BRIT Awards 2026: Mark Ronson to be honoured for Outstanding Contribution to Music

Mark Ronson in 2026

Mark Ronson will be honoured at the 2026 BRIT Awards for his Outstanding Contribution to Music.

This year’s ceremony will be taking place at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, marking the first time that the event has been held outside of London in its nearly 50-year history.

Already the nominees have been announced, with acts like former NME Cover star Lola Young, Sam Fender, Lily Allen and Lewisham rapper Jim Legxacy leading the way. It has also been confirmed that Harry Styles, Wolf Alice, and Olivia Dean will be among those performing at the live event on Saturday February 28.

Now, songwriter and producer Mark Ronson has been named as the recipient of this year’s award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and will be at the event in person to both accept the award and perform live.

Over the course of two decades, Ronson has produced various multi-platinum tracks, including Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ and ‘Valerie’, his and Bruno Mars’ ‘Uptown Funk’, Dua Lipa’s ‘Electricity’, and Miley Cyrus’ ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’.

Mark Ronson, BRITS 2026 poster
Mark Ronson, BRITS 2026 poster. CREDIT: Press

He has also dropped various solo albums over the years too, as well as helped write award-winning songs for the soundtracks of Barbie, A Star Is Born, Euphoria and more. The latest honour adds to his collection of two BRIT Awards, nine Grammys, and both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for co-writing ‘Shallow’ with Lady Gaga.

Previous recipients of the BRITs Outstanding Contribution to Music honour include David Bowie, Oasis, Sir Paul McCartney, Spice Girls, Elton John, Queen, U2, Robbie Williams, P!NK and Blur.

“This is the most meaningful honour of my career,” Ronson said. “I think of the times I’ve watched artists I revere accept this same award. The idea that I’m now standing in that lineage feels impossible.”

“I left England as a kid, but this country runs through everything I’ve made. The UK artists I’ve worked with—their brilliance and refusal to compromise—shaped not just my work but how I understand what music should do,” he added. “And more than anything, it’s the crowds here who’ve sustained and showed up for me. The fans, the festival crowds, the record buyers and streamers—the love has always been overwhelming. I’m beyond grateful for all of it.”

Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music, also spoke about Ronson receiving the honour this year, saying that his “influence spans every corner of contemporary culture,” and that he has “an extraordinary ability to elevate each project he works on.”

“He has shaped the musical landscape globally with some incredible albums, his own artist releases as well as those in collaboration with the phenomenal talents he has discovered and nurtured,” Tang continued. “This award recognises his huge contribution to British music’s global story and cements his place as one of the most innovative creators of our time.”

Also at the 2026 BRITs, Jack Whitehall is returning to host for the sixth time, and this year’s trophy has been unveiled, designed by Matthew Williamson and inspired by Manchester.

Scottish art-folk artist Jacob Alon has been confirmed as the winner of the 2026 BRITs Critics’ Choice Award, and the public vote for Song of the Year with Mastercard and International Song of the Year is open now. Visit here for more information.

This year, ITV remains the official BRIT Awards broadcaster for the 34th year. The ceremony will air exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.

As for other Mark Ronson news, last spring the producer announced details of a new memoir called Night People, which centres around New York City and that music scene in the ‘90s.

“DJing in ‘90s New York City informed everything I ever did after, becoming the foundation for all my future work and creativity,” he said. “In Night People, I wanted to capture that transformative period of my life and celebrate three of my great loves: the art of DJing, the thrilling energy of New York City after dark, and the wild and wonderful characters who populated our world and became my second family.

“This book is my love letter to a vanished era that shaped not just my career but my identity – a time when finding my craft put me on the path to finding myself.”

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