Mastercard puts small businesses and next generation of talent at the heart of its 2026 BRIT Awards sponsorship

17 February 2026 | Manchester: As the BRIT Awards land in Manchester at the end of the month, headline sponsor Mastercard is spotlighting the city’s legendary record shops and bringing its Mic Drop Talks school-outreach campaign to local children in a city-wide celebration of music, small businesses and the next generation of creative talent.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the BRIT Awards to Manchester. At Mastercard, we connect people to their passions. That’s why we sponsor the BRIT Awards, the biggest night in music in the UK. And that’s why we want everyone to be able to join in — from independent record stores which play a key role in nurturing new music talent and epitomise the creativity, grit and resilience of the UK’s small business community — to local school children who dream of pursuing a career in the creative arts,” said Charlie Carrington, SVP, Marketing and Communications at Mastercard.

From February 23 to March 15, customers who make a purchase with their Mastercard in participating record stores, including Piccadilly Records, Eastern Block, Vinyl Revival and Vinyl Exchange, will be able to enter a prize draw to win 24 Mastercard pre-paid cards worth £250 to spend back in store.

This is Mastercard’s second initiative in six months celebrating Manchester’s small business community. In October, the company partnered with Mary “Queen of Shops” Portas to host a pop-up market in the city’s NOMA district, showcasing a range of innovative, community-minded businesses.

“Ninety-five per cent of creative businesses in the UK — including record stores — are small enterprises employing fewer than ten people. These businesses are vital to the cultural and economic fabric of our communities and we’re proud to amplify the work they’re doing as the BRIT Awards come to their city,” said Simon Forbes, Divisional President, UK and Ireland, at Mastercard.

In addition, from February 9 to March 20, Mastercard will be running its Manchester Legends campaign, hosting career talks for Manchester school children at the Adidas x Abbey Road Recording Studio, inside the Co-op Live Arena. Mastercard is partnering with schools from across Greater Manchester for these sessions, working with  City Year UK for the second year.

The initiative is designed to inspire the next generation of young creatives, with the sessions’ goal to spark passion for music and highlight the many career paths within the creative industries.

Hosted by Saskia Marriott and Katie Thistleton, Mic Drops will give children the chance to attend workshops with:

●       Paulette Constable, House music DJ and radio host

●       Jim Spencer, Music producer, mixer, sound engineer and musician

●       Kevin Cummins, Photographer

●       Millie May Forrest, Campaign Manager at Co-op Live

The initiative launches as new research commissioned by Mastercard reveals significant gaps in access for young people looking to break into music and the wider creative industries, highlighting a lack of clear routes into the sector (51%), as well as disparities in access to opportunities based on income (65%), education (45%) and region (43%). The research also shows that 20% of people aged 14–18 have never experienced live music, rising to nearly a quarter (23%) in Manchester, and that over half (55%) don’t feel they know how to pursue a career in music due to limited exposure and awareness of opportunities.

“Manchester has always been such an important city for music, and being part of these sessions with Mastercard has been really special,” said Paulette Constable, House Music DJ. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to differentiate between the nos, not all of them actually mean no. Sometimes it’s not now, not tonight, not this week. That doesn’t mean stop. It’s important young people don’t pigeonhole themselves into what they think is possible either. The creative industries aren’t one straight path, there are so many ways in. Stay curious, back yourself and keep going”.

The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard will take place on Saturday February 28 at Manchester’s Co-op Live and will be broadcast live on ITV and ITVX