Noel Gallagher will be honored with the songwriter of the year prize at the 2026 BRIT Awards, the British equivalent of the Grammys. Since Gallagher has not released a new song in the last year, the choice was confusing to some, including the Oasis guitarist himself.
“I haven’t written a song for two years,” Gallagher laughs while speaking with the U.K.’s talkSPORT. “I’m not sure how I’ve got away with that one, but I’ll take it.”
In response to the news of Gallagher’s win, a petition was launched calling for “clear eligibility criteria” for the songwriter of the year award.
When asked about the controversy, Gallagher tells talkSPORT, “I think the BRITs is all based on record sales.”
“I mean, we sold a million records last year,” Gallagher says. “We didn’t even get off the couch. And I’m not sure there’s a songwriter that can match that.”
“But if anybody’s got a problem with it, meet me there, we’ll have it out on the red carpet,” he continues. “If any of those wet wipe songwriting teams, all 11 of them, want to write a song between the lot of them, want to have it out on the red carpet, I’m there.”
While he may not have written a song in the past year, Gallagher certainly made headlines in 2025 thanks to the Oasis reunion tour, which marked his first live shows with his formerly estranged brother Liam Gallagher in 16 years. Not only that, but the 2026 BRITs are being held in Oasis’ hometown of Manchester, England.
“If I’m being honest, right, I just think they were desperate to get somebody from Oasis up there ’cause it’s from Manchester,” Gallagher says.
The 2026 BRITs take place Feb. 28.
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