Brit Awards

The BRIT Awards
Brit Awards 2022
The entrance to Earls Court in London on the evening of Brit Awards 2008
Country	United Kingdom
Presented by	British Phonographic Industry (BPI)
First awarded	18 October 1977 (1977-10-18) (as The British Record Industry Britannia Awards)
Official website	<strong%20class= "error"><span%20class="scribunto-error"%20id="mw-scribunto-error-1">Lua%20error%20in%20Module:Wd%20at%20line%20405:%20invalid%20escape%20sequence%20near%20'"^'. http://<strong%20class="error"><span%20class="scribunto-error"%20id="mw-scribunto-error-1">Lua%20error%20in%20Module:Wd%20at%20line%20405:%20invalid%20escape%20sequence%20near%20'"^'.
Television/Radio coverage
Network	Thames Television (1977) BBC One (1985–1992) ITV (1993–present)

File:BRIT Awards 2020 Red Carpet.jpg

Exterior of the O₂ Arena in London (host venue since 2011) for the 2020 Brit Awards

The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored by Britannia Music Club), but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trusts Show. In addition, an equivalent awards ceremony for classical music, called the Classic BRIT Awards, is held in May. The awards were first held in 1977 and originated as an annual event in 1982 under the auspices of the British record industry's trade association, the BPI. In 1989, they were renamed The BRIT Awards. Mastercard has been the long-term sponsor of the event.

The highest profile music awards ceremony in the UK, the BRIT Awards have featured some of the most notable events in British popular culture, such as the final public appearance of Freddie Mercury, the Jarvis Cocker protest against Michael Jackson, the height of a high-profile feud between Oasis and fellow Britpop band Blur, the Union Jack dress worn by Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls, and a Chumbawamba member throwing a bucket of iced water over then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. These moments took place in the 1990s when the ceremony had a reputation for being “a little shambolic, unpredictable and, at times, anarchic” with a criticism it has lost its edge since then and “evolved into a more polished, sanitised affair.”

The BRIT Awards were broadcast live until 1989, when Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood hosted a widely criticised show in which little went as rehearsed. From 1990 to 2006, the event was recorded and broadcast the following night. From 2007, The BRIT Awards reverted to a live broadcast on British television, on 14 February on ITV. That year, comedian Russell Brand was the host and three awards were dropped from the ceremony: British Rock Act, British Urban Act and British Pop Act. For the last time, on 16 February 2010, the venue for The BRITs was the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London. The BRIT Awards were held at the O₂ Arena in London for the first time in 2011.

The BRIT Award statuette given to the winners features Britannia, the female personification of Britain. Since 2011, the statuette has been regularly redesigned by some of the best known British designers, stylists and artists, including Vivienne Westwood, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Peter Blake, Zaha Hadid, Anish Kapoor and David Adjaye. In 1992, KLF opened the show and invited extreme metal band Extreme Noise Terror on stage, complete with flame-throwers, and fired machine gun blanks over the crowd. The group sent a dead sheep to the aftershow party, and later buried their BRIT Award statuette at Stonehenge signifying their abhorrence of the music industry. Robbie Williams holds the record for the most BRIT Awards, 13 as a solo artist and another five as part of Take That. Girl group Little Mix made history at the 2021 Brit Awards, when they became the first female group to receive the award for Best Group at the ceremony after 43 years since it was first introduced.

Ceremonies

See also: List of Brit Awards ceremonies

Most recent Brit Award winners

8 February 2022

File:Adele for Vogue in 2021.png File:Wolf Alice, Hyde Park, London (47825544321).jpg File:Little Simz Performing.jpg Award British Artist of the Year British Group Best New Artist Winner Adele Wolf Alice Little Simz   File:Adele for Vogue in 2021.png File:Adele for Vogue in 2021.png File:Holly Humberstone @ The Roxy 10 06 2021 (51782666067) (cropped).jpg Award British Album of the Year British Single of the Year Rising Star Winner Adele (30) Adele ("Easy on Me") Holly Humberstone

The first awards ceremony was in 1977, as "The BRITish Record Industry BRITannia Awards", to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee and was televised by Thames Television. There has been an annual ceremony since 1982.

The 1988 BPI Awards was the first of the ceremonies to be broadcast on live television. The BBC had previously broadcast the ceremony from 1985, with the shows from 1982 to 1984 not broadcast on television. The BBC continued to broadcast the renamed BRIT Awards, live in 1989 and pre-recorded from 1990 to 1992. ITV have broadcast the awards since 1993, pre-recorded until 2006 and live from 2007 onwards. BBC Radio 1 has provided backstage radio coverage since 2008.

Since 2014, ITV have aired a launch show in January titled The BRITs Are Coming, which reveals some of the artists who have been nominated at the upcoming ceremony. The first host was Nick Grimshaw, followed by Reggie Yates (2015) and Laura Whitmore in 2016. Emma Willis hosted The BRITs Are Coming in 2017 and again in 2018 when it was broadcast live for the first time. Clara Amfo hosted the 2019 launch show and Alice Levine hosted in 2020. Amfo later returned and was joined by Maya Jama as co-host in December 2021.

List of ceremonies

BPI Awards

The first ceremony in 1977 was broadcast by Thames Television. Ceremonies were not held from 1978 to 1981, and at first were not televised after resuming in 1982.

Event	Date	British Album of the Year winner(s)	British Single of the Year winner(s)	Outstanding Contribution to Music / BRITs Icon winner(s)	Host	Venue
Brit Awards 1977	18 October 1977	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles	"Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen "A Whiter Shade of Pale" – Procol Harum	The Beatles	Michael Aspel	Wembley Conference Centre
Brit Awards 1982	4 February 1982	Kings of the Wild Frontier – Adam & the Ants	"Tainted Love" – Soft Cell	John Lennon	David Jacobs	Grosvenor House Hotel
Brit Awards 1983	8 February 1983	Memories – Barbra Streisand	"Come on Eileen" – Dexys Midnight Runners	The Beatles	Tim Rice
Brit Awards 1984	21 February 1984	Thriller – Michael Jackson	"Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club	George Martin
Brit Awards 1985	11 February 1985	Diamond Life – Sade	"Relax" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood	The Police	Noel Edmonds
Brit Awards 1986	10 February 1986	No Jacket Required – Phil Collins	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" – Tears for Fears	Elton John Wham!
Brit Awards 1987	9 February 1987	Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits	"West End Girls" – Pet Shop Boys	Eric Clapton	Jonathan King
Brit Awards 1988	8 February 1988	...Nothing Like the Sun – Sting	"Never Gonna Give You Up" – Rick Astley	The Who	Noel Edmonds	Royal Albert Hall

BRITs

From 1989 to 1992, the ceremonies were broadcast on the BBC. Since 1993, they have been broadcast on ITV.

Event	Date	British Album of the Year winner(s)	British Single of the Year winner(s)	Outstanding Contribution to Music / BRITs Icon winner(s)	Host(s)	Venue
Brit Awards 1989	13 February 1989	The First of a Million Kisses – Fairground Attraction	"Perfect" – Fairground Attraction	Cliff Richard	Samantha Fox Mick Fleetwood	Royal Albert Hall
Brit Awards 1990	18 February 1990	The Raw and the Cooked – Fine Young Cannibals	"Another Day in Paradise" – Phil Collins	Queen	Cathy McGowan	Dominion Theatre
Brit Awards 1991	10 February 1991	Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – George Michael	"Enjoy the Silence" – Depeche Mode	Status Quo	Simon Bates (voice over only)
Brit Awards 1992	12 February 1992	Seal – Seal	"These Are the Days of Our Lives" – Queen	Freddie Mercury		Hammersmith Odeon
Brit Awards 1993	16 February 1993	Diva – Annie Lennox	"Could It Be Magic" – Take That	Rod Stewart	Richard O'Brien	Alexandra Palace
Brit Awards 1994	14 February 1994	Connected – Stereo MC's	"Pray" – Take That	Van Morrison	Elton John RuPaul
Brit Awards 1995	20 February 1995	Parklife – Blur	"Parklife" – Blur ft. Phil Daniels	Elton John	Chris Evans
Brit Awards 1996	19 February 1996	(What's the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis	"Back for Good" – Take That	David Bowie		Earls Court
Brit Awards 1997	24 February 1997	Everything Must Go – Manic Street Preachers	"Wannabe" – Spice Girls	Bee Gees	Ben Elton
Brit Awards 1998	9 February 1998	Urban Hymns – The Verve	"Never Ever" – All Saints	Fleetwood Mac		London Arena
Brit Awards 1999	16 February 1999	This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours – Manic Street Preachers	"Angels" – Robbie Williams	Eurythmics	Johnny Vaughan
Brit Awards 2000	3 March 2000	The Man Who – Travis	"She's the One" – Robbie Williams	Spice Girls	Davina McCall	Earls Court Two
Brit Awards 2001	26 February 2001	Parachutes – Coldplay	"Rock DJ" – Robbie Williams	U2	Ant & Dec
Brit Awards 2002	20 February 2002	No Angel – Dido	"Don't Stop Movin'" – S Club 7	Sting	Frank Skinner Zoe Ball
Brit Awards 2003	20 February 2003	A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay	"Just a Little" – Liberty X	Tom Jones	Davina McCall
Brit Awards 2004	17 February 2004	Permission to Land – The Darkness	"White Flag" – Dido	Duran Duran	Cat Deeley
Brit Awards 2005	9 February 2005	Hopes and Fears – Keane	"Your Game" – Will Young	Bob Geldof	Chris Evans
Brit Awards 2006	14 February 2006	X&Y – Coldplay	"Speed of Sound" – Coldplay	Paul Weller		Earls Court
Brit Awards 2007	15 February 2007	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not – Arctic Monkeys	"Patience" – Take That	Oasis	Russell Brand
Brit Awards 2008	9 February 2008	Favourite Worst Nightmare – Arctic Monkeys	"Shine" – Take That	Paul McCartney	The Osbournes
Brit Awards 2009	18 February 2009	Rockferry – Duffy	"The Promise" – Girls Aloud	Pet Shop Boys	Kylie Minogue James Corden Mathew Horne
Brit Awards 2010	16 February 2010	Lungs – Florence and the Machine	"Beat Again" – JLS	Robbie Williams	Peter Kay
Brit Awards 2011	15 February 2011	Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons	"Pass Out" – Tinie Tempah ft. Labrinth		James Corden	The O2 Arena
Brit Awards 2012	21 February 2012	21 – Adele	"What Makes You Beautiful" – One Direction	Blur
Brit Awards 2013	February 20, 2013	Our Version of Events – Emeli Sandé	"Skyfall" – Adele
Brit Awards 2014	19 February 2014	AM – Arctic Monkeys	"Waiting All Night" – Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre	Elton John
Brit Awards 2015	25 February 2015	X – Ed Sheeran	"Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars		Ant & Dec
Brit Awards 2016	24 February 2016	25 – Adele	"Hello" – Adele	David Bowie
Brit Awards 2017	22 February 2017	Blackstar – David Bowie	"Shout Out to My Ex" – Little Mix	Robbie Williams	Dermot O'Leary Emma Willis
Brit Awards 2018	21 February 2018	Gang Signs & Prayer – Stormzy	"Human" – Rag'n'Bone Man		Jack Whitehall
Brit Awards 2019	20 February 2019	A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships – The 1975	"One Kiss" – Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa	P!nk
Brit Awards 2020	18 February 2020	Psychodrama – Dave	"Someone You Loved" – Lewis Capaldi
Brit Awards 2021	11 May 2021	Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa	"Watermelon Sugar" – Harry Styles	Taylor Swift
Brit Awards 2022	8 February 2022	30 – Adele	"Easy on Me" – Adele		Mo Gilligan Maya Jama

Notes

Notable moments

Electricians' strike (1987)

In 1987 the BPI Awards ceremony was held in the Great Room at the Grosvenor House Hotel. At the time there was a BBC electricians' strike in effect, and the organisers decided to use a non-TV events production company, called Upfront, to manage the show. Despite the show being picketed, the event was transmitted as intended. For a while, the outdoor broadcast scanner was rocked on its wheels by the protesters and they managed to shut off the power to one of the big GE video screen projectors. Upfront was then asked to organise the following year and persuaded the BPI to move the event to a larger venue, starting the trend that continues to this day, albeit at The O2, and with a different production company (MJK Productions).

Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood (1989)

File:Boy George and Andy Bell.jpg

Boy George and Andy Bell of Erasure (pictured in 2011) kissed on stage at the 1989 Brit Awards to cheers from the crowd.

In 1989, the ceremony was broadcast live and presented by Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood and singer Samantha Fox. The inexperience of the hosts, an ineffective autocue, and little preparation combined to create an unprofessional show that was poorly received. The hosts continually got their lines mixed up, a pre-recorded message from Michael Jackson was never transmitted and several guest stars arrived late on stage or at the wrong time, such as Boy George in place of The Four Tops.

Andy Bell and Boy George embrace (1989)

In accepting the award for Best British Group from Boy George at the 1989 awards, Andy Bell of Erasure kissed George on stage to cheers from the crowd, with Bell stating it was an act in protest against Section 28 introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government that prohibited the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools.

Freddie Mercury's final public appearance (1990)

The 1990 awards ceremony saw the last public appearance of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. Queen appeared at the ceremony to receive the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Mercury (who had been suffering from AIDS since 1987 but had not disclosed it to the public) did not make a speech, as Brian May did the talking on behalf of the other members, but his gaunt appearance was noticeable.

The KLF (1992)

In 1992, dance/art band The KLF was awarded Best British Group (shared with Simply Red) and were booked to open the show. In an attempt to hijack the event, the duo collaborated with grindcore metal band Extreme Noise Terror to perform a death metal version of the dance song "3 a.m. Eternal", a performance that prompted conductor Sir Georg Solti to walk out in disgust. The performance ended with Bill Drummond firing blanks from a vintage machine gun over the audience and KLF publicist/announcer Scott Piering stating "Ladies and gentlemen, The KLF have now left the music business". Producers of the show then refused to let a motorcycle courier collect the award on behalf of the band. Later that evening, the KLF dumped a dead sheep outside the venue of an after-show party, whilst their Brit Award was reportedly found buried in a field near Stonehenge in 1993.

Michael Jackson and Jarvis Cocker (1996)

In 1996, Michael Jackson was given a special Artist of a Generation award. At the ceremony he accompanied his single "Earth Song" with a stage show, culminating with Jackson as a 'Christ-like figure' surrounded by children. Jarvis Cocker, of the band Pulp, mounted the stage in what he would later claim as a protest at this portion of the performance. Cocker ran across the stage, lifting his shirt and pointing his (clothed) backside in Jackson's direction. Cocker was subsequently questioned by the police but was told he would not be prosecuted.

Regarding his actions, Cocker said, "My actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing. I just ran on the stage. I didn't make any contact with anyone as far as I recall."

Oasis and Blur rivalry (1996)

1996 saw the height of a well-documented feud between Oasis and fellow Britpop band Blur. The differing styles of the bands, coupled with their prominence within the Britpop movement, led the British media to seize upon the rivalry between the bands. Both factions played along, with the Gallaghers taunting Blur at the 1996 BRIT Awards by singing a rendition of "Parklife" when they collected their award for Best British Group (with Liam changing the lyrics to "Shite-life" and Noel changing them to "Marmite").

Chumbawamba and John Prescott (1998)

"There's no denying they're a lot slicker, a lot tamer now than they were in their '80s and '90s heyday. Will we ever see another stage invasion, a politician getting a soaking, or one of the country's biggest stars offering another out for a fight? Probably not."

—Gemma Peplow, entertainment reporter for Sky News, Brit Awards 2021: From Geri to Jarvis - the biggest moments in show's history.

In 1998, Danbert Nobacon of the politically active band Chumbawamba threw a bucket of iced water over then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Despite apologies on behalf of the band from EMI Europe, Chumbawamba were unrepentant, saying, "If John Prescott has the nerve to turn up at events like the Brit Awards in a vain attempt to make Labour seem cool and trendy, then he deserves all we can throw at him."

Russell Brand (2007)

Some controversy was caused by the host of the 2007 awards ceremony, comedian Russell Brand, who made several quips relating to news stories of the time including Robbie Williams entering rehab for addiction to prescription drugs, the Queen's 'naughty bits' and a fatal friendly fire incident involving a British soldier killed by American armed forces in Iraq. ITV received over 300 complaint calls from viewers. He would again instigate controversy the following year at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.

Adele speech cut short (2012)

Adele won the award for British Album of the Year, widely regarded as the most important award. Less than half a minute into her acceptance speech, host James Corden was forced to cut Adele off in order to introduce Blur who were due to perform an eleven-minute set as they had won the Outstanding Contribution to Music award and the ceremony was running over its allotted time. Adele was visibly annoyed and proceeded to raise her middle finger and the producers of the show came under fire on Twitter for the decision. Following the incident Adele said "I got cut off during my speech for Best Album and I flung the middle finger. But that finger was to the suits at The BRIT Awards, not to my fans". Adele received an apology from the show's organisers, who stated; "We send our deepest apologies to Adele that her big moment was cut short. We don't want this to undermine her incredible achievement in winning our night's biggest award. It tops off what's been an incredible year for her." Due to the tight schedule, only three of the five songs Blur played were broadcast on ITV.

David Bowie enters Scottish independence debate (2014)

At 67 years of age, the influential musician David Bowie became the oldest recipient to date of the Best British Male Solo Artist Award. Bowie used his acceptance speech, delivered in his absence by Kate Moss, to urge Scotland to remain part of the UK in the September 2014 Scottish independence referendum. His speech read: "I'm completely delighted to have a Brit for being the best male – but I am, aren't I Kate? Yes. I think it's a great way to end the day. Thank you very, very much and Scotland stay with us." Bowie's unusual intervention in British politics garnered a significant reaction throughout the UK on social media.

Notable performances

Spice Girls' performance of "Wannabe" and "Who Do You Think You Are" (1997)

Ginger Spice, Geri Halliwell, wore a Union Jack dress. Spicemania was at its height in the UK and the Spice Girls had just cracked the US as well, reaching number 1 with their debut single and album. Halliwell was originally going to wear an all-black dress, but she thought it was too boring so her sister sewed on a Union Jack tea towel, with a 'peace' sign on the back. The now iconic red, white and blue mini-dress was worn during the Spice Girls' performance of their number one song "Who Do You Think You Are". In 1998 she sold her dress in a charity auction to Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas for a record £41,320, giving Halliwell the Guinness World Record for the most expensive piece of pop star clothing ever sold. This performance won the Spice Girls the award for "BRITs Hits 30 – Best Live Performance at The BRIT Awards" at the 2010 BRIT Awards, with Samantha Fox presenting the award to Geri Halliwell and Mel B.

Geri Halliwell's performance of "Bag It Up" (2000)

Three years following the iconic Spice Girls performance, Halliwell, now a solo artist, performed her new single "Bag It Up" at the 2000 BRIT Awards. The performance featured Halliwell emerging, whilst dancing on with a pole, from a pair of large inflatable female legs. As the performance continued, her male backing dancers stripped to their pink briefs whilst dancing with the Union Jack flag. It is widely believed that Halliwell lip-synced her performance. In addition to all this, the performance is famous for being performed on the same night that the Spice Girls received the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, which Halliwell declined to accept with her former bandmates.

Gorillaz's performance of "Clint Eastwood" (2002)

When it was announced that past Brit Award recipient Damon Albarn, and his project Gorillaz, would be taking the stage at the 2002 Brit Awards, no one knew what to expect. The four cartoon members of the band performed the song on giant life size screens (an early version of a 3D hologram) without the Blur frontman being present at all. The band performed their hit single "Clint Eastwood" alongside UK underground rap group Phi Life Cypher and a group of silhouetted female dancers mimicking the zombies from the band's music video. The performance received rapturous cheers and applause.

Girls Aloud's performance of "The Promise" (2009)

English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud marked their first ever performance at the 2009 ceremony, by performing their single "The Promise". The performance saw the members, Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle appear as though they were naked, with their modesty being covered by pink feather fans. This performance was nominated in the 2010 ceremony for the "BRITs Hits 30 – Best Live Performance at The BRIT Awards", alongside Oasis and The Who, which the Spice Girls eventually went on to win.

Adele's performance of "Someone like You" (2011)

Adele performed her song "Someone like You" at the 2011 BRITs with only a piano accompanying her. Her emotional performance was received with a standing ovation at the O2 Arena and the video has received 187 million views so far on YouTube. The performance launched "Someone Like You" 46 spots up the UK charts to number one, and in the process, made Adele the first artist in the UK since The Beatles to have two top five singles and two top five albums at the same time. The performance had all lights down and focused on Adele and her piano.

Madonna's performance of "Living for Love" (2015)

Madonna's live return to BRIT Awards after 20 years was widely promoted in the media in the days leading up to the ceremony and during the show itself. During the performance of "Living for Love", she walked onstage wearing an oversized cape. When standing on stairs situated on the stage, the cape's cord failed to separate, so when Madonna's backing dancer pulled the cape behind her, she fell down the stairs and noticeably hit the stage hard. She paused momentarily as her backing music continued, before she managed to separate herself from the cape and then continued performing. In an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show, Madonna blamed her fall on a wardrobe malfunction as her cape had been tied too tightly so it could not be unfastened in time, before adding: "I had a little bit of whiplash, I smacked the back of my head. And I had a man standing over me with a flashlight until about 3am to make sure I was compos mentis. I know how to fall, I have fallen off my horse many times."

Katy Perry and Skip Marley's performance of "Chained to the Rhythm" (2017)

File:Katy Perry performs at the BRIT Awards (36918358475).jpg

Katy Perry performing on stage at the 2017 Brit Awards

In the leadup to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Katy Perry was a major endorsement for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, performing at many of her rallies and speaking at public events. After Donald Trump won the election, Perry returned to recording her fifth studio album and in February 2017 released "Chained to the Rhythm". During the performance, she was joined onstage by two large skeletal puppets dressed as Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May. The performance was also notable as a backing dancer fell offstage at the end of the performance whilst wearing a house costume.

Anne-Marie's performance of "Kiss My (Uh-Oh)" (2022)

During Anne-Marie's performance of "Kiss My (Uh-Oh)", she stepped out of a giant model of a heart but while she was stepping down the stairs, she let go of one of her dancer's hands and tripped. People compared the scene to a "Madonna moment" and Anne-Marie herself joked about it on Twitter saying: "Didn't need my left ankle anyway."

Categories

Current

• British Album of the Year
• British Artist of the Year
• British Single of the Year
• British Producer of the Year
• British Group
• Best New Artist
• Songwriter of the Year
• British Pop/R&B Act
• British Dance Act
• British Rock/Alternative Act
• British Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act
• Rising Star Award
• International Solo Artist
• International Group
• International Song

Defunct

• British Artist Video of the Year (1985-2021)
• British Male Solo Artist (1977, 1982-2021)
• British Female Solo Artist (1977, 1982-2021)
• British Live Act (2005-2009, 2013)
• Classical Recording (1982-1993)
• Classical Soloist Album (1977)
• Comedy Recording (1985)
• International Album (1977, 2002-2011)
• International Artist (1983-1985)
• International Male Solo Artist (1989-2021)
• International Female Solo Artist (1989-2021)
• International Breakthrough Act (1988-2012)
• Non-Musical Recording (1977)
• Orchestral Album (1977)
• Soundtrack/Cast Recording (1985-2001)

Special

• Artist of a Generation (1996)
• Biggest Selling Album Act (1998)
• Biggest Selling Album & Single of 1993 (1994)
• Biggest Selling Live Act of 1999 (2000)
• British Album of 30 Year (2010)
• British Song of 25 Year (2005)
• Freddie Mercury Award (1996, 1998–1999)
• Global Success Award (2013–2019)
• Icon Award (2014, 2016–2017, 2021)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (1983, 1989)
• Live Performance of 30 Year (2010)
• Most Successful Live Act (1993)
• Outstanding Contribution to Music (1977, 1982–1988, 1990–2010, 2012, 2019)
• Sony Trophy Award for Technical Excellence (1983–1984)
• Special Award (1983, 1985)
• Special Recognition (2011, 2013)

Voting procedure

According to The BRIT Awards website, the list of eligible artists, albums, and singles is compiled by the Official Charts Company and submitted to the voting academy, which consists of over 1,000 members of the music industry, including the previous year's nominees and winners. The voters use a secure online website to vote, and the voting is scrutinized by Electoral Reform Services. The concept of fan voting was abolished after the 2019 Brit Awards.

Performances

Coldplay is the act with most performances ever, with five opening presentations and eight overall, followed by Take That and band member Robbie Williams, who performed seven times each. Adele has performed at five ceremonies, the most amongst female artists.

Year	Performers (chronologically)
1985	Alison Moyet, Bronski Beat, Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw and Tina Turner
1986	Huey Lewis and the News, Kate Bush, Phil Collins and Tears for Fears
1987	Chris de Burgh, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Five Star, Level 42, Simply Red, Spandau Ballet and Whitney Houston
1988	Bananarama, Bee Gees, Chris Rea, Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield, Rick Astley, Terence Trent D'Arby, T'Pau and The Who
1989	Bros, Def Leppard, Fairground Attraction, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, Randy Newman, Tanita Tikaram and Yazz
1990	Lisa Stansfield, Neneh Cherry, Nigel Kennedy, Phil Collins and Soul II Soul
1991	EMF, The Beautiful South and Status Quo
1992	The KLF, Extreme Noise Terror, Lisa Stansfield, Beverley Craven and P.M. Dawn
1993	Suede, Peter Gabriel, Cirque du Soleil, Bill Wyman and Madness
1994	Björk, PJ Harvey, Bon Jovi, Brian May, Dina Carroll, Elton John, Meatloaf, Pet Shop Boys, Stereo MCs, Take That, Van Morrison and Shane MacGowan
1995	Blur, East 17, Eddi Reader, Elton John, Eternal, Sting, M People, Madonna and Take That
1996	Alanis Morissette, David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys, Michael Jackson, Pulp, Simply Red and Take That
1997	Bee Gees, Diana Ross, Jamiroquai, The Fugees, Manic Street Preachers, Mark Morrison, Prince, Sheryl Crow, Skunk Anansie and Spice Girls
1998	All Saints, Chumbawamba, Finlay Quaye, Fleetwood Mac, Robbie Williams, Tom Jones, Shola Ama, Spice Girls, Texas, The Method Man and The Verve
1999	B*Witched, Billie Piper, Cleopatra, Steps, Tina Cousins, Supatroopers, Boyzone, The Corrs, David Bowie, Placebo, Eurythmics, Stevie Wonder, Manic Street Preachers, Robbie Williams and Whitney Houston
2000	Basement Jaxx, 5ive, Queen, Geri Halliwell, Macy Gray, Ricky Martin, Spice Girls, Stereophonics, Tom Jones, Travis and Will Smith
2001	Coldplay, Craig David, Destiny's Child, Eminem, Hear'Say, Robbie Williams, Sonique, Westlife and U2
2002	Anastacia, Jamiroquai, Dido, Gorillaz, Kylie Minogue, Mis-Teeq, Shaggy, Ali G, So Solid Crew, Sting and The Strokes
2003	Avril Lavigne, Blue, Coldplay, David Gray, George Michael, Ms Dynamite, Justin Timberlake, Kylie Minogue, Liberty X, Pink, Sugababes and Tom Jones
2004	50 Cent, Beyoncé, Muse, Black Eyed Peas, Busted, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Missy Elliott, Jamie Cullum, Amy Winehouse, Katie Melua and Duran Duran
2005	Daniel Bedingfield, Natasha Bedingfield, Franz Ferdinand, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Jamelia, Lemar, Keane, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, Scissor Sisters, Bob Geldof, Robbie Williams and The Streets
2006	Coldplay, KT Tunstall, Kaiser Chiefs, James Blunt, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Gorillaz, Jack Johnson, Paul Weller and Prince
2007	Scissor Sisters, Snow Patrol, Amy Winehouse, The Killers, Take That, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Corinne Bailey Rae and Oasis
2008	Mika, Beth Ditto, Rihanna, Klaxons, Kylie Minogue, Kaiser Chiefs, Leona Lewis, Mark Ronson, Adele, Daniel Merriweather, Amy Winehouse and Paul McCartney
2009	U2, Girls Aloud, Coldplay, Duffy, Take That, Kings of Leon, The Ting Tings, Estelle, Pet Shop Boys, Lady Gaga and Brandon Flowers
2010	Lily Allen, JLS, Kasabian, Lady Gaga, Florence + the Machine, Dizzee Rascal, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Cheryl Cole and Robbie Williams
2011	Take That, Adele, Rihanna, Mumford & Sons, Plan B, Arcade Fire, Tinie Tempah, Eric Turner, Labrinth, Justin Bieber, David Jensen, Terry Wogan, Cee Lo Green and Paloma Faith
2012	Coldplay, Florence and the Machine, Olly Murs, Rizzle Kicks, Ed Sheeran, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Chris Martin, Adele, Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Blur
2013	Muse, Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, One Direction, Ben Howard, Mumford & Sons and Emeli Sandé
2014	Arctic Monkeys, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Disclosure, Lorde, Aluna Francis, Ellie Goulding, Bastille, Rudimental, Ella Eyre, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers
2015	Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, Royal Blood, Ed Sheeran, Kanye West, Allan Kingdom, Theophilus London, Take That, George Ezra, Paloma Faith and Madonna
2016	Coldplay, Justin Bieber, James Bay, Jess Glynne, Rihanna, SZA, Drake, Little Mix, The Spiders from Mars, Lorde, The Weeknd and Adele
2017	Little Mix, Bruno Mars, Emeli Sandé, The 1975, Chris Martin, Katy Perry, Skip Marley, Skepta, The Chainsmokers, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Robbie Williams
2018	Justin Timberlake, Chris Stapleton, Rag'n'Bone Man, Jorja Smith, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Liam Gallagher, Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Rita Ora, Liam Payne and Stormzy
2019	Hugh Jackman, George Ezra, Little Mix, Ms Banks, Jorja Smith, Calvin Harris, Rag'n'Bone Man, Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, Jess Glynne, H.E.R., The 1975, Pink and Dan Smith
2020	Mabel, Lewis Capaldi, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Dave, Billie Eilish, Celeste, Stormzy, Burna Boy and Rod Stewart
2021	Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Arlo Parks, Years & Years, Elton John, The Weeknd, Griff, Headie One, AJ Tracey, Young T & Bugsey, Rag'n'Bone Man, Pink and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir
2022	Ed Sheeran, Bring Me the Horizon, Anne-Marie, KSI, Digital Farm Animals, Little Simz, Emma Corrin, Liam Gallagher, Holly Humberstone, Adele, Sam Fender, Dave, Fredo, Ghetts and Giggs

Most successful acts

File:Coldplay - Global-Citizen-Festival Hamburg 14.jpg

Coldplay (pictured performing in Hamburg, 2017) have nine Brit Awards include four for British Group.

There have been numerous acts, both groups and individuals, that have won multiple awards. The table below shows those that have won four or more awards.

Number of awards	British acts	Notes
13	Robbie Williams	British Male Solo Artist (4) British Single of the Year (3) British Video of the Year (3) British Song of Twenty Five Year (1) Icon Award (1) Outstanding Contribution to Music (1)
12	Adele	British Album of the Year (3) British Song Of The Year (3) British Female Solo Artist (2) Global Success Award (2) British Artist Of The Year (1) Critics' Choice Award (1)
9	Coldplay	British Group (4) British Album of the Year (3) British Live Act (1) British Single of the Year (1)
8	Take That	British Single of the Year (5) British Group (1) British Live Act (1) British Video of the Year (1)
7
	Arctic Monkeys	British Album of the Year (3) British Group (3) British Breakthrough Act (1)
	Annie Lennox	British Female Solo Artist (6) British Album of the Year (1)
	One Direction	British Video of the Year (4) Global Success Award (2) British Single of the Year (1)
	Ed Sheeran	British Male Solo Artist (2) Global Success Award (2) British Album of the Year (1) British Breakthrough Act (1) Songwriter of the Year (1)
6	David Bowie	British Male Solo Artist (3) British Album of the Year (1) Icon Award (1) Outstanding Contribution to Music (1)
	Phil Collins	British Male Solo Artist (3) British Album of the Year (1) British Single of the Year (1) Soundtrack/Cast Recording (1)
	Dua Lipa	British Female Solo Artist (2) British Album of the Year (1) British Breakthrough Act (1) British Single of the Year (1) Best Pop/R&B Act (1)
	Oasis	British Album of the Year (1) British Album of Thirty Year (1) British Breakthrough Act (1) British Group (1) British Video of the Year (1) Outstanding Contribution to Music (1)
5	Blur	British Album of the Year (1) British Group (1) British Single of the Year (1) British Video of the Year (1) Outstanding Contribution to Music (1)
	Elton John	Outstanding Contribution to Music (2) British Male Solo Artist (1) Freddie Mercury Award (1) Icon Award (1)
	Spice Girls	British Single of the Year (1) British Video of the Year (1) Highest Selling Album Act (1) Live Performance of Thirty Year (1) Outstanding Contribution to Music (1)
4	The Beatles	Outstanding Contribution to Music (2) British Album of the Year (1) British Group (1)
	Dido	British Female Solo Artist (2) British Album of the Year (1) British Single of the Year (1)
	Manic Street Preachers	British Album of the Year (2) British Group (2)
	Emeli Sandé	British Female Solo Artist (2) British Album of the Year (1) Critics' Choice Award (1)
	Paul Weller	British Male Solo Artist (3) Outstanding Contribution to Music (1)

File:Pink at the BRIT Awards 2019.jpg

Pink performing at the 2019 Brit Awards where she received the Icon award. She also received the award for International Female Solo Artist in 2003

Number of awards	International acts	Notes
7	U2	International Group (5) Most Successful Live Act (1) Outstanding Contribution to Music (1)
6	Michael Jackson	International Solo Artist (2) Artist of a Generation (1) British Album of the Year (1) British Video of the Year (1) International Male Solo Artist (1)
5	Björk	International Female Solo Artist (4) International Breakthrough Act (1)
	Foo Fighters	International Group (4) International Album (1)
	Prince	International Male Solo Artist (2) International Solo Artist (2) Soundtrack/Cast Recording (1)
4	Eminem	International Male Solo Artist (3) International Album (1)
3	Beck	International Male Solo Artist (3)
	Billie Eilish	International Female Solo Artist (2) International Artist of the Year (1)
	Lady Gaga	International Album (1) International Breakthrough Act (1) International Female Solo Artist (1)
	Bruno Mars	International Male Solo Artist (2) British Single of the Year (1)
	Kylie Minogue	International Female Solo Artist (2) International Album (1)
	R.E.M.	International Group (3)
	Scissor Sisters	International Album (1) International Breakthrough Act (1) International Group (1)
	Justin Timberlake	International Male Solo Artist (2) International Album (1)
	Kanye West	International Male Solo Artist (3)

Viewing figures

Year	Air date	Official ratings (in millions) (Includes HD)	Weekly rank
1999	17 February	9.86	12
2000	4 March	9.61	12
2001	27 February	8.62	18
2002	21 February	7.83	15
2003	20 February	7.64	15
2004	17 February	6.18	18
2005	10 February	6.32	17
2006	16 February	4.70	22
2007	14 February	5.43	19
2008	20 February	6.35	17
2009	18 February	5.49	17
2010	16 February	6.52	14
2011	15 February	4.79	18
2012	21 February	6.63	17
2013	20 February	5.91	14
2014	19 February	3.84	18
2015	25 February	5.99	13
2016	24 February	6.22	13
2017	22 February	5.57	14
2018	21 February	4.94	17
2019	20 February	4.10	Unknown
2020	18 February	3.80
2021	11 May	2.90
2022	8 February	2.70

See also

• Classic BRIT Awards

External links

• Official website