‘The world misses him’: Tim Burgess remembers Stone Roses’ Mani ahead of Brits

Tim Burgess has remembered his friend Gary “Mani” Mounfield, saying “the world misses him”, as stars arrived on the red carpet ahead of the Brit Awards 2026.

Mounfield, who was an original member of Manchester rock band The Stone Roses, died at the age of 63 in November 2025.

Burgess, best known as the frontman of The Charlatans, will pay tribute to Mounfield during the In Memoriam section of the awards ceremony.

Speaking to the Press Association on the red carpet, the 58-year-old musician said: “When I was asked (to pay tribute to Mounfield), it was obviously an honour.

“The world misses him, and the shockwaves seem to continue.

“And then the realisation of just how much The Stone Roses meant to everybody.”

He added: “I won’t be saying anything more than people already know, but I’ll just be reaffirming it on this stage.”

Burgess also reflected on the awards ceremony being held in Manchester for the first time, after nearly 50 years in London.

He said: “I think it’s cool to not be in London, because music is kind of everywhere.

“There’s been amazing bands from Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, amazing bands from Liverpool, Manchester. It’s great.”

Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder was also among the stars who paid tribute to Mounfield on the red carpet, and told PA: “Mani was a beautiful human being, an absolutely beautiful human being.

“Never mind being a genius bass player, he was just a really beautiful person. I’ve never seen him be unkind to anybody.”

The singer, from Greater Manchester, also said he thinks it is “brilliant” that the award ceremony is being held in the North West for the first time.

Artists including Tallia Storm and US singers Alex Warren and Ashley Roberts were also among the early arrivals on the red carpet at Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena.

The highly anticipated Brit Awards ceremony will include a performance from former One Direction star Harry Styles, while singers Lola Young and Olivia Dean lead the award nominations with five each.

Styles will perform music from his upcoming fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, which is due for release on March 6.

It comes three years after his last performance on the Brits stage at the awards in 2023, which saw him take home four gongs following the release of his album Harry’s House.

Dean, 26, is nominated for artist and album of the year, pop act, and has two chances at winning song of the year for Man I Need and Rein Me In, the latter thanks to a guest spot with Sam Fender.

Young, 25, is up for best pop act, artist of the year, breakthrough act, best alternative and rock act and best song.

Elsewhere, Britpop band Pulp have scored their first nomination in 30 years, in the best group category, while last year’s Mercury Prize winner Fender has four nominations.

Lily Allen, whose album West End Girl caused a stir when it was released last year, is nominated in three categories – for best album, artist of the year, and pop act.

Singer-songwriter Warren’s Ordinary is competing with US pop stars including Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter in the international song of the year category.

Also among the musical names performing at the show are Dean and singer-songwriter Raye as well as rock band Wolf Alice, Mark Ronson and American singer-songwriter Sombr, whose real name is Shane Boose.

Advance winners already announced include Oasis’s Noel Gallagher, who will be named songwriter of the year, while record producer and DJ Ronson will be honoured with the outstanding contribution to music award.

Singer-songwriter PinkPantheress, whose real name is Victoria Walker, is the recipient of this year’s producer of the year award.

The 24-year-old is the first woman and youngest ever artist to win the accolade, according to the Brit Awards.

The ceremony will be hosted by comedian and actor Jack Whitehall and will be broadcast on ITV and ITVX at 8.15pm.