Last night, some of the biggest musicians from the past year turned up to this year’s BRIT Awards ceremony. After all, it is considered the biggest event for music in the UK. Just like many of the previous years, the prestigious award show took place at London’s iconic O2 Arena with comedian Mo Gilligan hosting for the first time.
Last year, it was announced that the BRITs had ditched the gendered categories and introduced some new ones for specific genres – Best Pop/R&B, Best Dance, Best Rock/Alternative, and Best Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap act.
Many feared the new change in categories would result in many of the female acts going home empty-handed. Fortunately, that was far from the case. Much to nobody’s surprise, British superstar Adele cleaned up, taking home three trophies for Song of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year. Little Simz was named Best New Artist while Dua Lipa and Becky Hill won in the fan-voted categories for Best Pop/R&B and Best Dance Act.
For the international categories, the females dominated once again. Teen sensation Olivia Rodrigo was given International Song of the Year while Billie Eilish took home International Artist of the Year, winning a third year in a row.
Other winners on the night included Wolf Alice for the British Group, Dave for Best Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap, Sam Fender for Best Rock/Alternative, and Ed Sheeran for Songwriter of the Year.
Previous international performers at the BRITs has seen the likes of Gwen Stefani, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and Foo Fighters take to the stage. This year, however, consisted of an all British lineup.
Ed Sheeran, who performed twice, opened the ceremony with “Bad Habits” and invited metal band Bring Me The Horizon on stage with him to present a rockier version of the No. 1 smash. Duo Anne-Marie and KSI went all-out with their production and performed a medley of their hits from the past 12 months. This year’s BRITs Rising Star Holly Humberstone made her debut and gave viewers a taste for what could be an exciting future for the 22-year-old singer-songwriter.
Adele stripped things back and showcased her powerful vocals while singing “I Drink Wine” in front of a shimmery gold backdrop. The singing superstar might have disappointed fans with her recent Las Vegas residency cancellation but all was forgotten when the whole room on the night was in awe of her strong presence. The absolute highlight, however, was Little Simz and her compelling performance of “Introvert” and Woman.” After taking to the stage and delivering an incredible acceptance speech with her mum, it seems the public has fallen in love with the Islington-born rapper even more.
And of course, the red carpet looks are always an important factor when it comes down to these award shows.
In true Adele fashion, she looked incredibly elegant, wearing a black floor-length dress with a low-cut V-neck. The garment featured long sleeves and was accessorized with beautiful dangling earrings.
Presenter Maya Jama is no stranger to putting on a jaw-dropping display and stunned in a black two-piece that consisted of a crop top and full-length skirt. While wearing her long dark locks down, she admitted legendary icon Cher was her inspiration on the night on her Instagram page.
BRIT nominee Raye loves to make statements with fashion and had all eyes on her in an orange Versace dress from their spring 2022 collection. The talented singer-songwriter opted for a matching mini handbag and went full glam in a pair of heels and large hoop earrings.
If you missed this year’s BRIT Awards, you can catch-up online on the ITV Hub.
