£250,000 and a Royal Variety slot have turned Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone beer campaign into a national marketing windfall. The ITV final at London’s Eventim Apollo on 30 May saw the 32‑member Hawkstone Farmers Choir top a public vote to win Britain’s Got Talent 2026. Clarkson, who founded the choir in 2024 as part of an advertising campaign for his Hawkstone beer and cider brand, was in the audience and celebrated the victory. The prize gives the choir immediate cash, national exposure and a platform for its farming and mental‑health message.
The result hands 32 members of the Hawkstone Farmers Choir a combined prize pot and a national stage after a run that began two years ago with a marketing idea. The choir, founded in 2024 by Jeremy Clarkson as part of an advertising campaign for his Hawkstone beer and cider brand, received the £250,000 cash prize and a confirmed performance at the Royal Variety Performance in November 2026 after winning a public vote in the live final on 30 May.
Clarkson was visible among the choir’s supporters in the Eventim Apollo audience and celebrated on the night. Backers also followed the announcement from other locations, including Diddly Squat Farm. Choir leader Katrina Hawkstone told viewers the victory belonged to farmers and used the platform to urge people struggling with mental-health issues to speak up, saying, "We are the first ever choir to have won Britain’s Got Talent. This is for all the farmers out there. For anyone who’s struggling, it’s not a taboo subject, speak up!"
How the final played out
The live final featured ten acts who had progressed from five televised semi-finals. Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly introduced performances judged by Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI. The full top ten ranking announced on the night placed the Hawkstone Farmers Choir first and drone artists Celestial second. Dog act Anastasiia and Salsa finished third, singer Matty Juniosa fourth, magician Rafferty Coope fifth and poet Sonny Green sixth.
Following those six came comedian Ted Hill, dance group Sadeck Berrabah and LMA, magician Fabian Fox and fire juggler Liwei Yang. Judges used five golden buzzers across the series and five other final places were decided by public votes in the semi-finals.
Reports on the night said the final was decided by public voting and that the programme attracted strong viewer engagement.
Public reaction was mixed during the announcement sequence. Audience members booed when dance group LMA and singer Matty Juniosa didn't reach the top three, and viewers debated the performances on social platforms after the result. The evening therefore combined mainstream popularity for a heartland-themed act with the occasional flashpoint of vocal discontent from the live crowd.
What the win delivers
Concretely, the choir will receive the £250,000 prize payout and a Royal Variety booking in November 2026. Those are immediate, tangible outcomes: a cash distribution among the 32 named members and a high-profile live performance watched by a national audience and attended by senior figures in entertainment. For a group rooted in a farming brand, the twin prize and booking amplify both the choir’s message and the promotional reach of the Hawkstone name.
That exposure matters in two ways. First, it gives the choir a platform to press themes it raised on the show, notably support for farmers and mental-health awareness. Katrina Hawkstone’s appeal to farming communities will now play to a larger audience than pre-show appearances allowed. Second, the win extends promotional value for the Hawkstone beer and cider brand that spawned the choir. The sequence from brand campaign to national entertainment success is a clear example of marketing that translated into mainstream traction.
For Jeremy Clarkson, a visible backer from the start, the outcome is both reputational and practical. He founded the choir as part of an advertising campaign in 2024.
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The Hawkstone Farmers Choir will perform at the Royal Variety Performance in November 2026, extending a national platform for its farming and mental-health campaign.
This article was created with AI assistance.
