British music’s flagship night, the BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard, will take place on Saturday 28 February 2026 at Manchester’s Co‑op Live, marking the first time the awards have been held outside London.
The organisers revealed that Manchester-born designer Matthew Williamson is the creative force behind the new trophy, a piece that connects the city’s industrial and musical heritage with the global reach of British artists.
The trophy is crafted in amber-toned resin, described as resembling the “golden honey of a worker bee” — a nod to Manchester’s emblematic worker bee — and sits atop a globe to symbolise the worldwide reach of British music. Williamson said: “Following in the footsteps of great designers and artists before me, it’s an honour and a career highlight to design the 2026 BRITs trophy. The BRITs is an event I’ve watched since childhood, and I’m still so immersed in it to this day. I’ve always looked at it in awe and wonder, so to even be offered this opportunity feels like a real milestone moment.”
Williamson, who launched his first collection in 1997 and has since built a thirty-year career spanning fashion and interiors, said his design steered away from his usual bold colour-and-pattern language in favour of something “truly personal to me… Above all, I wanted to ensure it connected to Manchester, the BRITs’ new location and my hometown.”
He added: “Cast in a chic amber-toned resin, the statue resembles the golden honey of a worker bee, Manchester’s logo… This spirit to work hard and be part of the essential fabric of the nation still resonates with me today. The BRITs also represents the global reach of British music and so I designed the statue to sit on top of a globe. I imagine each deserving winner will feel on top of the world as they receive their award and I cannot wait to see the trophy I designed being part of the celebrations on the night.”
The design project was overseen by Williamson in partnership with Stacey Tang (Chair of the BRIT Awards) and Glyn Aikins, co-presidents at RCA Records. Tang 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.”
Aikins added: “Matthew’s bold, expressive creativity has shaped British fashion for over two decades… 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.”
The trophy places Williamson in an exclusive line of creative talents commissioned to design the BRIT statue, following previous designers such as Gabriel Moses, Rachel Jones, Slawn, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Dame Zaha Hadid, Sir David Adjaye, Es Devlin and Yinka Ilori.
The BRIT Trust, the awards’ charitable arm, continues to support music education and wellbeing, including through institutions such as the BRIT School and Nordoff & Robbins Music Therapy.
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