Scottish singer Jacob Alon shortlisted for prestigious music award
Jacob Alon is shortlisted for another major award
Scottish singer Jacob Alon has been shortlisted for a major music prize - months after making the shortlist for the 2025 Mercury Prize Album of the Year.
Alon is on a three-strong shortlist for the BBC One Critics Choice Award at the BRIT Awards.
The Fife musician, who this year released their debut studio album In Limerence, is following in the footsteps of Adele, Florence + the Machine and Glasgow star Emeli Sande who were all previously shortlisted for the awards.
Alon is up for the award alongside Rose Gray and Sienna Spiro.
Alon said: “Even though I’m Scottish and 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.”
Raised in Fife, Jacob first felt the spark of performance at a school talent show. They found their voice in Edinburgh’s folk community.
Their debut album In Limerence was released in May.
Earlier this year, Alon became the first Scottish winner of BBC Introducing’s Artist of the Year, was nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Award, performed on Later… with Jools Holland, played a celebrated set on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury, and was named one of BBC Radio 6 Music’s Artists of the Year.
Stacey Tang, chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards committee and co-president of RCA Records at Sony Music, UK said: "How exciting to spotlight a new wave of UK musicians shaping popular culture.
“Awards and recognition for emerging artists is now more important than ever, and Critics’ Choice has long championed brilliantly talented new artists. This cohort shares the same early spark displayed by previous winners like Adele, Florence + The Machine, Sam Fender, Myles Smith and Emeli Sande.”
She added: “This year’s finalists are a great reminder that commercial momentum grows from creative ambition and artistic bravery."
The award has reverted to its original name of Critics’ Choice for 2026, in acknowledgement of the importance of critical acclaim to artists at an early stage of their career. The prize was introduced in 2008 to identify the future stars of British music and is decided by an expert panel of new music champions across media, broadcast and industry.
The award is open to British artists who have not yet achieved an Official Album Charts Top 20 placing or achieved more than one Top 20 chart placing in the Official Singles Chart.
Spiro, who last year sold out a UK and European headline tour and joined Sam Smith for their To Be Free: New York City residency, said: “So beyond honoured and grateful to be nominated for this year's Critics' Choice BRIT Award! To think I started releasing music last year, I would never have expected this at all.”
Gray, who released her debut album Louder, Please, this year, said: “This moment feels like a special reminder of how far this journey has carried me and what a crazy year it’s been.
“Releasing this record has genuinely changed my life.”
The BRIT Awards 2026 will take place on Saturday 28 February from Manchester’s Co-op Live.
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