Mysterious Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid nominated for Brit Award - full list of 2026 nominees

The nominees for the BRIT Awards 2026 were announced on Wednesday evening (January 21) via Bring on the BRITs, a digital broadcast filmed at Manchester’s Co-op Live.

Hosts Charley Marlowe and Sarah Story revealed the artists nominated across 15 categories and gave viewers a sneak peek behind the scenes at the BRITs’ new home, as it prepares to move out of London and to Manchester for the first time in its nearly five-decade history.

Liverpool’s EsDeeKid was nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, alongside Barry Can’t Swim, Jim Legxacy, Lola Young and Skye Newman.

The mysterious rapper performs with his face concealed by a balaclava, with his real name and age remaining a secret. He is known for rapping with a strong Scouse accent, and has an impressive 21 million listeners per month on streaming platform, Spotify.

A conspiracy theory that EsDeeKid is actually Timothée Chalamet went viral last year, though the rumours ended when the pair appeared in a music video together.

The winners of the BRIT Awards 2026 will be announced live on Saturday, February 28, as the show debuts at its new Manchester home. See the full list of nominees below.

2026 BRIT Awards nominees

Artist of the Year

• Dave
• Fred Again
• JADE
• Lily Allen
• Little Simz
• Lola Young
• Olivia Dean
• Pink Pantheress
• Sam Fender
• Self Esteem

Group of the Year

• The Last Dinner Party
• Pulp
• Sleep Token
• Wet Leg
• Wolf Alice

Album of the Year

• Dave – The Boy Who Played The Harp
• Lily Allen – West End Girl
• Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
• Sam Fender – People Watching
• Wolf Alice – The Clearing

Breakthrough Artist of the Year

• Barry Can’t Swim
• EsDeeKid
• Jim Legxacy
• Lola Young
• Skye Newman

International Artist

• Bad Bunny
• Chappell Roan
• CMAT
• Doechii
• Lady Gaga
• Rosalia
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Sombr
• Taylor Swift
• Tyler The Creator

International Group of the Year

• Geese
• HAIM
• HUNTR/X – EJAE/Audrey Nuna/REI AMI
• Tame Impala
• Turnstile

Song of the Year

• Calvin Harris and Clementine Douglas – Blessings
• Chrystal and Notion – The Days (Notion Remix)
• Cynthia Erivo featuring Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity
• Ed Sheeran – Azizam
• Fred Again, PlaqueBoyMax, and Skepta – Victory Lap
• Lewis Capaldi – Survive
• Lola Young – Messy
• Myles Smith – Nice To Meet You
• Olivia Dean – Man I Need
• Raye – Where Is My Husband
• Sam Fender and Olivia Dean – Rein Me In
• Skye Newman – Family Matters

International Song of the Year

• Alex Warren – Ordinary
• Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club
• Disco Lines and Tinashe – No Broke Boys
• Gigi Perez – Sailor Song
• Gracie Abrams – That’s So True
• HUNTR/X – EJAE/Audrey Nuna/REI AMI – Golden
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – die with a smile
• Ravyn Lenae – Love Me Not
• Rose and Bruno Mars – APT
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
• Sombr – Undressed
• Taylor Swift – The Fate Of Ophelia

Alternative and Rock Act

• Blood Orange
• Lola Young
• Sam Fender
• Wet Leg
• Wolf Alice

Pop Act

• JADE
• Lily Allen
• Lola Young
• Olivia Dean
• Raye

Hip Hop, Grime and Rap Act

• Central Cee
• Dave
• Jim Legxacy
• Little Simz
• Loyle Carner

• Jim Legxacy
• Kwn
• Mabel
• Sasha Keable
• SAULT

• Calvin Harris and Clementine Douglas
• FKA Twigs
• Fred Again, PlaqueBoyMax, and Skepta
• Pink Pantheress
• Sammy Virji