Myles Smith has been announced as the winner of the BRITs Rising Star Award for 2025.
The award caps off a banner year for the Luton-born singer-songwriter, who saw off competition from soul vocalist Elmiene and indie-pop duo Good Neighbours to claim the accolade. The winner was announced Thursday (Dec. 5) on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show With Jack Saunders.
“Winning the BRIT award for Rising Star is such a surreal moment,” he said in a statement. “Music has always been about connecting with people, and to see it resonate on this level is incredible. I’m so grateful to my team, my family, and especially the fans who’ve supported me every step of the way. Your belief in me means everything. This is just the beginning, and I’m so excited for what’s to come — thank you for being part of this journey.”
Smith is the first male artist to win in the category since Sam Fender in 2019. In the last five years, the award – formerly known as Critics’ Choice – has gone to three female solo artists (Celeste, Griff and Holly Humberstone) and two groups consisting of all female and non-binary performers (FLO and The Last Dinner Party).
The award was first presented at the BRIT Awards in 2008, and is annually handed out to the British act that the voting academy believes will make the biggest impact on music in the coming year. Other previous winners include Adele, Sam Smith and Florence + the Machine.
The shortlist is selected by a panel of music industry experts, including editors, critics, songwriters, producers and live bookers. Eligibility criteria deems that nominees cannot have had a top 20 placing on the Official Albums Chart or more than one top 20 single on Official Singles Chart in the U.K. as of Oct. 31, 2024.
Smith was also recently included in the longlist for another new music prize, BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2025, with the winner set to be revealed in January. The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough moment in the summer with his global hit “Stargazing,” which reached No. 4 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Speaking to Billboard in July, he explained that his main ambition is to be “seen as an album artist,” adding that “there’s only so much you can say in an EP or single.” Smith also discussed the years he spent covering chart hits on TikTok before landing a deal with RCA Records and in turn started penning his own original music. “Covers [were] an opportunity to find an audience that I thought would match with the music I would eventually create,” he added.
The 2025 BRIT Awards will take place on March 1, and will be broadcast live on ITV 1 from London’s O2 Arena.