BRITS ROCK THE WORLD

The glitz! The glamour! The giant inflatable monkeys! This year's Brits award show was nothing short of spectacular – and Charli XCX was the undisputed queen of the night

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The Brits became the Brats last week as songwriter Charli XCX swept the board at the music industry awards ceremony, receiving five awards on a night that celebrated women in music and lived up to its reputation for daring fashion, jaw-dropping performances and signature British cool.

Hosted at London’s O2 Arena by Jack Whitehall, the evening undoubtedly belonged to 32-year-old Charli – full name Charlotte Aitchison – whose album Brat not only enjoyed chart success but also sparked the rise of a cultural movement, the “brat girl summer”, promoting positive body image, self-love and a carefree attitude.

Rocking a gothic sheer black dress by Dilara Findikoglu, the Cambridge-born star beamed as she accepted the awards for Artist of the Year, Dance Act, Song of the Year (for Guess with Billie Eilish), Album of the Year (for Brat) and the prestigious Songwriter of the Year accolade.

“I’ve been doing my own thing in my own corner of the industry for a minute; I’ve never really changed that,” she said. “I guess this time around, culture caught up with us and wanted to be on the journey with us, and that’s really amazing.”

It was also a big night for US singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, who arrived at the event in a custom-made bubblegum-pink gown by Alexander McQueen. She picked up the Global Success award after 21 weeks at the top of the charts in 2024. Legendary singer Diana Ross presented the award remotely, streaming live from her concert in New York.

“This feels like such an insane honour in a primarily tea-drinking country,” Sabrina told the audience. “You really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y'all more than you even understand.”

The star had opened the ceremony by performing her hit