Smashed it: Alastair Webber, Nile Rodgers and BRIT School pupils on stage at the Palladium last month. Pic: Niamh Grace
Global music and entertainment company The Other Songs raised £400,000 at their all-star concert staged at the Palladium last month in support of the BRIT School.
The Other Songs Live featured a host of world-class songwriters and musicians take to the Palladium stage alongside BRIT School pupils to create “an unforgettable show”.
The line-up, which was kept under wraps right until curtain up, included Nile Rodgers, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cathy Dennis, Justin Tranter, Zach Nahome, with BRIT alumni Selorm Adonu and Cush Jumbo along with surprise performances from fellow alumnus, Rex Orange County, and Sam Ryder.
As part of The Other Songs’ pledge to support arts education, the company – founded by brothers Alastair and Billy Webber – used the platform to champion The BRIT School, with funds jointly raised through ticket sales, sponsorship and donations going to The BRIT School’s work in educating more than 1,400 young artists every year.
Opened in Selhurst in 1991 with the support of the British recorded music industry through The Brit Trust and the British Phonographic Industry, the BRIT School’s former pupils reads like a Who’s Who of award-winning musicians and performers of the 21st Century, including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Tom Holland, Jessie J, Leona Lewis, Raye, founding members of The Kooks, as well as FKA twigs, Loyle Carner and Ella Eyre.
Collectively, pupils of the BRIT School have gone on to win 15 Brit Awards, 19 Grammys, and two Oscars, including most recently three winners at the 2026 Grammys in Los Angeles.
At this year’s BRIT Awards in Manchester, former pupil Olivia Dean was named Artist of the Year, winning Album of the Year with The Art of Loving, and (with Sam Fender) taking Song of the Year for “Rein Me In” (a category in which Dean was also nominated for her own “Man I Need”).
When Dean was named Pop Act of the Year, she was one of three BRIT School alumni – together with Lola Young and Raye – on the five-strong shortlist for that category.
Dean, Raye and Young’s old school remains completely free to attend. “Its mission is to train and educate young people for future careers in the booming creative industries,” a spokesperson for the school said.
The BRIT School has 1,450 pupils, aged 14 to 19, whose creative arts specialisms are underpinned by “a robust academic programme” of GCSEs, vocational qualifications and A levels. The school was rated “Outstanding” in all five categories at its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024.
On a mission: from left, Stuart Worden, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Josh Berger and Billy Webber at The Other Songs Live fund-raising concert at the Palladium last month
But the BRIT needs to raise an extra £2,300 for every pupil every year – £3.4million in total – in addition to any government funding received. So all money raised at The Other Songs Live helps to ensure that access to the world-class creative education remains free to all, nurturing the pipeline of diverse talent for the country’s creative industries.
The Other Songs used this year’s event to raise awareness around the destruction of arts education funding by multiple governments, and they said that they “were pleased to welcome MPs and government representatives to this event to see first-hand the impact of free arts education”.
For The BRIT School, the event showcased the diverse training on offer, from digital arts to costume and musical theatre to backstage production. With former pupils including actor Archie Madekwe and radio broadcaster DJ Ace in attendance, the show was a chance to celebrate the impact of the school on creative industries.
“I am so proud of what we achieved on this special night with The BRIT School,” said Alastair Webber, the CEO of The Other Songs.
“The positive impact will be felt for years but was never just about one night at The London Palladium, it was about kick-starting a national movement around free access to arts education. Every child in this country deserves the chance to discover their creative voice, regardless of their background. The Other Songs won’t stop until that is fact.”
Stuart Worden, the Principal of the BRIT School, said: “The BRIT School is an adventurous playground where young artists can feel safe, be valued and be encouraged to make brave and innovative art. The funds raised through this incredible event – a true collaboration between The Other Songs and the BRIT School – will help the next generation of artists train and go on to change the world with their beautiful creativity.” –
The Other Songs is an independent music and entertainment company, founded in 2018 by brothers Alastair and Billy Webber.
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