The BRIT Awards are shaping up rather well for 2026, and not just because they’re in Manchester. Now, it has been announced that Manchester’s very own Noel Gallagher is the recipient of this year’s prestigious Songwriter of the Year award, and will accept the award in Manchester, at the Co-op Live on 28th February.
What is the Songwriter of the Year award?
The BRITs Songwriter of the Year award recognises exceptional songwriting talent, and is decided by a select panel of expert judges, with previous recipients including Ed Sheeran, Kid Harpoon, RAYE and Charli xcx.
Why is Noel Gallagher receiving the award?
Although we don’t really need to explain, Noel Gallagher’s songwriting has permeated the fabric of British culture for over 30 years, from his seminal work with Oasis to his ambitious and acclaimed solo albums with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. His songs span generations and have continued to resonate with audiences around the world like no other.
With the Oasis Live ’25 tour having proved to be a cultural phenomenon, with 41 electrifying performances in cities across the world, Noel’s songwriting and incredible talent has come right back to the surface, as the world watched whilst a setlist packed with some of the most iconic songs in music history made the rounds.
At one juncture during the tour the Top Five of the UK Album Chart featured three Oasis albums, with ‘Time Flies…‘ at Number 1, ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?‘ at two and ‘Definitely Maybe‘ at four, and the band sold in excess of one million albums in 2025 alone – the only UK artist to achieve such a feat.
Noel’s songwriting for Oasis defined a cultural movement, delivering seven studio albums and forming a catalogue which contains some of the most recognisable songs in British music history, including Live Forever, Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger and Champagne Supernova.
Beyond Oasis, Noel released four critically and commercially successful studio albums with his High Flying Birds – ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds‘, ‘Chasing Yesterday‘, ‘Who Built the Moon?‘ and ‘Council Skies‘ – and a 10-year solo career retrospective with the chart topping Back the Way We Came: Vol 1.
Alongside his brother, Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, Noel has multiple BRITs to his name so far, with the group taking home awards including Best British Group, Album of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Music. Noel’s songwriting has also been recognised by the Ivor Novello Awards, taking home the prestigious Outstanding Song Collection award in 2013.
The BRITs debut at its new Manchester home sees a line-up of global, critically acclaimed stars confirmed to perform. Outstanding Contribution to Music recipient Mark Ronson, announced this week, joins Harry Styles, Olivia Dean and Wolf Alice, with more to be announced over the coming weeks.