I remember it being a little bit spicy at times, and my parents were quite liberal parents, but it was a little past the watershed and all of that, so I don’t know, (I was watching it) early probably (as a) teenager, slightly earlier.
“That was many moons ago, but I still watch it now, and I’m going to be watching it with my daughter next year, so it feels like a full circle moment in so many ways.” Williamson, who witnessed one of his catwalk creations featured in the music video for Prince’s 2007 track Chelsea Rodgers, revealed he was careful to honour the award’s original blueprint whilst crafting its fresh iteration.
He continued: “There was a certain understanding that this is the trophy, we want to keep the silhouette, the structure, so they don’t want us to turn it into a different form, because then it wouldn’t be a Brit Award. I think that was central to the project, respect what’s there, and be like the Oscars, you kind of want to see that mask, you don’t really want to see something else.”
Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music U,K said: “The BRITs’ move to Manchester has enabled us to think about how we do things in such a brilliant and different way, so I am delighted that Matthew accepted the invitation to design the award for next year’s show.
“As a creative from Manchester, he’s brought a unique perspective to the design process, developing a simple, sophisticated and striking concept that embodies the spirit and values of the city and is also a visual statement for the show, supporting our ambition to put British music on the global stage. We couldn’t be more pleased with what Matthew has created, and to have him be part of such a historic show in BRITs history”
Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK, Glyn Aikins added: “I”m thrilled to welcome Matthew Williamson as the designer of the 2026 BRIT Award trophy. Matthew’s bold, expressive creativity has shaped British fashion for over two decades, and his work has always stood at the intersection of art, style and cultural imagination.
“His vision for this year’s trophy draws inspiration from the iconic worker bee, a powerful symbol of Manchester’s resilience, community and creative spirit. The result brings a new sense of colour, optimism and individuality to the BRITs, perfectly capturing the energy of British music today. I couldn’t be more excited to unveil his design to artists, fans and the wider creative community.”
The prestigious gong has previously been crafted by luminaries including Dame Vivienne Westwood, Sir Peter Blake and Dame Tracey Emin.
The BRIT Awards will take place on Saturday, February 28, at Manchester’s Co-op Live.
Source: Mirror
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