Jo Charrington has told Music Week that Olivia Dean’s success at the 2026 BRIT Awards is part of an historic demonstration of the strength of British music.
“It shows what we can all do when we put our minds to it,” said the Capitol UK president, who interrupted a couple of days off post-BRITs to talk to Music Week.
“It was a very special night, particularly for the UK, and being in Manchester was great as well,” said Charrington. “I planned to take a couple days off because it’s just been quite a mad year already, so this is a bit of R&R before we’re back at it!”
Grammy winner Dean, who starred on the cover of Music Week last year in the run up to the release of her chart-topping second record The Art Of Loving, took home four awards on the night and is pictured above alongside Charrington with (L-R) Sarah Howell from Yo&Co Management, Capitol MD Tom Paul, manager Emily Braham and Jamie Ahye of Polydor Label Group. The singer won Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year for The Art Of Loving, Pop Act and Song Of The Year with Sam Fender for Rein Me In.
Breaking acts is a mindset, and if you’ve got the mindset, the support and investment and the artists, then really anything is possible
Jo Charrington, Capitol UK
The latter was handed out early in the show, and Charrington noted the fact that Dean’s collaboration with the Polydor signed-Fender – which recently topped the singles chart – shows the strength of Polydor Label Group’s operation.
“Winning the first award with Sam Fender, who is obviously a Polydor artist, and with us all being part of the same group felt great,” Charrington said. “That song, I think it’s going to be the duet of the decade. It’s just a brilliant moment in pop history, with the two of them. So, winning that and us all being able to come together for her first award was incredible.”
Charrington starred in Music Week’s world exclusive Universal Music Group cover story last year, as we delved into the details of how the company is driving a new wave of British talent. Back then, there was already plenty of success for Dean, Fender, Lola Young and more for the team to reflect on, and Charrington suggested the BRITs – where Fender and Young also won big – showed the might of the major’s new era, led by chairman and CEO Dickon Stainer.
“This is a big moment for Dickon as our leader, and rightly so, because I think the energy that he’s brought to the company has played a huge part in what’s happening now,” she said.
Artists signed to Polydor Label Group won more trophies than any other label at the BRITs.
Jodie Cammidge, managing director at Polydor Label Group called it “a landmark night”.
“To see artists from across the group recognised at this level is incredibly powerful,” he said. “Taking away the most awards of any label speaks to the strength of our teams and the depth of talent we’re building, and underlines our commitment to developing British artists and supporting them at every stage of their careers. We’re hugely proud of what Sam, Olivia and everyone across the group has achieved. The success of Rein Me In, a collaboration between Polydor Records and Capitol UK, demonstrates our ability to create truly defining moments for our artists.”
Charrington, meanwhile, is no stranger to success at awards shows thanks to her work with Sam Smith and more during her time at Capitol with Nick Raphael.
“It’s just a real validation to have been able to achieve something like this again, with a slightly different configuration within Universal,” she said. “Particularly alongside Tom Paul, our managing director, who I’ve worked with for 17 years.”
And so, with her dog popping up in the background before being safely ushered into the next room, we quizzed Charrington on the ins-and-outs of the BRITs 2026, what the success means for Olivia Dean and her team and how it feels to be leading the charge as an executive…
Olivia Dean & Sam Fender
First of all, did you think Olivia would win?
“Well, obviously, we’re all quite competitive and definitely felt she deserved to win every award that she was nominated for. But I never turn up thinking it’s going to happen, and I don’t take it for granted. It’s weird, I just don’t quite tap into it enough to let myself go either way, you know it’s happening, but I just try and be in the moment and enjoy it without letting it get too stressful. But I have to say, I haven’t been drinking all year, apart from at the Grammys when we found out that Olivia won. And on Saturday, at around 4 o’clock, I suddenly had that feeling of, ‘God, I think I might need a drink, actually!’ Just to settle my nerves, so there was definitely anticipation.”
Can you put into words the feeling among the team in the run up to an event like this?
“I think we were very much focused on the performance. Olivia performed at the Grammys, but she was part of almost a medley, with every artist nominated in that category. So even though she’s done loads of TV like, SNL, Later… With Jools Holland, this was her first televised performance in a big arena. So we were all focused on making sure that the performance was as good as it could be and probably not giving too much thought to whether she would win or not. Olivia performed a show for War Child during the week and a load of us went up for that, the US label were there, too, so Justin Eshak and Imran Majid, Jay Schumer, Marshall Nolan and Monte Lipman. It was a nice run-in to the BRITs on Saturday. It felt like a historical night, really.”
I think Rein Me In is going to be the duet of the decade. It’s just a brilliant moment in pop history
Jo Charrington, Capitol UK
How did it compare to your experience at The Grammys, where Olivia also won?
“The Grammys was emotional for us. Before the show, Tom Paul and I were sitting on the floor, and Emily [Braham, manager] and Olivia came and found us, and we suddenly like, ‘Oh, my God, we’re here at the Grammys!’ and we all had a little bit of a tear in our eyes. But I think being in Manchester, being in the UK, and Olivia having been at the BRIT school only 10 years ago… It was really emotional, and Olivia was really emotional, after she won the Album Of The Year award, she came off and was in tears of joy and relief. The work that she’s put in, particularly in the last 12 months, has been non-stop, moment to moment. SNL, the Sabrina Carpenter tour, her own tour, LA, New York… and then into the Grammys and the BRITs. It’s just been a lot. So I think it was that kind of, ‘Phew! Okay… Wow.’ It’s acknowledgement from the UK, from her home, and all her family were there. And we all felt it, the wider team was there. The Grammys is an amazing moment, but it’s just a smaller group of us, because we can’t all ship off to LA. So all of us being able to be part of that is just very, very special.”
Is there anything else that particularly sticks in your mind about the evening?
“Lola Young was on the table next to her, Lola was at the BRIT school as well. They had a lovely moment after the Grammys together, where they both were acknowledging, ‘Wow, we’re just two girls from the BRIT School, and look at us now, we both won Grammys…’ There was just another lovely moment with the two of them at the BRITs. Like I said, it felt like quite an historic moment. I think we’re making history, genuinely. You know, I’ve been doing this quite a long time, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be around another great British export in Sam Smith. And I feel very lucky, so does Tom, to be part of it again. It shows what we can all do when we put our minds to it.”
What did you and Olivia say to each other on the night?
“All my work is done before the BRITs. We’re behind the scenes, pushing everybody and galvanising the troops. I was conscious on Saturday, there were so many people there, the head of the Japanese company, the Chinese company, a lot of people that deserved a bit of time with Olivia. And I really wanted to give them that space. And for Dickon, too. But I did have a moment with her at the Universal after party. I mean, we were both quite drunk, I think, but she said it was just a huge moment for her and she was really, really grateful. She said thank you, and I said thank you, and she was like, ‘Look at what we’ve done!’ We had a little sit down next to each other, and then someone came over for a selfie. But it was nice just to have that little touch point with her during a very busy night, where we could both say, ‘We did it.’”
When we spoke to you for Olivia’s cover feature last year, you talked about how much you enjoy working with Olivia’s management team. Can you reflect more on that relationship now you’ve ticked off yet another milestone moment?
“Oh God, it’s incredible. Emily and Olivia are both young, and they’re both wise beyond their years. You know, they’re so smart, both of them are whipsmart. There’s no coincidence that she and Emily have one of the best teams in the world around them, whether it’s Simone [Beyene] the stylist, or the movement coach, or Tom Paul, or Jamie Ahye [head of marketing, Polydor Label Group]… They knew who they wanted. I think age can be quite deceptive, really. You can get much older people who just don’t have a clue. They are young, they’re very smart, and it’s a joy to work with both of them. Obviously, I have a lot of experience, as does Tom in terms of running a global campaign from the UK, and they bring energy, different ideas and a creativity that we couldn’t even dream of being able to deliver. So between everyone, it’s just a really good team.”
Tom Paul, Jo Charrington, Olivia Dean and Jamie Ahye
After winning at the Grammys, the BRITs and with the tour coming up, it doesn’t feel like Olivia is going anywhere anytime soon…
“No, definitely not. I mean, this is just the beginning. This album’s only been out for about six months. It only came out in September, and it already feels like a modern classic. She’s got [dates in the] UK, Europe, America and a lot of the success that she’s having now is all about… I’ve mentioned her intentional decisions about who she and Emily want to work with, but there’s also the planning that went into where we are today, every move was considered and thought through, very much led by Tom. Last January and February, we sat down and mapped out where we wanted to be, and we haven’t stopped doing that. The key is, we now want to consolidate. Olivia needs to enjoy this tour, there are going to be so many great moments. Her performing live is the magic. We’re looking ahead to 2027 and beyond, and we’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’re doing. I think the reason we’re winning is because of where the talent and the creativity meets the planning. There’s a logistical side to what we do as a team, and as a wider company and organisation, alongside Emily and Olivia, that is the reason why she is where she is. It’s my job to make sure she stays there, and then some, because she deserves it.”
Olivia’s getting quite a lot of Adele comparisons. I would love that! I mean, that’s the dream, isn’t it?
Jo Charrington, Capitol UK
What do the BRITs, which celebrated the achievements of a range of new UK acts, say about the industry’s success in fostering a new generation of artists?
“I think the UK’s always punched above its weight over the years, in music, art, film, TV, everything. Since Sam Smith, it’s always been my ambition to have global success with UK artists. It’s important now that we recognise that, yes, we’re the UK, but we should always be thinking globally. It doesn’t always have to be about America, there are so many different territories, and we can create a bespoke campaign of which territories we target. Olivia did a lot of work early on in Australia and certain countries and that is the reason she’s now successful in the charts there. So, it’s a mindset, and if you’ve got the mindset, the support and investment and the artists, really anything is possible. I really hope that after Olivia, Raye, Sam Fender, Skye Newman… that we just keep going. We’ve got to keep the momentum going, and that’s why it’s so important to me and our team, that we don’t take any of this for granted. At the end of the day, we’re competing with Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Drake and The Weeknd, so it’s about just staying really clear with that ambition and focus. But we’ve done it, you know, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Adele… Olivia’s getting quite a lot of Adele comparisons. I would love that! I mean, that’s the dream, isn’t it? “
You’ve talked about the team and the wider industry implications, but how does the afterglow of a night like Saturday feel for you personally? To be able to talk about an artist you’ve helped break winning four BRITs and a Grammy…
“That’s a really good question. But we do have feelings, I do, I do! I normally feel just tired and slightly stressed [laughs]. I just literally love working with them. I sent Emily a message the day after the BRITs, because Lucian [Sir Lucian Grainge, UMG CEO & chairman] messaged me and said he wanted to send a note to them and there was a bit back and forth, so I was messaging her about that. I feel really fortunate that, 30 years in, I’m still on the pitch and I’m excited again. It’s quite hard to be constantly performing at this level, artist after artist, every year, that’s kind of impossible. But I really did believe in Olivia, and I said it to a lot of people. It’s been quite nice recently getting that feedback again, ‘I remember when you came into my offices and you said this, and look what’s happened…’ It was really tunnel vision, and I know that’s what Emily had too. So, to be part of this and watch her winning these awards, and being so happy, and just it being, like, everywhere… It’s incredible.
“But the thing is, the sort of person that I am, I enjoy it, and I’m proud of myself and proud of everyone, but I’m like, ‘Okay, we got to make sure we keep her there.’ So I’m always thinking, ‘what can we do better? What can we do next?’ It’s about not dropping the ball and not taking it for granted. I believed in her so much, but I never think about what’s coming. I was just in the tunnel, vision zone, of, ‘We’re gonna break her, we’re gonna break her globally.’ Maybe that’s why I’ve booked a couple of days off, just to let it soak in and enjoy it. Also, my mum, even she is really proud and that’s great, to still be able to tell her [about things like this] and to be able to talk about someone to my friends that they’ve heard of, that’s pretty cool.”
PHOTO: Lola Mansell