Myles Smith has reflected on being named the BRITs Rising Star winner for 2025, and explained why he wants to push himself to become more honest in his music. Read the interview below or watch the video above.
The Luton singer-songwriter was named the recipient of the Rising Star award ahead of the ceremony at London’s O2 on Saturday night (March 1) – joining an alumni of winners including Adele, Sam Smith and The Last Dinner Party.
“For me [this award] has always felt like a nod in the right direction,” he told NME. “Being so early in my career and having that reassurance has been amazing. It’s been 15 years since I started playing music, so it’s been a long time of trying to understand myself, my artistry, what I want to say and how I want to say it.”
He continued: “It’s about speaking from an honest place and a place of authenticity. Trying to share real stories and real feelings and real emotions in my music, because it’s so easy to hide behind being an artist.
“It’s easy to hide behind the mystique of it all, but actually speaking from the heart and putting that into records to share with the world? It’s been a challenge that I’ve tried to set for myself.”
Smith also revealed that he is using his time on the road to get started on new demos, and trying to avoid any feelings of pressure since winning the prestigious award.
“I never feel pressure, and the reason is because what I get to do is such a privilege,” he explained. “So to think of it as something that is my god-divine right is never how I’ll see it. I’m privileged to do what I do and, however long it lasts, I’ll enjoy it every step of the way.”
At the BRITs ceremony, Smith used his acceptance speech to call for more artist support from the UK government. “While I have the attention of the nation, and this award which gives me this really cool speaking power, I want to ask three questions,” he began.
“My first is to the government – if British music is one of the most powerful cultural exports we have, why have we treated it like an afterthought for so many years? How many more venues need to close, how many music programmes need to be cut before we realise that we can’t just celebrate success, we have to protect the foundations that make it?”
He went on to encourage arena-size venues to do more to help support grassroots music spaces, and encourage music executives to take further action to help nurture artists throughout their career.
Check out the full list of winners from the 2025 BRITs here.