While Charli XCX dominated this year’s Brit Awards, it was also a huge night for artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Ezra Collective, Myles Smith and Jade – and host Jack Whitehall also introduced a poignant tribute to Liam Payne.
This was Charli XCX’s big night. Best artist, best album, best song, and more.
The Brat singer took home five awards in total, including the songwriter of the year prize announced ahead of the ceremony.
Elsewhere, last year’s record-breaking Brits winner Raye took home the best RnB act prize, and there were also awards for Sam Fender, Fontaines DC and former Little Mix star Jade, who gave a shout-out to her bandmates in her acceptance speech.
As usual, there were several memorable moments throughout the ceremony. Starting with the opener…
Espresso/ Rule Britannia
Sabrina Carpenter understood the assignment. Think Geri Halliwell’s Union Jack tea towel dress in 1996, Dua Lipa’s tube arrival in 2021. The British stars know we love to see the United Kingdom celebrated, but US star Sabrina Carpenter could have been forgiven for going without the pomp and ceremony.
But no. She really did her homework.
Wearing a red sparkly military-style blazer dress and walking down an aisle lit up with the Union flag, the star was followed by dancing Beefeaters as she launched into Espresso. A mash-up into Rule Britannia followed, before she moved on to perform a cheeky rendition of Bed Chem.
We can only applaud.
The star later went on to collect the global success award – announced by none other than music icon Diana Ross, who livestreamed into the ceremony from a show in New York.
Collecting the prize on stage, Carpenter recalled coming to the UK for the first time 10 years ago when she said only about 10 people knew who she was. Next week, she’s back at the O2 Arena to headline.
The Espresso singer added: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”
Calls to save the grassroots
Rising star winner Myles Smith may be a newcomer to the Brit Awards, but he wasn’t afraid to use the stage to let his thoughts on the state of the music industry be known.
The 26-year-old, who performed his songs Nice To Meet You and Stargazing, told the audience that while he had the “attention of the nation” he wanted to ask three questions, with his first to the government.
“If British music is one of the most powerful cultural exports we have, why have you treated it like an afterthought for so many years?” he said. “How many more venues need to close? How many more music programmes need to be cut before we realise that we can’t just celebrate success, you have to protect the foundations that make it?”
Smith went on to question major venues: “If artists selling out your arenas and your stadiums started in grassroots venues, what are you doing to keep them alive?”
Finally, “to the execs in the room, and to the people behind the scenes”, he asked: “Are we building careers or are we just chasing moments?”
In November last year, plans were announced for a voluntary levy on tickets for concerts at stadiums and arenas to help fund grassroots venues after the closures of high numbers in recent years.
Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective also spoke about the importance of nurturing young artists as the jazz group collected the group of the year award, saying they are where they are now “because of the great youth clubs, and the great teachers and the great schools that support young people playing music”.
Bass player Georgia Davies, of indie group The Last Dinner Party, also spoke about the importance of saving independent music venues.
“We wouldn’t be a band, and a lot of the artists here would not be bands either, without the UK’s incredible independent venues, and they are the lifeblood of the music industry and they are dying,” she said, as the band collected the best new artist award.