Harry Styles and Wet Leg lead the nominations for this year's Brit Awards, with four each, including nods for the coveted best album award, the BBC reports. A year after the Brit awards abandoned the gendered categories, the nominations for the replacement artist of the year prize are entirely male, comprising Central Cee, Stormzy, Fred Again, George Ezra, and Harry Styles, the media ephasize.
Adele won the top three prizes at the BRIT Awards on Tuesday - song of the year for her chart-topping single 'Easy on Me', album of the year for her comeback album '30', and artist of the year, a now genderless category in which rappers Little Simz and Dave, as well as singers Ed Sheeran and Sam Fender, were also nominated. Rock band Wolf Alice took best group, rapper Little Simz was named best new artist, Ed Sheeran was named songwriter of the year, while Dave was named best hip-hop/grime/rap act. Check out all the winners here.
Dua Lipa was named a double winner at the Brit Awards - she took home the British female solo artist and album of the year titles. Little Mix became the first all-female band to win best British group, Harry Styles took best British single for his song 'Watermelon Sugar', while J Hus received best British male solo artist. Female singer-songwriters Arlo Parks and Griff took home the British breakthrough artist and rising star awards respectively. The Weeknd won the international male solo artist prize, Billie Eilish was named international female solo artist winner, while Haim were dubbed best international group. The BRITs 2021 served as a government COVID pilot event, meaning that a scaled-back live audience – largely made up of NHS and key workers – witnessed this evening’s performances and acceptance speeches in person without the need to wear masks or social distance. NME reported from the event.
At the Brit Awards on Tuesday, Taylor Swift is to become the first female winner of the Global Icon award, CNN reports. She will also become the first non-British recipient of the prize, which the Brits characterise as their highest honour. Only three other artists have been named Brits Icons - Sir Elton John, David Bowie and Robbie Williams.
4,000 people will be allowed to the Brit awards in London next month to enjoy the show and - take part in a government-led research programme into how crowds can safely return to mass-participation events, Sky News reports. Audience members will not have to wear masks or socially distance, but they will, however, have to have proof of a negative Covid test. After the performances by Dua Lipa, Headie One, and Arlo Parks, the audience will have to take a Covid test.
Dua Lipa, Arlo Parks, Celeste, Joel Corry and Young T & Bugsey lead Brit Awards 2021 nominations with three noms apiece. The British album category also features four out of five female nominees for the first time in Brits history, with the aforementioned women joined by Jessie Ware and J Hus. Also, more than half the nominees in key categories are non-white, making the most diverse nominations in the event's history, as Sky emphasizes. Alexis Petridis points out that - "by recognising UK rap and women’s creativity, the Brits are finally in tune".
"His improvised condemnation of Boris Johnson as a “real racist”, commentary on Windrush, reparations, Grenfell and tribute to London Bridge victims Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones made the moment a landmark for the music of black Britain" - Kehinde Andrews, professor of black studies, wrote in the Guardian about Dave's performance at the Brits Awards, adding - "respect to all of the artists empowering a new generation of black people emerging from Britain: this is only the beginning of the next stage of the struggle".
Lewis Capaldi was the big winner at last night's Brit Awards picking up statues in Best new artist and Best song categories ('Someone You Love'). Dave won the No. 1 award, the Best album category, for 'Psychodrama', Mabel was awarded Best female award (30 years to the day her mother Neneh Cherry won her very own trophies), Stormzy got the Best male, and the Foals Best British group awards. Billie Eilish won in the International female category, with Tyler, the Creator wining in the International male category. Rising star award went to Celeste. Independent points out to Dave's political statement at the Brits - called out UK prime minister "racist", and lack of women, nominated or awarded.
The harsh reality is that the pool of female talent is smaller because the record industry is terrible at nurturing female artists. Of the 193 albums submitted for consideration for this year's best album prize, only 35 were by women. Just 19% of the artists signed to record labels in the UK being women. Why is that? "Anecdotally, I've heard that labels are not too keen on signing and developing female talent because it costs more," says Rhian Jones, a contributing editor to Music Business Worldwide. "There's stylists, there's make-up artists and the shows tend to be bigger productions. Whereas Lewis Capaldi can just get a guitar out, put a t-shirt on and everyone loves it."
Dave and Lewis Capaldi are the most nominated artists at Brit Awards this year, with four nominations each. Grime star Stormzy has three nominations, as well as 23-year old Mabel, being the most-nominated female artist this year.
