News & Analysis

For the first time, the Mercury Prize leaves London and arrives in Newcastle this October 2025. Discover the judges who will curate the Albums of the Year shortlist, the host, the Mercury Fringe Festival, and how the city will host Britain’s most prestigious music prize.

The BPI today announces a set of principles for UK labels to support legacy artists, songwriters, and session musicians. The principles deliver a package of measures, unique to the UK, developed in consultation with the government-convened Creator Remuneration Working Group (CRWG), and represent the culmination of five years of rigorous analysis and debate in response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Report on The Economics of Music Streaming. 

For the first time in its history, The BRIT Awards with Mastercard will leave the capital and make its way north. The iconic celebration of British music is set to electrify Manchester’s Co-op Live in 2026 and 2027, marking a bold new chapter for the legendary event, after nearly five decades in London. The BRIT Awards 2026 will take place on Saturday 28th February, broadcast exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.

Following the closure of the UK Government consultation on ‘Copyright and Artificial Intelligence’, BPI has been continuing to raise awareness with Parliamentarians (i.e. Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords) about our concerns, as well as bring pressure upon the Government to change its position.