The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard announces the opening of public voting for the five genre awards, exclusively on WhatsApp 31 Jan 2025
The winners of Alternative/Rock Act, Dance Act, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Pop Act and R&B Act to be decided by music fans in a WhatsApp chat
Supported by takeover of the Outernet district in London
The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard
Saturday 1st March, The O2 arena in London
Hosted by Jack Whitehall
Exclusively broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX
The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard today officially launch the public vote that will decide the winners of the five genre awards: Alternative/Rock Act, Dance Act, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Pop Act, R&B Act. From midday GMT today (Friday 31st January), fans all over the world can begin casting their votes. This year, for the first time ever, voting will be done exclusively through WhatsApp, with the vote closing on Friday 14th February at 11.59pm.
Music fans around the world already use WhatsApp to chat with their family and friends about their favourite song, artist, album, or performance. We're now making it easier for them to vote for their favourite BRIT nominated artists directly on WhatsApp. Beginning today, just followthis link to start a chat with The BRIT Awards on WhatsApp and follow the prompts to cast your vote in all five genre categories. Voting is open from 12pm today (Friday 31st January) until 11:59pm on Friday 14th February and fans can vote in each category once per day. Full terms and conditions are available here.
New this year, fans can now also follow the BRITS WhatsApp channel, a new way to get real-time updates, and timely news from the BRIT Awards, directly on WhatsApp. Simply follow the channel and be the first to know the latest information about the show including access to exclusive announcements, special artist reveals, and behind-the-scenes footage.
The public vote is being supported by Outernet, who will be running voting content throughout the two week window. Fans interacting with the Outernet screens can scan the QR code in the NOW Building, NOW Trending, or NOW Arcade to join the WhatsApp chat to cast their vote.
Each of the genre categories are promoted by major UK radio stations, who will be supporting the vote on air and across social media during the period. Alternative/Rock Act is promoted by Absolute Radio, Dance Act is promoted by KISS, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act is promoted by Capital XTRA, Pop Act is promoted by Capital and R&B Act is promoted by KISS.
Sebastian Battista Simone, SVP Audience, Warner Records & Parlophone and Co-chair of the BRITs Digital Committee said: "With billions of music fans across Meta's platforms, we're thrilled to expand The BRIT Awards partnership, by introducing WhatsApp as a new voting platform for the first time. Fans can now support their favourite artists directly within the app for public-voted categories, celebrating the artists with the most passionate and engaged communities. Combined with the power of Instagram Reels to amplify nominated artists, this collaboration ensures The BRITs reaches a global audience like never before."
Giuseppe De Cristofano, Director of Digital, BPI, & Digital Committee Co-Chair, BRIT Awards said: "Building on our incredible partnership with Meta over the past twelve months, I'm incredibly excited that we have been able to partner with WhatsApp for the first time to offer music fans all around the world the chance to vote for their favourite artists and determine the winners of the five genre categories. Our goal as always is to help bring artists and fans closer together and this partnership with WhatsApp and the launch of the official BRIT Awards WhatsApp channel continues to allow us to do that in an exciting way."
Josh Nicoll, Music Label Partnerships, Meta said: "We're thrilled to not only continue our partnership with the BRIT Awards, but to expand it to include WhatsApp as an integral part of the awards show experience. WhatsApp just makes sense as this year's exclusive voting partner. It's where millions of Brits already chat to friends and family every day. And now it's a place where music fans in the UK and around the world can share their excitement and support their favourite artists in all the genre categories"
Jessica Dracup-Holland, Chief Marketing Officer, Outernet said: "We're incredibly excited to build on our groundbreaking partnership with The BRITs in 2025. As the UK's most visited cultural destination, we look forward to bringing many fans closer to the music and artists they love. This evolution of our collaboration is another step in Outernet's mission to redefine how audiences engage with live cultural moments."
Nominations for the 2025 BRIT Awards were announced last week via Bring on The BRITs with Mastercard: The 2025 Nominations, an exclusive livestream hosted by Sian Welby on the BRITs Instagram and Facebook. 2025 nominees include Billie Eilish, Central Cee, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Dua Lipa, Ezra Collective, JADE, Michael Kiwanuka, Rachel Chinouriri, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, The Beatles, The Cure and more.
The first performers for the 2025 show were also announced first on the BRITs WhatsApp channel with JADE, MylesSmith, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims and The Last Dinner Party set to take to the stage on the night.
The winners will be announced during the live show on Saturday 1st March at The O2 arena, broadcast exclusively on ITV1 and ITVX and hosted by Jack Whitehall. Harriet Rose and Munya Chawawa will present The BRITs 2025: The Warm-Up on ITV2 and ITVX on Thursday 27th February from 9pm. The award this year has been designed by multi-disciplinary artist Gabriel Moses.
Mastercard will be celebrating their headline sponsorship which is now in its 27th year; ITV remain as official broadcaster for the 32nd year, and The O2 arena will host The BRITs for its 14th year.
These long-standing partnerships will continue to support and amplify The BRITs' vision and values, as the event maintains its fundraising for The BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the awards, which gives grants to charities around the UK that draw on the power of music to promote education and well-being and improve lives, including The BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins.
Mastercard also continues to partner with the BRIT School to support and celebrate the next generation of creative talent.
The full list of artists nominated in the 2025 genre awards are below:
Alternative/Rock Act promoted by Absolute Radio
Beabadoobee
The Cure
Ezra Collective
The Last Dinner Party
Sam Fender
Dance Act promoted by KISS
Becky Hill
Charli xcx
Chase & Status
Fred again..
Nia Archives
Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act promoted by Capital XTRA
Central Cee
Dave
Ghetts
Little Simz
Stormzy
Pop Act promoted by Capital
Charli xcx
Dua Lipa
JADE
Lola Young
Myles Smith
R&B Act promoted by KISS
Cleo Sol
FLO
Jorja Smith
Michael Kiwanuka
RAYE
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THE HEADLINES
Musicians have one of the highest suicide rates in the world (see News)
Is old music eating new music? (see Analysis)
Mood Machine by Liz Pelly "a savage indictment of Spotify" (see Books)
Mining fandom: Music’s Drive to Survive moment (see Comment)
Social came for music streaming’s lunch – now is the time for streaming to bite back (see Comment)
The desperate need for optimism and action in the music industry (see Comment)
BRIT Awards viewed as a great success (see Comment, News)
Impala warns on Universal Music's stranglehold on the music market (see News)
Lucian Grainge: AI can’t match the human creativity needed for music (see Comment)
BBC Music Radio: playback data, artist development and the charter (see Analysis)
Prioritise artists over tech in AI copyright debate, MPs say (see News)
The music business is healthy again? Really? (see Comment)
UK ministers consider changing AI plans to protect creative industries (see News)