Jacob Alon has been crowned The BRIT Awards’ Critics’ Choice winner for 2026.
The Scottish singer-songwriter (Island) emerges victorious over fellow shortlisted nominees Sienna Spiro (Capitol Records) and Rose Gray (Polydor) in the race for the coveted trophy which recognizes stars at an early stage of their career.
The award was introduced in 2008 and won by Adele. Other previous winners include Florence + the Machine (2009), Ellie Goulding (2010), Sam Smith (2014), Sam Fender (2019), and The Last Dinner Party (2024).
Myles Smith was the most recent recipient of the prize (2025) which was known as the Rising Star Award from 2020 onwards; it will revert back to its original name for the 2026 ceremony. To be eligible, artists must not have yet achieved a top 20 album or more than one top 20 single on the Official U.K. Charts as of Oct. 31, 2025. The award is selected by the 1,200 members of the BRITs Voting Academy.
Alon will collect the prize at the ceremony held on Feb. 28. The ceremony will take place at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, the first time that the show has been held outside of London during its nearly 50 year history.
“Taing mhòr to the critics for recognising my work for this award, you absolute dotes! In the wee town where I grew up in Scotland, it often felt like there was a limit to how high you could dare to dream. So being part of something like this makes me feel like I’m floating far above the sky,” Alon said in a statement.
They added, “In a world full of broken and rusted jaggy edges, I’m grateful to find a place for softness still. And I will keep fighting for it. I really care about and believe in this music, and it makes my world brighter every time it reaches someone else. Hopefully this means some more beautiful people might find something in my album. Thank you to anyone who has ever listened.”
Alon released their debut album In Limerence to critical acclaim in May 2025. The LP was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize (though lost out to Sam Fender’s People Watching) and appeared on Billboard U.K.’s albums of the year list for 2025.
In an interview on his Rocket Hour radio show, Elton John heaped praise on Alon saying, “I can’t think of anyone who sounds like you for a long time,” and that they were “destined for big things.”
Speaking to Billboard U.K., the 24-year-old discussed the numerous challenges they faced during their adolescence, including accepting their queer identity and navigating a period of near-homelessness, and how those experiences informed the songs on In Limerence. “I just feel so proud of myself for not ever giving up. It can be hard to exist in a world with so much pain,” they said.
Comedian Jack Whitehall will return to host the ceremony for the sixth time. Performer announcements and nominations are due in the coming weeks.
