The BRIT Awards are over for another year, but the question is has it become too contorted in its efforts to be woke for its own good?
Last year the annual music award show attempted to embrace diversity by scrapping gendered categories. Despite proving an unpopular move, they decided to stick with it, and this year it spectacularly backfired when not a single female was nominated in the best artist category, sparking outrage.
Undeterred, the powers that be decided to implement another change this year, by having the ceremony take place on a Saturday for the first time in its 43 year history.
So, from awkward exchanges to shock snubs – here are the five things we learned from watching this year’s show.
It is Harry’s House
More than a decade after he first shot to fame as part of boy band One Direction, which was put together on TV talent show The X Factor, Harry Styles has emerged as a solo artist to be reckoned with.
Less than a week after he took home the award for best album at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, he triumped on home turf by winning all four of the of the BRITS he was shortlisted for – best pop/RnB act, best artist, best song and best album.
Seeming almost slightly embarrassed by his success, Styles didn’t shy away from the elephant in the room in his acceptance speech for best artist, acknowledging his “privilege” and his female peers, who were noticeably absent from the shortlist.
There was certainly a lot of love in the room for him, with Lewis Capaldi giving him a big bear hug following his third win of the night.
Performing doesn’t guarantee a win
One of the biggest surprises of the night was US star Lizzo failing to win either of the two awards that she was up for, despite flying in to deliver a barn-stomping medley of songs from her latest album Special.
Once upon a time an international artist on the bill was a shoe-in for some silverware, but instead, best international artist and international song went to Beyoncé, who skipped the awards and sent video thank you messages that plugged her forthcoming tour.
Celebrities always make terrible presenters
Often at award shows it can feel like someone has put a load of random celebrity names into a hat and pulled them out to determine who will read out the winners.
Not only does this give us strangers meeting for the first time, we get strangers meeting for the first time on live TV.
The award for most awkward pairing of the night had to go to singers Ellie Goulding and Tom Grennan.
While presenting the gong for best new artist, they shared a toe-curling exchange when Grennan inexplicably decided to comment on the breast plate that Goulding was wearing.
Help. #BRITs pic.twitter.com/ETMJShhiAJ
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) February 11, 2023
“I love what you’re doing. Are they your real boobs?” he asked in front of an astounded audience.
“No these are not. Mine are a lot further apart sadly. I wish,” she replied, graciously, to which Grennan awkwardly answered: “Sorry.” You should be Tom, you should be.
It pays to read the room
Daisy May Cooper made a joke that went down like a led balloon and likely left producers with heart palpatations, for all the wrong reasons.
While presenting the best alternative rock award, which ended up going to The 1975, the This Country star claimed that earlier in the night, she had bumped into the Sugababes in the bathroom.
“And they weren’t doing coke – they were lovely,” she added, as the audience looked at each other, then at the floor.
Mistakes happen, so embrace them
Confusion was in the air when Mo Gilligan accidentally introduced performer and former BRIT winner Lewis Capaldi as Sam Capaldi, seemingly confusing him with Sam Smith who was due to perform later on in the evening.
Afterwards, he joked about his mistake, saying how the drinks at the Brits are “extra strong”.
Capaldi evidently saw the funny side, sharing a picture on social media of his head superimposed on a photo of Sam Smith’s body on the red carpet.
Mo was later forced to apologise for “technical difficulties”, which meant viewers were shown archive footage of Adele performing at last year’s ceremony while they were sorted out.
It’s not clear if there was a drama happening back stage, or if something needed to be edited out, but there seemed to be issues with the mute button, which failed to fully censor the swearier speeches, including Wet Leg declaring “f*** the Tories!”.
