The Brit Awards have announced a whole host of changes to 2020’s ceremony, in an attempt to create a more streamlined show.
Best British video and Best International Group are amongst the scrapped award categories, cutting the list of possible prizes from 13 to nine.
The Critics' Choice Award, chosen by a select panel of music editors, critics, and radio and TV heads, has been renamed as the Rising Star Award. In a first for the awards, the winner will be given a performance slot on the night (18 February 2020). British Breakthrough Act has been renamed as Best New Artist.
This follows several years of dwindling ratings; last year’s ceremony at the O2 Arena in London, which included live performances by Dua Lipa and George Ezra, was watched by 4.1 million TV viewers, down 400,000 from 2018.
Another change is the live performances on the night, which will now give artists full creative control over their performances.
David Joseph, chairman of the Brits Committee for 2020 said: “We have had a fresh look at the Brit Awards this year. Most importantly we will be putting creativity, British culture and exceptional performances at the heart of the show”.
Despite press reports from last year, gendered awards for best female and best male will remain the same for the 2020 awards.
