This content is copyright of CelebMix.com. The BRIT Awards have always had a knack for spotting the future before the rest of the world catches up! Adele, Florence Welch, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, Jessie J - the Critics' Choice honour (returned to its original name for 2026 after several years as the Rising Star Award) has become one of the most reliable predictors of which artists will define the next decade of British music. Now, the BRITs have revealed the three artists vying for the 2026 Critics' Choice Award, supported by BBC Radio 1, and the shortlist reads like a snapshot of where UK music is headed next: emotionally dense songwriting, dance-floor pop revivalism, and bold, genre-fluid new voices ready to take global stages. This year's nominees - Jacob Alon, Rose Gray and Sienna Spiro - arrive at vastly different moments in their early careers, yet all three have already carved distinct musical identities. And if history is any indication, one of them may soon become a household name. JACOB ALON: THE STORYTELLER WHO'S QUIETLY TAKING OVER Few new artists have built momentum as steadily - or as organically - as Jacob Alon. Raised in Fife and steeped in the folk traditions of the Scottish east coast, Alon writes songs that feel weathered, as if they've been living in the bloodstream for years. Their debut album 'In Limerence' earned a Mercury Prize shortlist spot in 2025, and suddenly the soft-spoken singer-songwriter found themself thrust into the national conversation. Jacob's strength lies in a kind of emotional excavation. Their arrangements are bare but deliberate, blending acoustic intimacy with sudden, cinematic swells. They've already earned a BBC Introducing Artist of the Year title and delivered one of the most talked-about sets on the Glastonbury BBC Introducing Stage last summer - a performance some critics called "the moment Alon's career quietly shifted gears". For an award that has historically championed boundary-defining vocalists, Jacob fits neatly into the lineage of previous alumni: artists whose raw honesty disarms before it dazzles. "Ya beauty! Tapadh leibh for recognising my work for this award you legends! Even though I'm Scottish & Irish before I'm British, I appreciate the BRITs critics for this recognition. I really care about and believe in this music and it makes my world brighter every time it reaches someone else. Hopefully this nomination means some more beautiful people might find something in this wee album. 'Mon the gays!!!" - Jacob Alon ROSE GRAY: THE POP INSURGENT BRINGING RAVE CULTURE TO THE MAINSTREAM If Jacob Alon represents introspection, Rose Gray is the opposite: ecstatic, explosive, and built for the dance floor. The East London singer - whose debut album 'Louder, Please' landed earlier this year - has become one of the most exciting new figures in the UK club-pop renaissance. Pulling inspiration from '90s rave energy, glossy electro-pop, and the industrial sheen of modern club music, Gray has carved out a sound that feels nostalgic but entirely new. Her follow-up deluxe project, 'A Little Louder, Please', expanded her sonic world even further. She spent 2025 on a string of major festival bills and landed a coveted support slot for Kesha on her European tour - a co-sign that confirmed what fans on TikTok and in nightclubs already knew: Rose Gray is on the brink of international stardom! Where Alon is subtle, Gray is maximalist. Her choruses are engineered for mass euphoria, for nightclub catharsis, for festival tents packed to capacity. In a year when British dance-pop is undergoing a renaissance, her nomination feels particularly timely. "I'm so excited for this nomination!! This moment feels like a special reminder of how far this journey has carried me and what a crazy year it's been. One year ago, I was manifesting so hard for my album 'Louder, Please' to travel, to find its people, to really get its light. And it did. Releasing this record has genuinely changed my life. I'm so grateful to everyone who's been part of this journey and I can't wait for what's to come. Thank you BRITs!" - Rose Gray SIENNA SPIRO: THE RAW NEW VOICE ALREADY FILLING ROOMS ACROSS CONTINENTS Sienna Spiro's rise has been the most rapid of the three. Only launching her music career in 2024, she entered 2025 with real momentum - thanks largely to her debut EP 'SINK NOW, SWIM LATER' which showcased her ability to translate real experiences into timeless, modern songs, with the fan-favourite 'MAYBE.' marking a breakthrough moment that drew praise from artists including SZA, Snoh Aalegra, Finneas and Mark Ronson. Her rise has been fuelled by a voice that cuts clean through the noise - unpolished in the best way, full of cracked edges and lived-in emotion. Her latest single 'Die On This Hill' became her first UK Top 10 hit, turning Spiro from a promising newcomer into a legitimate chart presence almost overnight. Since then, she's toured relentlessly, opening for Sam Smith on their To B