‘There’s a music world beyond London’: the northern changemakers helping young artists find a brighter future

Manchester-based music development charity Brighter Sounds works with young musicians and emerging artists. Composite: Shutterstock/Handout

The BRIT Awards arrival in Manchester in 2026 will mark more than a change of postcode, it’s a cultural shift. National recognition that some of the UK’s most exciting music talent, communities and creativity have long been thriving beyond the capital.

For Mastercard, whose longstanding sponsorship of The BRIT Awards centres on helping new artists be seen, heard and discovered, the move north is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the grassroots ecosystems that make those breakthrough moments possible in the first place.