‘We’re going to a dark place’: British awards artists express concern over rise of reform in UK | BRIT Awards

Artists including CMAT, Wet Leg, Loyle Carner, Wolf Alice and Self Esteem have expressed concern about the rise of Reform UK on the Brit Awards red carpet, saying artists should feel empowered to be political.

CMAT, who was nominated for International Artist of the Year at the ceremony in Manchester, said she was “not a big fan of anyone trying to say that art is not a political place”.

“Everything is politics. But art is politics more than ever, because you cannot make art in a fascist state. Fascism is on the rise in every country in the world.”

“It’s showing its ugly face in Ireland, it’s showing its ugly face all over the UK, and don’t even get me started on America.”

Speaking to The Guardian, she criticized Berlin Film Festival jury president Wim Wenders, who this month controversially suggested that cinema should “stay out of politics”, sparking a row that led to an open letter in response, signed by 80 film professionals.

“It’s cowardice. And I think it shows that these people are completely disconnected from the way ordinary people live their daily lives. You know, they’ve become successful artists. They’ve become successful musicians and filmmakers, and so they’ve wiped their hands of having to do anything with the working classes or having to do anything with anyone who’s being oppressed in any country because they have the luxury of doing that. And I don’t think that’s fair.”

Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis said:[Musicians] They have the ability to expose people to information they may not have gotten elsewhere.

He said he felt it was up to musicians to speak out on issues such as the Gaza genocide due to the lack of coverage in traditional media.

“Some of the major media outlets over the course of 2025 in particular have been downplaying things and artists have been taking up the mantle of that, and that’s, one, really brave and two, really amazing. I feel like other artists have done it well. It’s a shame. It says more about legacy media than it does about us artists.”

The group, which won Group of the Year, described the rise of the far right in the UK as “shocking”. Ellis added that the Green Party’s victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, with Reform coming in second, “just shows how tough times are. You know, it’s a good thing and a bad thing, but the rise of Reform is a really bad thing and people need to take it seriously.”

“I think being apolitical is political,” Wet Leg frontman Rhian Tisdale said.

Asked if the band, nominated in the alternative rock category, were concerned about the rise of Reform, guitarist Joshua Omid Mebarki said: “Yes, I don’t want Reform in the UK to win any seats.”

He was a fan of Hannah Spencer, the new Green Party MP. “I think she’s sick. She’s so wonderful. Congratulations to the people of Gorton and Denton for getting this done.”

“I feel a lot of hope. I feel a lot of excitement. I think we need it.”

“This country is getting scarier and scarier. It’s really dangerous now,” said Self Esteem, who was nominated for Entertainer of the Year.

She said she sympathizes with artists who feel they can’t speak out, but “I can’t not say what I think because it’s too scary.”

“I’m really terrified that we’re headed to a dark place, darker than we already are.”

What did she mean by dark place? “The party that is doing best in the polls right now.”

She described Spencer as a “legend” and said the Green Party’s by-election victory was “exciting”.

“It’s not a two-party system anymore. We have to mobilize, fight and spread information. I think a lot of people don’t actually understand what some parties are going to do.”

Her PR person tried to move her. “I’ve been told to shut up now,” she joked. “Vote green.”

Hip-hop musician Lowell Carner, nominated in the hip-hop category, said: “It’s scary times we live in. But it’s low-hanging fruit. I feel like, in my circle, or in the echo chamber that I’m in, saying I hate Nigel Farage… it’s not that hard to say.”

“But for me, what I feel is more empowered rather than being negative all the time, which is very easy because there’s so much negativity around me, is trying to find ways to express some kind of hope and generosity to people like me who maybe feel marginalized or oppressed or neglected. Because there’s enough bullshit in the news to make me feel sad.”

During the awards ceremony itself, International Group Award winner Max Bassin of the American band Geese said, “Free Palestine, fuck the ice” as part of a short acceptance speech. Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon, a Critics’ Choice Award winner, held a keffiyeh aloft during an appearance by Sharon Osbourne, who criticized pro-Palestine activists like Kinkab.

Host Jack Whitehall pointed to the recent rift within the Labor Party, telling Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham that Britons are “the only party allowed in these days”.