Awards

02 Mar 2025

LISA, Doja Cat & RAYE Combine for James Bond Medley at Oscars: Watch

LISA, Doja Cat and RAYE recently joined forces for a kinetic new pop single — but instead of performing “Born Again” at the 97th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday (March 2), the trio took the Oscars stage at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood separately for a medley of songs during an extended tribute to the James Bond franchise.

Following an introduction from Halle Berry and a montage of Bond clips spanning decades, The Substance star Margaret Qualley took the stage to deliver a dance sequence amid tuxedo-clad backup dancers, which immediately segued into LISA taking the stage. The BLACKPINK star got to perform a few seconds of “Live and Let Die,” letting her voice soar with the Wings classic of the 1973 film of the same name.

LISA was followed by a diamond-clad Doja Cat, who took on Shirley Bassey’s iconic theme to the 1971 Bond film Diamonds Are Forever and added a dramatic flair to the vocal showcase. The medley concluded with RAYE taking the stage solo with “Skyfall,” channeling her inner Adele one month after the best new artist nominee demonstrated her range on the Grammys stage.

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The medley concluded with a rousing ovation for all three performers, who joined each other in an embrace at the center of the stage. Their recent single, “Born Again,” is featured on LISA’s new album, Alter Ego, and the collaboration has thus far peaked at No. 68 on the Hot 100 chart.

Watch their performance above.

02 Mar 2025

Conan O’Brien Opens the 2025 Oscars With a Sandworm From ‘Dune’ Playing the Piano and Deadpool Dancing

Hard to believe, but Conan O’Brien – one of his generations best, most original comedians – has never hosted the Oscars until this year. Thankfully, that wrong was put to right on Sunday (March 2) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with the late-night TV legend and podcast pro opening up the 97th annual Academy Awards with some good-natured jabs at Timothée Chalamet and Bob Dylan (“He wanted to be here, but not that badly” O’Brien jested about the famously reclusive folk legend) and a couple of riskier zingers directed at Karla Sofía Garcón (“Anora uses the f-word 479 times — that’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist” he joked) and the Catholic Church.

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After an earnest tribute to the wildfire victim and the behind-the-scenes men and women who help make movies but aren’t A-list stars, O’Brien returned to his brand of inspired nonsense. Noting that the Oscars typically run overtime, Conan vowing to keep things running quickly and smoothly… by performing a repetitive, goofy song called “I Won’t Waste Time.”

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With backup dancers wearing golden wigs in the style of Conan’s signature hair coif and O’Brien prancing around the stage with a baton, it was reminiscent of The Simpsons classic “The Monorail Song.” If that wasn’t enough, O’Brien rolled out a sandworm from Dune to play chopsticks on a grand piano, followed by a dancing Deadpool pirouetting around the stage. It made no sense, was pointless, did, in fact, waste time, and was exactly the kind of daft nuttiness you want from Conan.

02 Mar 2025

2025 Oscars Red Carpet: See the Best Photos

From Ariana Grande to BLACKPINK’s Lisa, see the stars on the red carpet at the Academy Awards.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. on March 2, 2025.

ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

The 97th Academy Awards on Sunday (March 2) brought out the A-list stars in their most glamorous looks on the red carpet to celebrate the best films of the year at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who are nominated for best supporting actress and best actress, respectively, both walked the carpet in gowns that reflected their characters in the film. Grande  — who plays Glinda –shined in a dreamy Schiaparelli, while Erivo (who portrays Elphaba) stunned in a dark green velvet Louis Vuitton gown. The Jon M. Chu directed movie is the second most nominated musical film of the evening with 10 nods, while Emilia Perez — also a musical movie — leads the pack with 13. Period drama The Brutalist also has 10 nominations.

BLACKPINK’s LISA also glowed on the red carpet. The K-pop superstar — who did not appear in a nominated film — is set to perform with her “Born Again” collaborators Doja Cat and RAYE. Another music star present on the red carpet at Hollywood’s biggest night was three-time Grammy winner Miley Cyrus, who is set to present, as well Emilia Perez star Selena Gomez, who arrived with her fiance, producer Benny Blanco. Showing off a more untraditional color palette on the carpet was actor Timothée Chalamet — nominated for best actor for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown — in a smooth, buttery yellow suit.

Keep scrolling for the best outfits at the 2025 Oscars, this year hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.

02 Mar 2025

Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Open Oscars With ‘Defying Gravity,’ ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ & ‘Home’

The 2025 Oscars opened on a high note (literally), with a medley of songs from Wizard of Oz-based films performed by the stars of Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday (March 2) night.

Wearing a shimmering red dress evocative of a ruby red slipper, Grande sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the all-time classic 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz; her voice was in pristine form, and if she had any nerves going into the song, you wouldn’t have known it based on her vocal ease and control. As Grande left the stage, Erivo came out in a billowing white gown dressed in purple flowers. Erivo performed “Home” from 1978’s The Wiz, deftly delivering the song made famous by Diana Ross, building it up to a rich conclusion.

After paying homage to those two classic Oz films, they joined forces to belt out Wicked’s beloved “Defying Gravity” – although naturally, Erivo was the star of that number, singing the Broadway anthem with gusto, purpose and remarkable control. And when she delivered that spine-tingling melismatic final note, there were more than a few tears in the Dolby Theatre (co-star Michelle Yeoh, for one, was seen wiping one away).

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Wicked received 10 nominations at this year’s Academy Awards, including a best actress nod for Erivo and a best supporting actress nom for Grande. Just before the end of 2024, Wicked pulled ahead of Mamma Mia! to become the highest-grossing cinematic adaptation of a Broadway musical. The second (and final) part of the story, Wicked: For Good, is scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 21.

02 Mar 2025

Ariana Grande Cleverly Reacts to Relentless Questions About New Music on 2025 Oscars Red Carpet

Ariana Grande‘s staying tight-lipped about a release date for new music. Of course, when you’ve been a patient at Eternal Sunshine‘s Brighter Days clinic, as Grande was in her “We Can’t Be Friends” music video, memories have a tendency to fade away. She reminded an interviewer of this concept on the red carpet at the 2025 Oscars on Sunday (March 2).

Grande, an Academy Award nominee for best supporting actress for her role as Glinda in Wicked, gave a live performance with co-star Cynthia Erivo at Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony. Ahead of the big show at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, she walked the red carpet in a custom Schiaparelli gown.

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While making the red carpet rounds on a night focused on achievements in film, Grande was questioned by Variety on the “next step” of any new music release plans. The singer/actress had previously confirmed there’s a deluxe edition of 2024’s Eternal Sunshine still to come.

“The next step is the next step … It means it must come out. It’s been done,” Grande offered, then was prodded further for a release date.

“You know what, they did the Brighter Days memory erasure treatment to me, so I’m having trouble remembering the details. They’re foggy,” she quipped.

Still dodging questions that would elicit her giving an actual scoop about when to expect the set, she added, “You know what, I’ll have to go back to the clinic to see if they can restore my memory.”

Then Grande was nudged with the word “soon” in relation to the upcoming release.

“You have to learn the language of my fans because ‘soon’ means 10 days or less,” she said. “I’m not allowed to use that word at this moment. I’m not gonna use that word today. I’ll say that.”

“Just keep your eyes peeled. Just keep them peeled. That’s all I’m saying,” Grande suggested.

No specific details have been given about the unreleased deluxe edition of Eternal Sunshine. “There’s something I made last year that will come out eventually,” Grande said in an interview at the Golden Globes in January. “It’s an attachment of Eternal Sunshine. So, that does exist, and that will be coming out at some point.”

Eternal Sunshine topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks in 2024, with singles “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends” both reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100. The album’s standard release was already followed by a “Slightly Deluxe” version of the album, with four additional tracks: “Yes, And?” with Mariah Carey, “Supernatural” with Troye Sivan, an acoustic recording of “Imperfect for You” and an a capella version of “True Story.”

See Grande’s latest comments on music in a clip from Variety on X here. Follow the list of winners at the 2025 Oscars, updating live here.

02 Mar 2025

Here’s the Oscars 2025 Winners List (Updating Live)

Two musical films and a period drama led in nominations in the run-up to the 97th annual Academy Awards, held Sunday (March 2) at Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood: Emilia Perez with 13 nods, and Wicked and The Brutalist with 10 each. All three are in the running for best picture and original score.

Pop star and actress Ariana Grande earned her first Oscar nod (best supporting actress) for her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked, while her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, is up for best actress. Emilia Perez stars Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldana are up for best actress and best supporting actress, respectively, while the film also has two tunes in the running for best original song.

A Complete Unknown, the biopic about Bob Dylan, is up for eight awards. Among the nods are best picture, best actor for Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of the singer-songwriter, best supporting actor for Edward Norton’s portrayal of Pete Seeger and best director for James Mangold.

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Which film will walk away with the most trophies? Keep refreshing this page for the latest winners as the Oscars are handed out Sunday night.

Best Picture

Anora, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, Producers

The Brutalist, Nick Gordon, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison, D.J. Gugenheim, Brady Corbet, Producers

A Complete Unknown, Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, Producers

Conclave, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, Producers

Dune: Part Two, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, Producers

Emilia Pérez, Pascal Caucheteux, Jacques Audiard, Producers

I’m Still Here, Maria Carlota Bruno, Rodrigo Teixeira, Producers

Nickel Boys, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Joslyn Barnes, Producers

The Substance, Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Producers

Wicked, Marc Platt, Producer

Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Actress in a Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison, Anora

Demi Moore, The Substance

Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Actor in a Supporting Role

Yura Borisov, Anora

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Actress in a Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Directing

Anora, Sean Baker

The Brutalist, Brady Corbet

A Complete Unknown, James Mangold

Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard

The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

A Complete Unknown, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks

Conclave, Screenplay by Peter Straughan

Emilia Pérez, Screenplay by Jacques Audiard; In collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi

Nickel Boys, Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes

Sing Sing, Screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Anora, Written by Sean Baker

The Brutalist, Written by Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold

A Real Pain, Written by Jesse Eisenberg

September 5, Written by Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; Co-Written by Alex David

The Substance, Written by Coralie Fargeat

Music (Original Score)

The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg

Conclave, Volker Bertelmann

Emilia Pérez, Clément Ducol and Camille

Wicked, John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers

Music (Original Song)

“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez; Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard

“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

“Like a Bird” from Sing Sing; Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada:

“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez; Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol

“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late; Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin

Animated Feature Film

Flow, Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman

Inside Out 2, Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen

Memoir of a Snail, Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek

The Wild Robot, Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann

Animated Short Film

Beautiful Men, Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande

In the Shadow of the Cypress, Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi

Magic Candies, Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio

Wander to Wonder, Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper

Yuck!, Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet

Cinematography

The Brutalist, Lol Crawley

Dune: Part Two, Greig Fraser

Emilia Pérez, Paul Guilhaume

Maria, Ed Lachman

Nosferatu, Jarin Blaschke

Costume Design

A Complete Unknown, Arianne Phillips

Conclave, Lisy Christl

Gladiator II, Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Nosferatu, Linda Muir

Wicked, Paul Tazewell

Documentary Feature Film

Black Box Diaries, Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari and Hanna Aqvilin

No Other Land, Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham

Porcelain War, Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska and Paula DuPre’ Pesmen

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius and Rémi Grellety

Sugarcane, Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn

Documentary Short Film

Death by Numbers, Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard

I Am Ready, Warden, Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp

Incident, Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven

Instruments of a Beating Heart, Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari

The Only Girl in the Orchestra, Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington

Film Editing

Anora, Sean Baker

The Brutalist, David Jancso

Conclave, Nick Emerson

Emilia Pérez, Juliette Welfling

Wicked, Myron Kerstein

International Feature Film

Brazil, I’m Still Here

Denmark, The Girl with the Needle

France, Emilia Pérez

Germany, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Latvia, Flow

Makeup and Hairstyling

A Different Man, Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado

Emilia Pérez, Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini

Nosferatu, David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton

The Substance, Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli

Wicked, Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth

Production Design

The Brutalist, Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia

Conclave, Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter

Dune: Part Two, Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau

Nosferatu, Production Design: Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová

Wicked, Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Live Action Short Film

A Lien, Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz

Anuja, Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai

I’m Not a Robot, Victoria Warmerdam and Trent

The Last Ranger, Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek

Sound

A Complete Unknown, Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco

Dune: Part Two, Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill

Emilia Pérez, Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta

Wicked, Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis

The Wild Robot, Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts

Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus, Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan

Better Man, Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter Stubbs

Dune: Part Two, Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney Burke

Wicked, Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould

02 Mar 2025

BRIT Awards 2025: Snubs & Surprises

Not everyone could go home with an iconic BRIT trophy.

Sabrina Carpenter Brits 2025

Sabrina Carpenter accepts the Global Success award on stage during the Brit Awards 2025 at the O2 Arena on March 1, 2025 in London, England.

The BRITs have had a fairly chequered history when it comes to honoring British music; critics say its focus is too narrow and commercial, and that exciting, challenging talent gets crowded out. You’d be hard-pressed to make the same complaint about the 2025 ceremony, however. Saturday night’s (March 1) show accurately, fairly and thrillingly showcased a scene that feels at the top of its game.

Charli XCX toasted her Brat summer with a whopping five awards on the night, and proved how U.K. acts can cut through the din on a global scale with an original, uncompromising vision. Similarly, Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix triumphed in the pop act category with just a handful of solo songs to her name, and Sam Fender continues to make his case to be considered an all-time great in the U.K. rock scene. Jazz group Ezra Collective, meanwhile, are now a mainstream concern after years of relentless gigging and championing their genre.

It was a ceremony that, on the whole, just felt right. The performances – particularly from Thirlwall, Lola Young and Fender – showcased a vast array of personalities. Rising acts like Myles Smith and The Last Dinner Party used their platform to challenge the industry to allow acts like them time to grow and develop – a bold move considering their fresh status as major label acts. Sabrina Carpenter and Teddy Swims gave the ceremony some international glamor and intrigue. 

But there are always winners and losers, such is the way of awards shows. Here’s a few snubs and surprises that Billboard U.K. saw on the night.

01 Mar 2025

Liam Payne Remembered in Emotional Tribute at 2025 BRIT Awards

Amidst the joy and celebration at the 2025 BRIT Awards was a poignant moment of remembrance for One Direction’s Liam Payne, who tragically passed away in October.

Jack Whitehall, host of this year’s awards show, introduced the tribute to Payne on stage at The O2 Arena on Saturday (March 1).

“It is now time to take a moment to remember a very special person who meant so much to so many of the people in this room, and to millions of you around the world,” Whitehall began. “Last October, we woke to the devastating news that Liam Payne had tragically passed away. He achieved so much in the short time that he was on this earth, and was not only a supremely gifted musician but an incredibly kind soul who touched the lives of everyone he came into contact with. We have so many amazing memories of Liam here at the BRITs, so tonight we celebrate his legacy and look back and remember the remarkable Liam Payne.”

A sweet montage was shown made up of video clips, sound-bites and photos of Payne, led by the singer performing One Direction’s “Little Things.” The tribute ended with a smiling portrait of the pop star, who was born on Aug. 29, 1993 and died on Oct. 16, 2024.

One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson reacted to the tribute on X, where he wrote, “Thank you @BRITs. Beautiful tribute. Miss you always brother.”

Payne died from a 40-foot fall off a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 16. It was reported the singer’s blood alcohol level was at a dangerously high level, and that he had drugs including cocaine and prescription antidepressents in his system, at the time of the his passing. A court in Argentina recently dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with Payne’s death. Two defendants charged with supplying narcotics to Payne remain in custody, according a February report from The Associated Press.

Payne was laid to rest in November in the U.K., with his funeral attended by his One Direction bandmates, girlfriend Katie Cassidy and ex-partner Cheryl Cole, with whom he shared a son.

Watch the BRITs’ tribute to Liam Payne below.

01 Mar 2025

At 2025 Brits, Chappell Roan, Myles Smith & The Last Dinner Party Send Strong Messages in Their Acceptance Speeches

Chappell Roan seems to have started a trend with her pointed acceptance speech at the Grammys on Feb. 2, in which she challenged labels to provide better healthcare and financial support for their new and developing artists. At the BRIT Awards on Saturday (March 1), several artists used their acceptance speeches to make points that mattered to them.

Myles Smith, whose “Stargazing” was a global hit, posed three questions, to the government, music venues and label executives. Georgia Davies of The Last Dinner Party challenged successful arenas like The O2, where the Brits were held, to do more to support small independent venues, who, she said, were dying. And Chappell Roan had still more to say about artistic freedom and queer joy in her two acceptance speeches.

Here, we look at three artists who used their acceptance speeches at the BRITs not just to recite a laundry list of thank yous, but to actually say something. These are the pertinent excerpts from their speeches.

Chappell Roan

Award: International song of the year for “Good Luck, Babe!”

“Over the years, I have written many songs. I don’t believe in bad art, but let’s just say I had to write a lot of bad songs to get to the good ones, and artists deserve that freedom to write bad songs and to explore horrible concepts and to flop — and rise and not be pressured into making music based off of what’s trending. So, we must continue to support these artists so they can find success on their own terms and have long careers. So, this is dedicated to the people who have helped me protect my bad art and lifted me up along the way.”

Award: International artist of the year

“Chappell Roan was born through experiencing queer joy. It’s so special I had to write an entire album about it. I dedicate this to trans artists, to drag queens, to fashion students, sex workers and Sinéad O’Connor. Because of all those people, they have laid the groundwork for me to be here today. I did not give up because of them and I will continue going because of them.”

Myles Smith

Award: BRITs Rising Star

“Tonight, whilst I have the attention of the nation and this award, which gives me kind of like this really cool speaking power, I want to ask three questions:

“My first is to the government. If British music is one of the most powerful cultural exports we have, why have we treated it like an afterthought for so many years? How many more venues need to close? How many more music programs need to be cut before you realize that we can’t just celebrate success, you have to protect the foundations that make it?

“My second is to the biggest venues in the country and around the world. If artists selling out your arenas and your stadiums started in grass-roots venues, what are you doing to keep them alive?

“And my third, to the industry, to the execs in the room and to the people behind-the-scenes. Are we building careers or are we just chasing moments because moments fade and careers take time. So please stick with artists past their first viral hit, please stick with artists past their first tour, because it really matters to us. And moments, they fade, but careers last forever.”

Georgia Davies of The Last Dinner Party

Award: Best new artist

“We wouldn’t be a band, and a lot of the artists here would not be bands either, without the U.K.’s incredible independent venues, and they are the lifeblood of the music industry and they are dying. And if venues like this, like The O2, like arenas, stadiums across this country contributed even a tiny bit toward these independent venues, then we would not be losing them at this alarming rate. We wouldn’t be here without them. None of this would be happening without them. So, I want to say to those artists who are playing independent venues all over the country tonight — keep going because that’s the best kind of art there is. In a time when art is under threat, that is the most important thing to keep supporting.”

01 Mar 2025

Charli XCX Jokes ‘We’re in the Era of Free the Nipple’ in Stunning, Sheer Dress at 2025 BRIT Awards

2025 BRIT Awards winner Charli XCX was gorgeously draped in a Dilara Findikoglu dress, a garment of sheer layers that mostly concealed the singer’s bust, at Saturday night’s show — but the look must’ve nearly been deemed risqué by British network ITV.

“I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples,” Charli commented at the podium on March 1 at London’s O2 Arena, while accepting the artist of the year award. “I feel like we’re in the era of free the nipple though, right?”

“Thanks for being on my side,” she added after the crowd cheered.

Styled by Chris Shoran, Charli wore look nine from Dilara Findikoglu‘s autumn/winter 2025 collection. The black dress, with a calf-skimming, pencil skirt silhouette layered over a minimalist, bikini-shaped bottom, was paired with classic pumps by Christian Louboutin.

Charli XCX 2025 BRIT Awards red carpet

Charli XCX attends the BRIT Awards at The O2 on March 1, 2025 in London.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

“I’ve gotta say, I feel like I’ve always been an artist but it really takes a whole team, and they’re all like sat at that table. I just want to say thank you so much to the people who helped me make this record,” said the Brat singer as she accepted her third of four award wins at the 2025 BRITs. She’d already collected the awards for song of the year and dance act.

Charli gave a special shout out her fiancé in her artist of the year speech: “George Daniel, love you, baby.” (Daniel is a notable musician and producer, and a founding member of the band The 1975. For Charli he produced “Apple” and “Club Classics” on Brat, and also worked on “I Might Say Something Stupid,” which also features Jon Hopkins and Daniel’s 1975 bandmate Matty Healy, for the companion release Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat).

George Daniel Charli XCX 2025 BRIT Awards

George Daniel and Charli XCX post during the BRIT Awards at The O2 Arena on March 1, 2025 in London, England.

JMEnternational/Getty Images

“Thank you to all the artists out there who feel like they don’t fit in but are brave enough to try and be rejected a million times. I share this with you,” Charli said, candidly.

“Keep partying,” she told the audience. It was a pastime she was likely talking part in; host Jack Whitehall joked at the start of the ceremony that Charli had asked to not perform so she could get drunk Saturday night.

The mind behind Brat won the awards for artist of the year, album of the year, song of the year (for “Guess,” featuring Billie Eilish) and dance act at the 2025 BRITs, and the night’s honorary songwriter of the year prize also went to her. Brat executive producer A.G. Cook won producer of the year.

What should fans expect from Charli’s next album? “I’ll probably do something completely different,” she said at the BRIT Awards.

“I used to tell myself that things like this weren’t important,” Charli admitted when returning to the stage to accept the album of the year award. “This kind of recognition, awards in general, weren’t important. That was really easy for me to do because until last year I was literally never nominated for anything … Now it’s cool to not be in that position.”

“I guess this time around the culture caught up with us and wanted to be on the journey with us,” she said.