What do the 2026 Brit award nominees Lola Young, Raye, FKA twigs, Loyle Carner, Rose Gray and Olivia Dean have in common? They all went to the Brit School.
Since it opened in 1991, the performing and creative arts school in Croydon, south London, has made a name for itself as a launchpad to musical stardom. Other notable alumni from the comprehensive school include Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J and Cat Burns. Including last night’s five nominations each for Young and Dean, the hardware won by alumni totals 25 Grammys, 23 Brits, 19 Mobos, three Baftas, two Oscars and a Laurence Olivier.
Inspired by the 1980 film Fame – a musical about New York performers developing their talents in a specialist school – Mark Featherstone-Witty set up the Brit to help students get a foot into the notoriously impenetrable arts and entertainment industry.
It now relies on the Brit awards to fund the Brit Trust, a charity which helps make attendance free for more than 1,450 students aged 14 to 19.
Although the school’s success at producing talent is undeniable, it has been criticised for maintaining London as the centre of the music industry in the UK, as its catchment area is limited to Greater London and some parts of Kent and Surrey.
In an effort to give opportunities to students outside the M25, in 2023 the Department for Education gave the green light for a Brit School North to open in Bradford. Initially scheduled to open later this year, the school is now expected to welcome its first 500 pupils in 2028.
Photograph by JMEnternational/Getty Images
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