Noel Gallagher to Receive ‘Songwriter of the Year’ at 2026 BRIT Awards
Following the monumental success of the Oasis reunion, Noel Gallagher is set to attend this year’s BRIT Awards to collect the ‘Songwriter of the Year’ prize. In a historic move, the ceremony will be held at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, marking the first time in the event’s nearly 50-year history that it has ventured outside of London to honour Gallagher in his own hometown.
A press statement from the BRITs described Gallagher’s influence as "permeating the fabric of British culture for over 30 years," citing both his "seminal work with Oasis" and his "ambitious and acclaimed solo albums" with High Flying Birds. The award, which recognises "exceptional songwriting," sees Noel join an elite tier of previous recipients including Ed Sheeran and Charli XCX. The committee noted that his work "spans generations," continuing to resonate with global audiences in a way few modern songwriters can match.
A Year of Oasis Dominance
The award follows a 2025 that redefined the scale of British rock. After ending 16 years of speculation in August 2024, the 'Oasis Live ‘25' tour became a global phenomenon, spanning 41 sold-out dates. From the opening night in Cardiff to five legendary homecoming nights at Manchester’s Heaton Park and a staggering seven shows at Wembley Stadium, the tour saw a new generation of fans devouring a setlist of era-defining anthems.
This "Oasis fever" was mirrored in the charts; at one point, the band held three of the Top Five spots on the UK Albums Chart with 'Time Flies… (1994-2009)' at Number 1, '(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?' at 2, and 'Definitely Maybe' at 4. By selling in excess of one million albums in 2025 alone, Oasis became the only UK artist to achieve such a feat within the calendar year.
A Legacy of Songwriting
Gallagher's songs defined a moment, yielding seven studio albums with Oasis and a catalogue featuring 'Live Forever', 'Wonderwall', 'Don’t Look Back in Anger', and 'Champagne Supernova'. His success continued solo with four UK Number 1 studio albums, ' Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds', 'Chasing Yesterday', 'Who Built the Moon?', and 'Council Skies', alongside the retrospective 'Back the Way We Came: Vol 1'.
While Noel and his brother Liam have shared numerous BRITs for 'Best British Group' and 'Album of the Year', their cabinet includes some of the ceremony's most significant honours. Most notably, the band received the 'Outstanding Contribution to Music' award in 2007, and in 2010, '(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?' was voted the 'Best British Album of the Last 30 Years'
Noel’s individual songwriting has been equally celebrated outside of the BRITs. In 2013, he was handed the prestigious 'Outstanding Song Collection' award at the Ivor Novello Awards, an honour he famously claimed was more meaningful than others because, as he put it, "clowns like One Direction aren’t invited." This was his second Ivor Novello, having previously won 'Songwriter of the Year' with Oasis in 1995.
Back to Work
The live 2025 tour reached its emotional conclusion in Brazil on November 24, after which the band announced a "pause" to process the enormity of the comeback. “And so it came to pass,” wrote the band in a message to fans, before quoting a damning article written about them previously: “‘The most damaging pop cultural force in recent British history’ found its way into the hearts and minds of a new generation.
“From Gallagher Hill to the River Plate, from Croke Park on the banks of the Royal Canal to the City of Angels, the love, joy, tears and euphoria will never be forgotten. There will now be a pause for a period of reflection,” they finished, signing off simply as Oasis.
Despite the scheduled downtime, Noel recently fueled rumours of a new record. Speaking on Radio 5’s Football Daily last month, he confirmed he was already "back at work," simply remarking on the reunion's success: "It went rather well, didn’t it?"
Speculation regarding 2026/27 tour dates remains high, spurred by Liam’s cryptic social media posts and a slip-up by a British peer suggesting a 30th-anniversary return to Knebworth. While those dates remain unconfirmed, fans can look forward to a feature-length documentary about the comeback tour, currently in production by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
As the spotlight shifts to Manchester for the 2026 BRIT Awards, the homecoming feels like a victory lap for a songwriter who has spent three decades soundtracking the lives of millions. Whether this 'period of reflection' serves as a final curtain call or the prelude to a new chapter of music remains to be seen, but for now, the industry stands ready to honor the man whose melodies brought the world to a standstill in 2025. One thing is certain: the Gallagher legacy has never loomed larger over the landscape of British music.