Brit Awards 2025: Charli XCX Wins Big with Five Prizes, Sabrina Carpenter's Performance Sparks Controversy

Image credits: Getty Images

The 2025 Brit Awards were a night to remember, with Charli XCX taking home five prizes, including best artist, best album, and song of the year. Her seventh album, Brat, was a critical and commercial success, capturing the cultural zeitgeist with its abrasive dance-floor beats, soaring hooks, and meme-friendly artwork. The album's originality and relatability were praised by critics, who called it "pop music for the future" and noted its "painfully relatable" lyrics.

However, the night was not without controversy, as Sabrina Carpenter's performance sparked complaints to Ofcom due to its raunchy content. The US pop star opened the show with a steamy set, which included suggestively crouching down in front of a dancer dressed in a King's Guard uniform. The performance was deemed unsuitable for pre-watershed viewing, with some parents expressing outrage and disappointment. Despite the backlash, Carpenter's fans praised her confidence and stage presence, and she later accepted the global success award, recalling her first visit to the UK 10 years ago and thanking her fans for their support.

The Brit Awards also saw other notable performances, including Jade Thirlwall's first solo show, which featured a dancer flashing their bare bum. The Little Mix star later collected the best pop act award, thanking her fans and her "Little Mix sisters" for their support. Other winners included Ezra Collective, who made history by becoming the first jazz band to win the Brit Award for best group, and Chappell Roan, who won best international artist. The ceremony was hosted by Jack Whitehall, who made a welcome return after four years away, and featured a range of performances and presentations, including a duet with Foals and a speech by Teddy Swims.

The Brit Awards are a celebration of the British music industry, and this year's ceremony was no exception. With its diverse range of winners and performances, the show highlighted the talent and creativity of the music industry, and provided a platform for artists to express themselves and connect with their fans. Despite the controversy surrounding Sabrina Carpenter's performance, the night was a success, and the Brit Awards remain one of the most prestigious and highly anticipated music awards in the world.

The winners of the 2025 Brit Awards included:

• Charli XCX: best artist, best album, song of the year, best pop/R&B act, and best music video
• Chappell Roan: best international artist
• Ezra Collective: best group
• Jade Thirlwall: best pop act
• Sabrina Carpenter: global success award
• Stormzy: best rap/hip-hop artist