ON THE SLY worked alongside NorthHouse to develop the sound design for The BRIT Awards 2026, contributing to a unified creative language that connected the arena experience with the live broadcast.
Held at Co-op Live in Manchester, this year’s ceremony introduced a new visual identity across stage, screen, and digital platforms. Our role focused on shaping the sonic layer of that system, ensuring consistency across idents, nomination packages, and transitions throughout the programme.
Developing A Shared Creative Language
From the outset, the project was driven by a clear visual concept centred on refracted surfaces, layered environments, and depth. NorthHouse translated this into a series of immersive visual worlds, building on production designer Misty Buckley’s multi-stage “space station” environment.
Our brief was to create a sound design approach that belonged within this same framework. Rather than treating audio as a separate layer, we worked to establish a tonal language that aligned directly with the visual direction.
This meant developing a restrained palette that could support the overall identity of the show while allowing key moments, such as performances and awards, to remain the focus.
Building A Cohesive Audio System
Drawing on the refracted glass concept, we created a series of tones and textures that combined subtle, glass-like characteristics with warmer analogue elements. This balance allowed the sound design to feel connected to the visual world while maintaining clarity and control across broadcast.
These elements were applied consistently across idents, nomination sequences, and transitions, forming a continuous thread throughout the programme. The intention was not to dominate the experience, but to provide structure and cohesion across different segments of the show.
For a production of this scale, consistency is essential. With multiple creative teams contributing across disciplines, a shared language helps maintain clarity from start to finish.
Supporting A Multi-Platform Experience
A key consideration throughout the project was the dual audience. The BRIT Awards is experienced simultaneously by those in the arena and those watching at home, each engaging with the same moments in real time.
Our approach to sound design was shaped by this requirement. The audio needed to translate effectively across both environments, supporting the live atmosphere in the venue while maintaining precision and balance for broadcast.
This meant careful attention to timing, tone, and dynamics, ensuring that transitions felt seamless regardless of how the show was being experienced.
Working Within A Complex Production Environment
The project formed part of a wider collaboration led by executive producer Sally Wood and director Phil Heyes, involving a large multidisciplinary team across staging, lighting, broadcast, and graphics.
NorthHouse’s visual system was deployed across an extensive screen setup, including multiple surfaces that together created a large-scale canvas. Our sound design was developed to complement this complexity, supporting the flow between different segments without introducing unnecessary variation.
By aligning closely with the visual and production teams, we were able to ensure that the audio remained fully integrated within the overall creative direction.
Delivering Continuity Across The Show
For us, the success of the project was defined by how well the different elements came together as a single system. The BRIT Awards 2026 demonstrated how visual and sonic design can work in parallel to create a cohesive experience across stage and screen.
As live events continue to evolve, the integration of disciplines becomes increasingly important. This project reflects a wider shift towards unified creative direction, where audio, visual and spatial design are developed together from the outset.
We are proud to have contributed to a production that delivered clarity, continuity and a strong sense of identity across one of the UK’s most high-profile live broadcasts.
