The BRIT Awards 2026 nominations are in – and the list has a lot of queers (we still want more). There are artists on it who are openly LGBTQ+, vocal allies, or Queer-Beloved (loved by the queers).
This year’s drunken fun (ummm, we mean awards) takes place on Saturday, 28 February 2026, landing in Manchester for the first time, at the Co-op Live arena.
Here’s who made the cut.
Chappell Roan
Nominated for International Artist and International Song of the Year
Become a Nonchalant VIP for ad free browsing.
Yea baby, let’s start strong – an obvious one. Chappell Roan openly identifies as a lesbian (not that you needed us to tell you that) and is one of the most exciting pop stars to break through in years. Her nomination for International Artist and International Song of the Year (yes, Pink Pony Club) is a must.
Lola Young
Nominated for Breakthrough Artist, Artist of the Year, Best Pop Act, Best Alternative/Rock Act and Song of the Year
Article continues below.
Lola Young is one of the biggest breakout names of the year, racking up multiple nominations, including Breakthrough Artist, Artist of the Year, Best Pop Act, Best Alternative/Rock Act, and Song of the Year for her viral anthem “Messy” at the BRIT Awards 2026. Her nomination haul underscores just how huge her 2025 really was: “Messy” dominated charts and TikTok, and she’s become a go-to voice for Gen-Z pop with attitude and honesty.
Young has also been candid with fans about her sexuality. In a now-iconic TikTok interaction, she playfully responded to a comment with “I like p***y as well u kno,” which many interpreted as an open acknowledgement of her attraction beyond just men – a moment that resonated widely in queer spaces and was covered by Them as a rare and public queer-leaning statement from her.
Beyond the awards buzz, 2025 was a mixed year for Lola offstage, as she took time away after intense touring and health challenges. We genuinely hope she’s feeling better and getting the space and rest she needs while riding this huge breakthrough.
Cynthia Erivo
Nominated for Song of the Year with Mastercard
Cynthia Erivo secures her first-ever BRIT Award nomination, with her soaring rendition of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” up for Song of the Year with Mastercard at the BRIT Awards 2026. It’s a huge moment – not just for Erivo, but for musical theatre making its way into one of the BRITs’ biggest mainstream categories. Her performance has been everywhere, reminding people just how powerful her voice (and presence) really is.
Erivo is also openly queer and has long been vocal about living and working authentically in an industry that hasn’t always made space for that. She’s spoken openly about her sexuality, self-expression and the importance of visibility – particularly as a queer Black woman – and has consistently used her platform to champion LGBTQ+ inclusion both on and off stage.
JADE
Nominated for Artist of the Year and Best Pop Act
JADE is stepping fully into her solo era with major recognition, picking up nominations for Artist of the Year and Best Pop Act at the BRIT Awards 2026. After years of shaping modern pop as one quarter of Little Mix, she’s now levelling up – giving us banger after banger.
Alongside the music, JADE has long been one of pop’s most consistent and outspoken LGBTQ+ allies. She’s repeatedly used her platform to support queer and trans communities, won Celebrity Ally of the Year at the British LGBT Awards, and has never shied away from calling out homophobia or transphobia – even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular. We love you, Jade.
Lily Allen
Nominated for Artist of the Year, Best Pop Act and Album of the Year
Lily Allen is enjoying one of the boldest comebacks of her career, picking up nominations for Artist of the Year, Best Pop Act and Album of the Year at the BRIT Awards 2026 for her critically acclaimed record West End Girl. Her return to the spotlight – both musically and emotionally – what a bad b*tch.
And if you don’t know, you should know – Lily Allen has also been candid in the past about her sexuality and experiences with women. In her 2018 Instagram post and in her memoir My Thoughts Exactly, she wrote openly about paying for sexual encounters with women while on tour, commenting “I’m not proud, but I’m not ashamed,” and later noted she didn’t consider those experiences “cheating” because they were with women.
Little Simz
Nominated for Artist of the Year and Hip-hop/Grime/Rap Act
Little Simz is up for Artist of the Year and Hip-hop/Grime/Rap Act at the BRIT Awards 2026, marking another huge moment in a career built on brilliance and consistency. A stalwart of UK hip-hop, she’s been breaking barriers for years – from winning the Mercury Prize with Sometimes I Might Be Introvert to consistently being one of the few women recognised in major rap categories at the BRITs.
Simz has spoken plainly about wanting to be known simply as an artist, not boxed in by gendered labels like “female rapper” – a stance that’s become a defining part of her public identity. While she’s kept her own sexuality private and hasn’t publicly labelled it, she’s long been deeply embraced by queer audiences. That connection was especially visible when she shared the stage with Emma Corrin during a live performance – a moment that lit up queer corners of the internet and felt quietly powerful without being performative.
Her latest work on Lotus continues that thread, blending soul, punk, jazz and hip-hop into something that feels fiercely independent and deeply personal. We love.
Sasha Keable
Nominated for Best R&B Act
Sasha Keable is up for Best R&B Act at the BRIT Awards 2026, earning her place in one of the genre categories that celebrate standout British R&B talent. This nomination comes on the back of a huge creative resurgence over the last couple of years.
Keable has also been open about her journey with sexuality and self-expression, using her music to explore love, desire and identity in ways that truly resonate. In interviews, she’s talked about reaching a place where she feels “completely myself,” and her lyrics quoting women as love interests have been celebrated for their authentic queer perspective. Go on the girl.
Self Esteem
Nominated for Artist of the Year
Self Esteem – the stage name of Rebecca Lucy Taylor – is up for Artist of the Year at the BRIT Awards 2026, a huge nod for one of Britain’s most adventurous pop voices. After establishing herself with critically acclaimed albums like Prioritise Pleasure and following it with her 2025 record A Complicated Woman, she’s become a figurehead for bold, emotionally honest songwriting.
Taylor is also known for being a proud queer voice in British music. While she doesn’t pigeonhole herself into rigid labels, she’s spoken openly about her experiences navigating sexuality and relationships in ways that resonate with LGBTQ+ fans, and her music often centres themes of identity, self-worth and queer desire – which is part of why so many queer audiences connect with her work.
The Last Dinner Party
Nominated for Group of the Year
The Last Dinner Party are up for Group of the Year at the BRIT Awards 2026, a big moment for one of the most exhilarating British bands of the moment. Since exploding out of the London scene, they’ve mixed theatrical art-rock with punchy, defiant energy – winning Best New Artist at the 2025 BRITs and earning attention from everywhere from Mercury Prize shortlists to grassroots scenes.
Members, including Lizzie Mayland (who is non-binary) and others in the group, have talked about how their music and visuals – often drawing on queer aesthetics and experiences – make many listeners feel seen and at home in their art. Bassist Georgia Davies said queer fans have shared that the band’s work gave them a sense of community and recognition many hadn’t felt before.
They’re not just a rock band with sharp style — their songs embrace boldness, desire and self-assertion. Even their hit Nothing Matters plays with unapologetic lyrics about sexuality and desire, flipping the script on who gets to say what in rock music.
Wet Leg
Nominated for Group of the Year and Best Rock/Alternative Act
Wet Leg are back on the BRITs radar with nominations for Group of the Year and Best Rock/Alternative Act at the BRIT Awards 2026, solidifying their place as one of the most exciting British bands in recent memory. From the insane breakout viral success of Chaise Longue to carving out a bold, eccentric sound on their second album Moisturizer, they’ve become festival favourites and indie favourites alike.
Frontwoman Rhian Teasdale has openly talked about her relationship with her non-binary partner, whom she met in Portugal in 2021. Teasdale has said falling in love with someone who isn’t a man helped shape the band’s songwriting on Moisturizer, inspiring love songs from a queer perspective and giving long-standing indie narratives a fresh twist through the lens of her queer experience. She has referred to herself as “queer…querying,” and writing about this relationship in music felt “important” to her creative process.
CMAT
Nominated for International Artist
Irish singer-songwriter CMAT (real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) is up for International Artist at the BRIT Awards 2026, standing alongside global acts in a category that highlights artists with huge international reach. Known for blending indie pop, country-pop and wry humour into a style that’s uniquely hers, CMAT has built a fiercely devoted fanbase thanks to a string of infectious singles and her 2025 album Euro-Country, which channels vulnerability, wit and unashamed self-expression.
CMAT is also a proud bisexual artist and has become something of a queer icon thanks to her candid, playful approach to sexuality and gender in interviews and onstage. She’s joked that “all my fans are Irish or lesbians,” a line that perfectly captures her place in queer culture — relaxed, cheeky and deeply beloved. Her music and persona have resonated strongly with LGBTQ+ audiences in particular, with CMAT herself once saying she’s “making music for the girls and the gays, and that’s it.”
Jacob Alon
Nominated for Critics’ Choice Nominee
Jacob Alon identifies as non-binary and was shortlisted for the BRITs Critics’ Choice Award, one of the industry’s biggest “watch this space” signals. Critics’ Choice has historically launched major careers, so seeing a non-binary artist recognised at this level is genuinely important – and still far too rare.
Doechii
Nominated for International Artist
Doechii is up for International Artist at the BRIT Awards 2026, joining the global names recognised in one of the ceremony’s most competitive categories. She’s been on a serious rise: from viral TikTok moments to critical acclaim and industry milestones, Doechii has carved out space as one of the most exciting voices in hip-hop and pop.
Doechii identifies as bisexual and has spoken publicly about how her identity shapes both her artistry and her place in the music world. She’s emphasised that “my literal existence as a queer Black woman is a major contribution to the hip-hop genre,” and she’s used platforms like the GLAAD Media Awards to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights. Her openness about queerness, relationships and representation – alongside winning the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2025 – has made her a genuinely influential voice for queer audiences in rap and beyond.
Lady Gaga
Nominated for International Artist Nominee
This one needs zero explanation. Lady Gaga is a long-standing LGBTQ+ ally and cultural icon whose relationship with queer communities runs deep – from activism to aesthetics to showing up when it matters.
FKA twigs
Nominated for Best Dance Act
FKA twigs scored a nomination for Best Dance Act at the BRIT Awards 2026, recognising her as one of the most boundary-pushing figures working where avant-pop, electronic and art-forward sound collide. The category puts her alongside major dance and electronic names, and nods like this show how her work continues to ripple across genre boundaries.
Beyond the music, FKA twigs has been a figure beloved by queer fans for years – not just for sonic daring but for the way her art includes themes of body autonomy, desire, identity and transcendence.
Taylor Swift
Nominated for International Artist Nominee
Taylor Swift, not queer herself, but is a very public ally with a massive queer fanbase and a long history of vocal support for LGBTQ+ rights. She’s also one of the most claimed pop stars in queer spaces.
Bad Bunny
Nominated for International Artist Nominee
Bad Bunny has consistently challenged rigid ideas of masculinity in mainstream music and has been publicly supportive of LGBTQ+ communities, both through his visuals and his statements. He’s become a favourite in queer clubs and playlists globally, particularly among queer Latinx fans.
PinkPantheress
Nominated for Artist of the Year / Pop Act / Dance Act
PinkPantheress hasn’t publicly labelled her sexuality, but she is deeply queer-beloved – especially among Gen-Z queer audiences. Her music lives on queer playlists, queer dancefloors and queer TikTok.
RAYE
Nominated for Pop Act / Song of the Year
RAYE is another artist who doesn’t publicly identify as LGBTQ+ but is a consistent ally with a strong queer fanbase. Her music, visuals and emotional openness have made her a staple in queer spaces.
Sabrina Carpenter
Nominated for International Artist / International Song Nominee
Sabrina Carpenter rounds out the list as a queer-beloved pop figure. She hasn’t publicly labelled her sexuality, but her fanbase, camp-leaning pop moments and internet presence have firmly placed her within queer pop culture.
We can’t wait. Sooo… “come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough!”
Nonchalant x
This article was written by one of our creative team writers here at Nonchalant Magazine.
