Emily Bashforth
Published March 1, 2026 5:25pm
Updated March 1, 2026 5:29pm
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The Brit Awards’ Amy Winehouse tribute left a sour taste for her goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield (Picture: Getty)
Amy Winehouse’s goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, has criticised the Brit Awards for their handling of a tribute to the late music icon in this year’s ceremony.
Last night, Grammy-winning producer Mark Ronson was honoured with the outstanding contribution award, having shaped some of the biggest songs of recent years, from Uptown Funk to the Barbie movie soundtrack.
His career initially took off, though, when he collaborated with Winehouse, as he produced her pioneering 2006 album Back to Black and she sang on his 2007 cover of Valerie.
Having reminisced on first meeting the late star as he took to the stage for his acceptance speech, Ronson, 50, also made her a big part of his performance, including their tunes and a clip of Winehouse speaking fondly of him.
However, many viewers believed a more personal touch could have been added, complaining that Bromfield, 30, was not asked to join, despite having an extensive music career of her own.
‘I feel like the #BRITs have missed an opportunity to have Dionne Bromfield pay tribute to her godmother, and sing the lead on the Amy Winehouse tribute part of Mark Ronson’s set,’ @MiichaelKing wrote on X.
Mark Ronson was honoured with the outstanding contribution to music award this year (Picture: JMEnternational/Getty Images)
He performed a medley of his hits, with Dua Lipa as a surprise guest (Picture: JMEnternational/Getty Images)
Bromfield herself responded with a shrugging emoji, later issuing a full statement.
She began: ‘I want to be clear, this was never about me being on a stage for the sake of being seen or “the look”. This is much deeper than that.
‘Since Amy’s passing, I’ve faced years of specific people within the industry and surrounding it, making it incredibly difficult for me to move forward and progress in my career.’
She continued: ‘Amy championed me musically in ways that didn’t always align with others around her, and after she passed, that was made clear, opportunities for me were blocked and doors were deliberately closed.’
Bromfield, who first came to public attention after performing on Strictly Come Dancing with Winehouse on backing vocals, further explained that the Brits wasn’t just about ‘one moment’.
‘It was another reminder of what I’ve been dealing with for many years,’ she wrote.
He credited Winehouse for his success after they first worked together 20 years ago (Picture: JMEnternational/Redferns)
‘To see so many of the people she loved musically included, while I wasn’t felt like an insult not just to me, but more importantly to Amy and her legacy.’
Bromfield concluded: ‘I’m not one to air my dirty laundry, but there’s only so much someone can take and sometimes things need to be called out.’
Her message came after one fan, @eubrunops, said Bromfield is ‘one of the people who should most be remembered in any mention of Amy’, since they share an ‘eternal bond’.
‘You would think! It definitely was NOT an oversight…’, replied the singer.
She responded to another, saying that she ‘hasn’t released music in a long time, and it hasn’t been for lack of trying. I’ll let you go figure…’
Bromfield was just 15 when Winehouse died in 2011 at age 27 from alcohol poisoning.
Singer Bromfield, who was mentored by Winehouse, said the Brits ‘insulted’ her legacy with their performance (Picture: X)
Bromfield was just 15 when Winehouse died in 2011 (Picture: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)
They were incredibly close, with Winehouse featuring in a cover her goddaughter did of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You, which she uploaded to YouTube in 2008.
The Rehab songstress was a huge supporter of the teen’s blossoming career, with Bromfield saying in a 2023 interview to mark what would’ve been her 40th birthday that she ‘gave her the motherly side that she wanted’ in an industry surrounded by adults.
‘She was really adamant on me getting singing lessons,’ Bromfield recalled, explaining how Winehouse would recommend material to her and encouraged her to attend Sylvia Young School.
Winehouse’s struggles with her mental health and addictions were well known, but Bromfield never wanted to ‘add fuel to the fire’ by ‘putting her down’ when they were together, as she knew she was ‘trying to get better’.
‘So my way of helping was by being like, if she’d been putting on weight, I’d be like, “You’ve put on nice weight today. You look really good.” Or if she’d done her hair really nice, I’d say, “Your hair looks really high today.” Just making her feel confident in herself,’ she told Glamour.
As for her legacy, she declared that there will ‘only ever be one Amy’, and she inspired others by ‘being true to herself’.
The music legend received numerous awards throughout her career, including a Brit (Picture: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)
‘I think anyone that really ever met her or watched interviews or anything like that saw that she was just an honest, authentic person. And that’s why I think probably haven’t seen anyone like that since, because it’s very rare.’
Bromfield, who dropped her debut album in 2009, has released more music since her godmother’s death, including an album in 2011. Following time away, she made a comeback with her track Girl in 2025 and released the single Green Light in January.
Winehouse herself was a highly decorated artist, with her wins including a female solo artist Brit in 2005.
On Saturday night, as the Brits moved to Manchester for the first time, Ronson made it clear that she was pivotal to his success after they first collaborated 20 years ago.
‘I realised on the way here that on Thursday, 6 March, it will be 20 years to the day that Amy Winehouse came up to my studio in New York City,’ the British-American DJ began.
Pictured here performing with Dave McCabe of The Zutons in a tribute to Winehouse, their rendition of Valerie was massively popular (Picture: Matt Kent/Redferns)
‘She came up to the steps, and she said, “I’m here to meet Mark Ronson.” And I said, “That’s me,” and she goes, “I thought you were an old guy with a beard.”
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‘Anyway, we went upstairs, and we talked for four hours, and that night we wrote Back To Black, and that day changed my life forever.’
His celebratory performance then took viewers back through the years thanks to a rendition of his 2003 hit Ooh Wee alongside Ghostface Killah.
Dua Lipa also made a surprise appearance to sing Dance The Night and her single Electricity.
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The Brit Awards have been contacted for comment.
Full list of Brit Awards 2026 winners
British Album Of The Year
Olivia Dean - The Art of Loving
Song of the Year
Sam Fender with Olivia Dean - Rein Me In
British Artist of the Year
Olivia Dean
British Group
Wolf Alice
Breakthrough Artist
Lola Young
International Artist
Rosalia
International Group
Geese
International Song
Rose and Bruno Mars – Apt
Alternative/Rock
Sam Fender
Pop
Olivia Dean
Hip-Hop, Grime and Rap
Dave
R&B
Sault
Dance
Fred Again.., Skepta, PlaqueBoyMax
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