Skip to content

Charli XCX named Brits songwriter of the year

Mark Savage
Music Correspondent
Getty Images Charli XCX poses against a red backgroundGetty Images
Charli XCX has been releasing music since 2013, but this is her first Brit Award

Pop star Charli XCX has been named songwriter of the year by the Brit Awards, indicating that she could dominate this year's ceremony when it takes place on Saturday.

The English singer already had the most nominations of any artist this year - five in total - recognising the global success of her agenda-setting album, Brat.

The songwriting prize is her first Brit Award, and comes 12 years into her career. She has previously been nominated for best female and best pop act, but never won.

In 2023, she criticised the Brits for failing to nominate any female musicians in the artist of the year category.

"We're doing everything right, I don't think it's our fault, I think it might be theirs," alluding to the Brits' voting academy.

This year, Charli, 32, is the front-runner for best artist, where she goes up against seven-time Brit winner Dua Lipa, rap star Central Cee and indie singer Sam Fender.

She is also up for album of the year, best dance act, best pop artist and song of the year - for Guess, her duet with Billie Eilish.

Her long-time collaborator AG Cook was also named producer of the year by the Brits earlier this week.

It caps an incredible year for the star, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, that saw her cross over from cult pop artist to commercial success, without compromising her artistic vision.

Her seventh album, Brat, was named the best album of 2024 in multiple end of year lists, with critics calling it "pop music for the future", and praising the way its "painfully relatable" lyrics captured Charli's insecurities, anxieties and obsessions.

In the star's own words, the record is "chaos and emotional turmoil set to a club soundtrack".

With it's brash, lime-green artwork, and a viral dance craze linked to the song Apple, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon, dubbed "Brat summer".

Earlier this month, she won best dance album and best packaging at the Grammy Awards - marking her first victories at the US ceremony as a solo artist.

She also closed the show with a wild performance of the singles Von Dutch and Guess, which ended with the stage being showered in underwear (later donated to the domestic violence charity, I Support Girls).

Getty Images Charli XCX in a grey chiffon dress poses for photographers on a red carpetGetty Images
The star is set to attend the Brit Awards, but has opted not to perform

The 2025 Brit Awards take place at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, 1 March, hosted by Jack Whitehall.

Performances will come from Lola Young, Sam Fender, Sabrina Carpenter, Jade, Myles Smith, The Last Dinner Party and Teddy Swims.

Alongside producer and songwriter of the year, two more prizes have been announced in advance of the ceremony.

Pop newcomer Myles Smith will receive the rising star award, and Espresso singer Sabrina Carpenter will be presented with the global success award.

The nominees in the main categories are as follows:

Artist of the year

  • Beabadoobee
  • Central Cee
  • Charli XCX
  • Dua Lipa
  • Fred Again
  • Jamie xx
  • Michael Kiwanuka
  • Nia Archives
  • Rachel Chinouriri
  • Sam Fender

Group of the year

  • Bring Me The Horizon
  • Coldplay
  • The Cure
  • Ezra Collective
  • The Last Dinner Party

Album of the Year

  • Charli XCX - Brat
  • The Cure - Songs of A Lost World
  • Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism
  • Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching
  • The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy

Read the full list of nominees here.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on ITV from 20:15 GMT. BBC News will run a live page with full coverage, including red carpet interviews.