{"id":362201,"date":"2026-03-01T10:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T10:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/362201\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T10:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T10:02:12","slug":"watch-wolf-alices-ellie-rowsell-call-for-support-for-grassroots-music-venues-in-brits-best-group-acceptance-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/362201\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell call for support for grassroots music venues in BRITs Best Group acceptance speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wolf Alice<\/a>\u00a0won Best British Group at the 2026\u00a0BRITs<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0frontwoman\u00a0Ellie Rowsell used her speech to call for support for\u00a0grassroots\u00a0music venues.<\/p>\n

The awards ceremony went down tonight (February 28) at Manchester\u2019s Co-op Live Arena<\/a>\u00a0and the North London band were the winners of the Best British Group prize, which they also won back in 2022.<\/p>\n

After accepting the trophy from the\u00a0Happy\u00a0Mondays<\/a>\u2019\u00a0Shaun Ryder<\/a> and Bez<\/a>, Rowsell thanked everyone who had supported them early in their career, including fans who bought\u00a0piece\u00a0of their \u201catrocious\u00a0merch\u201d in their early days.<\/p>\n

She went on to address one of the most existential threats to the UK music scene \u2013 the ongoing plight of small and grassroots music venues, which\u00a0a report in January revealed had seen 30 venues close in the 12 months up to July 2025<\/a>, and a further 48 cease\u00a0operating\u00a0as gig spaces.<\/p>\n

Rowsell said: \u201cWe\u2019d\u00a0like to also thank\u00a0all of\u00a0the pubs and clubs and grassroots venues across the country where we quite literally learned to play our instruments and write our songs. Thank you for opening your doors to us and thank you\u00a0to those who continue the\u00a0fight to keep them open.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

win baby win! it’s @wolfalicemusic<\/a> \u2728<\/p>\n

Wolf Alice are your Group of the Year \ud83d\udc9a pic.twitter.com\/cDH0zjjJXO<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 BRIT Awards (@BRITs) February 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s worth mentioning that despite the billions of pounds the live sector contributes to our economy, last year 30 independent venues closed down, 6,000 jobs were lost and over half the small venues reported making no profit at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be a battle to survive for bands and artists, we shouldn\u2019t be reliant on favours or anyone funding schemes in order to do things at a level we feel proud of. It shouldn\u2019t feel like a golden ticket, but a viable career decision for anyone from any background.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you only have to look around us today and see how proud we are of Britain\u2019s musical contribution and how important it is to nurture and protect the UK\u2019s amazing music scene,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n

Wolf Alice released their fourth album \u2018The Clearing<\/a>\u2019 last year, and\u00a0they\u00a0are set to play a huge outdoor show at London\u2019s Finsbury Park this summer<\/a>,\u00a0where\u00a0they will be joined by\u00a0The Last Dinner Party<\/a>,\u00a0Lykke Li<\/a>,\u00a0Rachel Chinouriri<\/a>, Keo, and\u00a0Florence Road<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wolf Alice\u00a0are\u00a0also set to play\u00a0the \u2018Trans Mission\u2019 charity show<\/a>\u00a0at London\u2019s OVO Arena Wembley in March, and\u00a0headline this year\u2019s Teenage Cancer Trust series at the Royal Albert Hall<\/a>\u00a0that same month. Other upcoming live dates include headline slots at\u00a0Tramlines Festival<\/a>,\u00a0Kendal Calling<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Eden Sessions<\/a>, as well as appearances at\u00a0TRNSMT<\/a>,\u00a0Mad Cool<\/a>,\u00a0NOS Alive<\/a>\u00a0and more.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Clearing\u2019 was given\u00a0a glowing five-star review<\/a>\u00a0when it was released last year, and it went on to secure the Number 11 spot on\u00a0NME\u2018s 50 best albums of 2025 list<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The single\u00a0\u2018Bloom Baby Bloom\u2019<\/a>, meanwhile, made its way to Number 12 on\u00a0our 50 best songs of the year rundown<\/a><\/p>\n

See\u00a0all of\u00a0the winners from the 2026 BRIT Awards\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n