Executive Turntable: RCA UK’s Stacey Tang to Lead BRIT Awards 2026 — Plus, Five New Veeps at BMG

Stacey Tang, co-president of RCA Records UK, has been appointed chair of the BRIT Awards 2026 committee as the ceremony moves to Manchester’s Co-op Live for the next two years — marking the first time in nearly 50 years the BRITs will be held outside London.

Tang will oversee all aspects of the show’s creative direction, working alongside representatives from major and independent labels, BRITs TV and the BPI. Sony Music UK will lead the committee from 2026 to 2028, following Warner Music UK’s tenure under Damian Christian.

Tang, a Billboard UK Power Players list honoree who was promoted to co-president of RCA UK in early 2023, has played a key role in the label’s recent success with artists such as Cat Burns and Myles Smith.

She joins a creative team including Misty Buckley, Phil Heyes, Sally Wood and Maggie Crowe. Speaking on the news, Tang said, “As a massive music fan I always watched the BRIT Awards growing up, but revisiting the shows through the lens of chair has given me a totally different perspective. Being inspired by the spectacle and show as a young person, now motivates me to create something that feels important nationally and globally, while capturing the brilliant and eccentric nuance of British music and culture.

Tang added, “The decision to move to Manchester has been met with amazing feedback from the local community and the industry. To oversee a show that’s doing something for the first time feels energising but ultimately, we also want to inject fun into the proceedings … and people in Manchester know how to have fun!”

The BRITs also announced several category updates: the Rising Star Award reverts to its original name, Critics’ Choice, and Best New Artist becomes Breakthrough Artist. Eligibility criteria have been tightened across major categories, requiring higher chart performance. Nominees must now have a top 30 album or two top 20 singles, while genre categories maintain existing standards. The Mastercard Album of the Year must also reach the top 30. These changes aim to better reflect artist impact and chart success.

Nominees will be announced in January, with voting handled by a panel of industry professionals and, in recent years, the public for genre categories. The 2026 ceremony will take place on Feb. 28 at Co-op Live, a 23,500-capacity venue opened in 2024, signaling a new chapter for the BRITs and its commitment to celebrating British music across the country.

Check out a full rundown of this week’s staffing news below.