Written evidence submitted by the BPI

INTRODUCTION

This submission has been prepared by BPI, the representative voice of the UK’s recorded music industry. Our varied membership base consists of over 500 businesses across the UK, including hundreds of independent SME music businesses and the UK’s three largest record companies – Sony Music Entertainment UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK.

Major world-renowned music events in the UK play a vital role in driving the overall success and global reputation of British music. Their continued growth and impact are made possible in part because of the significant resources and investment provided by the recorded music sector.

BPI is a not-for-profit organisation that owns and organises the internationally acclaimed BRIT Awards with Mastercard and the prestigious Mercury Prize - two of the most important national celebrations of British music. They provide a vital platform for new and exciting talent which supports the UK music industry to maintain its world-leading status, while boosting far-reaching economic growth, and promoting positive change in our communities and for the environment. These are the key themes we will focus on in this submission, particularly in relation to the larger of the two events, the BRIT Awards.

BRITISH MUSIC IS AN ECONOMIC & CULTURAL POWERHOUSE

Music is a crown jewel of the UK, driving economic growth and cultural influence on a global scale. The UK’s music scene is defined by both rich heritage and continual innovation, having birthed and shaped iconic genres (punk, the New Romantics, the British Invasion, Britpop, ‘girl power’, UK garage and grime) which have left a lasting mark on global music culture and profoundly impacted British culture - shaping fashion, social commentary and national identity.

The BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize are iconic showcases of British music, making them key contributors to the UK’s international success which sees us as the third largest recorded music market in the world[1] and the second biggest exporter of recorded music (after only the US)[2] with overseas income from UK recorded music exports reaching a record annual high of £794.2 million in 2024.[3]

As well as entertaining domestic and international audiences in their thousands, these events also have a significant impact on the wider economy, employing thousands of people. For those who attend the shows, they add to the many thousands who contribute towards the UK’s music tourism economy, which in 2024 generated £10 billion in total to the UK economy.[4]

Annual celebrations of British music are just one element of the music industry, which is a complex ecosystem composed of recorded music, music publishing, wider live music (such as tours and festivals) and more. These different components work together, feeding and supporting one another, which has resulted in the overall UK music industry contributing £7.6 billion GVA to the economy, while employing 216,000 people and delivering £4.6 billion in exports in 2023.[5]

Not only has this success been recognised by the Government, which has designated the music industry as a key growth sector in its ‘Creative Industries Sector Plan’, but the British public values our industry too. BPI’s most recent annual consumer research showed that over 82% of respondents believe that people living in the UK could be proud of its music, while more than 72% felt that music helped the reputation of the UK overseas. Over 60% agreed that the UK Government should do more to support music made here and that the UK ‘punches above its weight’ in terms of global success.[6]

Alongside the wealth of talent we have in the UK, the investment made by BPI members is the driving force behind this success. Ranging from micro-businesses to larger organisations, record labels provide the significant support and investment to help artists realise their full creative potential. This includes creative partnership, providing insights to key markets and trends, helping artists cultivate and grow fan bases and exploring innovative ways to grow artist income. The artist A&R (artists and repertoire) and marketing investment made by UK record labels, totalled over £2 billion between 2020 and 2024.[7] As global competition continues to intensify, our members investment will become even more crucial to maintaining the UK’s world-leading status in music and ensuring artists are commercially successful.

THE BRIT AWARDS

The BRIT Awards is the biggest night in British music, celebrating the fantastic artists who have shaped the past year of music and giving an important platform to introduce and promote new talent across a broad range of genres. Over the decades, the ceremony has become a key moment in the global music calendar, not only for honouring talent but also for showcasing memorable live performances that often spark public and media conversation around the world. Winning or being nominated for a BRIT Award can significantly boost an artist's visibility and commercial success.

The BRIT Awards is much more than the night itself and has grown into a wider calendar of events that spotlight emerging and established talent throughout the year. Since 2008, the BRITs Rising Star award (originally known as Critics’ Choice) has been a launchpad to international stardom for emerging artists, with its shortlist and winner being selected in the months leading up to the BRIT Awards. Meanwhile, BRITs Week since 2009 has hosted a unique series of charitable intimate gigs across small venues in the UK. Together, these initiatives extend the reach and cultural impact of the BRIT Awards, making it a year-round celebration of British music.

The BRIT Awards continues to reflect and shape musical trends in the UK and strives to see the representation and diversity of artists reflected across the voting categories. Nominations and winners are chosen by the BRIT Awards Voting Academy which is composed of around 1,200 individuals from a wide cross-section of the UK music industry. The Academy has undergone an annual refresh since 2017 to ensure it remains reflective of the industry and society as a whole. In 2025, 49% of the Academy identified as female/woman while 26% identified as Black, Asian, or of ethnic minority background.[8]

In 2025, the BRIT Awards saw nearly 15,000 people attend the show, whilst surrounding content received hundreds of millions of views from across the world.[9] The iconic celebration has been held at the O2 arena in London since 2011, but earlier this year it was announced that the show will move to Manchester’s Co-op Live arena for 2026 and 2027 – marking the first time it will take place outside of London since the awards began in 1977. Manchester is one of the UK’s most renowned music cities, with a music heritage spanning decades and birthing iconic bands like Joy Division, The Smiths and Oasis. The decision to host the show in the city was made working in collaboration with the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council, and will allow BPI to deliver the significant cultural and economic benefits of this annual event to the North West of England.

We believe that major events can and should play a role in driving economic prosperity in our regions. Hospitality businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, transport and retail in Manchester’s local economy will all benefit as fans, industry professionals, and media converge on the city for the BRIT Awards. With Manchester already aiming to grow its visitor economy to £15 billion by 2030,[10] the show will add momentum by driving immediate visitor spending and longer-term return visits. The move to Manchester has also fostered a long-term strategic relationship between BPI and the local authority, and we are working together to identify the skills gap in the region and how this can be addressed, particularly across technical roles in the music industry in areas such as accounting and legal, which are required to bring events such as the BRIT Awards to life. This supports the Government’s ambition to deliver economic growth and prosperity across the UK and reflects the recorded music sector’s commitment to widening access to careers in the industry outside of London.

Promoting British music

The BRIT Awards is attended, watched and recognised by a global audience and plays a key role in celebrating and promoting British music and talent on the international stage.

Despite the UK’s record as a leader in music, British artists are facing fiercer competition both at home and abroad. This is largely down to music streaming which has given fans instant access to every song ever released, not only from major established markets like the US, but also from fast growing markets such as Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

The global charts highlight the intense level of competition facing UK artists. In 2024, no UK acts appeared in the Top 20 Global Recording Artist Chart or the Global Top 10 Album Chart.[11] While export revenue from UK recorded music continues to grow, overseas income from sales and streams rose by just 1.9% year-on-year in 2024,[12] and the UK’s global share of the market has been consistently declining. In 2015, music from the UK accounted for about 17% of global consumption[13] but now the UK’s share of audio streams is estimated to be around 8-9%.[14]

That’s why the platform provided by the BRIT Awards continues to be increasingly important for a broad genre of British talent in the global music industry. The show has a proven track record of drawing in significant numbers of domestic and international audiences. The 2025 show broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK drew over 2.7 million viewers with 16–24-year-olds accounting for 37.4% of the share.[15] Meanwhile, BRITs online content achieved nearly 70 million views across all social media channels - a 45% increase from 2024. This includes Instagram views on show day which doubled to 32.4 million views in 2025, compared to the previous year, and a 130% increase in TikTok reach, going from 4 million to 9.3 million on show day alone. The international live stream of the show on YouTube also attracted nearly half a million (425,000) viewers from overseas, a 300% increase on 2024.[16]

Not only does this make the BRIT Awards a significant source of cultural power for the UK, but it helps British artists build domestic and international fanbases. This in turn drives the consumption of British recorded music and our export value from established and developing markets of significance such as the US, Latin America, Europe and parts of Africa, where the BRIT Awards has its biggest international audiences.

Charitable causes

The BRIT Awards plays an important role in giving back and is a vital source of fundraising for the recorded music industry’s charitable arm, The BRIT Trust. In its 35-year history, the Trust has made nearly 300 grants totalling more than £30 million to a broad range of causes across the UK that promote education and wellbeing.[17] A full list of recent beneficiaries of the BRIT Trust can be found in the annex below.

Education

The diversity of talent is a vital part of what drives the strength and success of the UK music industry. BPI and our members are committed to making the industry more accessible and representative of the UK’s society, both in the artists we listen to and the teams that support them behind the scenes, including the rich variety of roles that are involved in the production of major live music events and showcases.

We believe that educational initiatives are one of the most powerful tools to achieve this, which is why the BRIT Trust has proudly supported to fund the leading creative institution The BRIT School, through a long-standing partnership that began when the school was founded in 1991. The school offers world-class training in areas such as music, music technology, applied theatre, dance, film and media production, and interactive digital design, alongside a strong academic foundation.

Whilst the school is free to attend and receives funding from the Government like other state schools, the money received from the BRIT Trust ensures that the school can remain at the cutting edge of industry practice. Each year, BRIT School students are also invited to attend the BRIT Awards show as well as given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience by working behind the scenes in a variety of roles, actively contributing to bringing the iconic event to life and learning about the numerous roles involved. For example, in 2025 students from the school gained experience across social, PR, production, legal and more.

The BRIT Trust has also supported East London Arts and Music (ELAM), the free school for 16-19-year-olds which offers a two-year specialist education in music, games design, or film and television studies. ELAM was established in 2014 by Will Kennard - one half of the chart-topping duo Chase & Status and his brother Charlie Kennard. Universal Music, a BPI member, is a founding partner of the school. ELAM’s mission is to increase access routes into the creative industries for diverse and underrepresented young people.

The BRIT School and ELAM are Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ schools with a proven track record of success, delivering a high-quality vocational education. They play a crucial role in developing the next generation of British talent that not only take the stage at major national and global cultural events (Adele, Loyle Carner, Olivia Dean, Tom Holland, RAYE – to name just a few), but also the skilled individuals in behind-the-scenes technical and commercial roles that are needed to bring these events to life.

Wider causes

The BRIT Trust has been a major supporter of Nordoff and Robbins for over 35 years, donating more than £9.2 million to the UK’s largest music therapy charity. This partnership has enabled Nordoff and Robbins to deliver over 250,000 music therapy sessions, transforming the lives of almost 100,000 vulnerable children and adults.[18]

BPI has also partnered with the charity War Child to stage BRITs Week since its inception. Some of the biggest artists that have played BRITs Week shows include Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Florence & the Machine, Bastille, AJ Tracey, Idles, The 1975, alt-J, Jessie Ware, Yungblud, Anne-Marie, Mabel and many more. The funds raised from BRITs Week ticket sales go towards War Child’s efforts to protect, educate, provide mental health support, and protect the rights of children who have been affected by war around the world. To date, BRITs Week has raised over £8 million to support War Child’s work.[19]

Sustainability & planning

The recorded music industry is committed to helping tackle the climate crisis. BPI is one of the lead supporters of the Music Climate Pact (MCP) which works to combat the climate crisis through collective action by the global music industry. MCP brings together our major members and the independent music community to align as a sector and address our biggest environmental impacts in an efficient and collaborative way.

The BRIT Awards is one area where the recorded music industry is continuing to make substantial environmental progress. In 2025, the event reduced its carbon footprint by 24%, compared to 2024, because of emission reductions across several areas, including emissions from electricity usage which decreased by 41% due to reducing the production days by one. The O2 Arena, the venue for the BRIT Awards since 2011, also procures 100% certified renewable electricity, meaning that electricity purchased by the venue is matched by renewable electricity generation somewhere else on the grid. Meanwhile, the overall waste associated with the event saw a reduction of 1.76 tonnes, while the recycling rate increased by 34% to a total of 55%. Emissions from the main set design also decreased by 64% compared to 2024.

However, 80% of the overall carbon footprint decrease came from audience travel emissions, which decreased by 39%, with 28% of journeys made by hybrid or electric car while most audience travelled by train.[20] We recognise the benefit of public transport to our environment, which is why BPI is working with Network Rail and train operator Avanti West Coast to encourage the use of train travel to the 2026 event in Manchester. This includes discussions about reducing the rail fare for audience, crew and performers, as well as rescheduling planned engineering works to ensure they do not clash with next year’s event.

The BRIT Awards’ move to the Co-op Live arena in Manchester in 2026 will also support continued environmental progress for the event through the arena’s own sustainability, such as air source heat pumps as well as onsite solar power and a renewable energy tariff to help meet the event’s electricity needs.

BPI is committed to supporting and promoting sustainable practices across its operations. However, it is important that these efforts are proportionate and carefully implemented so as not to negatively impact the BRIT Awards, maintaining the integrity and success of the event while pursuing meaningful sustainability goals. For example, renewable low-carbon fuels which can be used instead of diesel to power equipment needed to run the BRIT Awards, costs substantially more which adds additional financial pressure.

From our experience, local authorities could strive to garner better partnerships with organisers of major events and look to provide greater flexibility in their approach, whether that be in relation to permits or managing road works and traffic systems. Overly complex or burdensome processes can sometimes create additional pressure and cause delays for event organisers, as well as consume additional resources.

THE MERCURY PRIZE

The Mercury Prize is one of the most prestigious annual awards in British music, celebrating artistic achievement across a broad spectrum of genres. Established in 1992, it provides a snapshot of the year in music and crucially promotes the best of British and Irish music and the artists who produce it to a wider audience through the celebration of the 12 ‘Albums of the Year’. It is the music equivalent to the Booker Prize for literature and the Turner Prize for art.

By spotlighting outstanding solo artists and bands - from established names to breakthrough acts – the Mercury Prize has played a vital role in shaping the narrative of British and Irish music, elevating artists who push creative boundaries and reflect the cultural diversity of the industry. Over the years, it has significantly contributed to the careers of many artists, often leading to great commercial success through higher album sales and wider domestic and international recognition. Some of those who have won or been shortlisted, such as the Arctic Monkeys, Little Simz, Dave and James Blake, have gone on to become influential artists in the global music industry. 

Associated TV coverage and social media content have played an important role in amplifying the reach of the Mercury Prize, helping boost visibility and recognition of nominated and winning artists. Live TV coverage of the 2022 award show on BBC Four drew in 222,000 viewers,[21] while in 2024, 35 million people saw and consumed content about the Mercury Prize across BPI, artist and news outlet social channels.[22]

Each year, the shortlist is curated by an independent judging panel made up of music industry professionals, whose decisions are based solely on the quality of the music on the albums. The same judging panel meets again on the day of the Awards Show to choose the overall ‘Album of the Year’.

For the first time ever in 2025, the Mercury Prize will take place outside of London at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, marking a landmark moment for the North East’s music sector and local economy. Wherever possible, the event is partnering with independent and local businesses. This includes a family-owned car company contracted to transport artists and VIP guests as well as a local hospitality business, whose hotels will accommodate artists, production teams and industry professionals.

BPI is delivering this move in partnership with Newcastle City Council and the North East Combined Authority, and to celebrate the move, Generator - the North’s leading music development agency - will coordinate a dynamic, week-long regional fringe programme in the lead up to the awards, celebrating the North East’s talent while creating new opportunities for local artists, venues, and communities.

Overall, the move of the Mercury Prize to Newcastle, reflects and supports the Government’s ambition to drive growth in high potential industries such as the creative sector beyond London, helping to strengthen regional economies and showcase cultural talent across the UK. By hosting such a prestigious event in the North East, it signals the recorded music industry’s commitment to reducing regional disparities and investing in creative hubs throughout the UK.

ANNEX – RECENT BENEFICIARIES OF THE BRIT TRUST

• The BRIT School
• ELAM
• Key4Life
• Loud ‘n’ Proud
• Music Support
• The Music Works
• Nordoff and Robbins
• Tonetic Records
• UD Music
• WeJam Foundation