BRIT Awards announce FLO as Rising Star 2023 winners ✨
They were up against Cat Burns and Mia Archives
Last updated 12th Jan 2023
Congratulations are in order for girl group FLO as the BRIT Awards with Mastercard have announced that they’re the winners of the prestigious Rising Star Award! The gong, formerly known as the Critics' Choice, sets out to identify the most talented artists of the future - with past winners including the likes of Adele, Ellie Goulding and Sam Smith.
Up against Cat Burns and Mia Archives, the band - made up of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer - have been revealed as the winners and will receive their awards at the 2023 event on Saturday 11th February 2023.
Announcing the news on Instagram, the BRIT Awards shared an image of FLO looking extremely excited as they celebrate receiving the prestigious gong!
The band said of their win: "From growing up watching the BRITs, to finding each other and forming FLO, releasing our first body of work in 2022 and winning a BRIT award in the same year!! We are so shocked and grateful.
"We are the first group to win the BRITs Rising Star! We’ve just made history and couldn’t have done it without our wonderful fans and supportive families. It’s truly a dream come true. We feel so empowered creating the music we love and we hope others feel that too."
Who was nominated for the BRIT Awards 2023 Rising Star Award?
FLO
The BRITs describe Flo as follows: "Seven months ago, the British R&B girl group FLO - 20 year olds Renée, Jorja and Stella - released their debut single 'Cardboard Box', which catapulted them into the collective consciousness and won them famous fans. They have set the world alight, with a debut sound and video that sparked a cultural conversation about the future of British girl groups."
Of the nomination, FLO said: "It's a dream come true to receive a BRIT nomination less than a year after dropping our first single. We all grew up watching the BRITs with our mums, and have been inspired by the girl groups and powerful female artists who have performed on that stage. We're grateful to everyone who has believed in our vision so far and can't wait to share more music with the world. Girl groups are back and we want to pave the way for more artists to achieve their dreams. We hope that this is the first of many BRIT nominations for FLO."
Cat Burns
The BRITs have said of Cat Burns: "Cat Burns is a 22-year-old platinum-selling singer/songwriter from Streatham, South London. A BRIT School alumnus, she later released her debut EP, 'Adolescent', in 2016. She released her debut single 'Sober' in 2018, and in 2020, Cat came out, reconciling herself to her sexuality. 2020 also marked the release of 'go', a song which later transformed Cat's music career as she knew it. Amidst the success of 'go', she supported Ed Sheeran on the European leg of his Mathematics Tour this summer."
Cat said of her nomination: "A BRITs Rising Star nomination was a major thing on my bucket list for me this year, so to have achieved that honestly means the world to me. I'm super grateful for the year I've had and am so honoured to have been chosen!"
Nia Archives
The BRITs have described Nia thus: "Nia Archives is making soft-hearted lo-fi jungle for introverted extroverts. Her first memories of music are deeply rooted in her Jamaican heritage; reggae and lovers rock were always on around her childhood home in Leeds, and she attended Pentecostal church regularly as a child where she was exposed to gospel music. After moving out at 16, she relocated to Manchester, where her way of getting to know people was through raves and house parties. Forming a close community of like-minded ravers, she felt emboldened to take the mic at house parties to sing and freestyle. After working with other producers for a while, she decided to take the reins and taught herself production. Having progressed from Youtube tutorials, she's now at Uni in London to learn music business and production."
Nia said of her nomination: "Words won't describe how I'm feeling about being nominated for the BRITs Rising Star. Growing up and watching it on TV, I really never thought it could happen to someone like me. I'm just so overwhelmed and happy right now."
The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard is on Saturday 11th February 2023.
Who won last year?
22-year-old Holly Humberstone won the Rising Star Award last year, beating out the likes of Bree Runway and Lola Young to take the esteemed crown. Since then, she's supported Olivia Rodrigo and George Ezra, performed at Glastonbury and is preparing to release her debut album.
Check out all the winners of the Critics' Choice/Rising Star Award:
Adele: 2008
Adele won the award in 2008 and has since gone on to enjoy world domination. The singer has released four albums, '19', '21' ,'25' and most recently, '30' in November 2021.
With hits like 'Rolling In The Deep', 'Chasing Pavements' and 'Easy On Me', it is no surprise the singer is adored across the world by fans.
After making her comeback to music in 2021, Adele hasn't slowed down since, with the singer currently enjoying a stint in Las Vegas.
Florence & The Machine: 2009
Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine was given the award in 2009, much to her fans' delight. The singer went on to release amazing albums and perform at sell-out shows across the world.
Ellie Goulding: 2010
Ellie Goulding was crowned the winner of the award in 2010.
Ellie went on to release five massive albums, with her latest arriving in 2023. She teamed up again with Calvin Harris in 2023 on the track 'Miracle', which the pair performed at The BRITs 2024.
Jessie J: 2011
Jessie J won the award in 2011 and has smashed the charts ever since. After releasing her debut album 'Who You Are' in 2011, Jessie went on to achieve global success with hits like 'Domino', 'Price Tag' and 'Bang Bang' featuring Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
Emeli Sande: 2012
Emeli won in 2012 and released her massive debut album 'Our Version Of Events' in the same year.
The singer went on to perform at the London Olympics closing ceremony in 2012. She then went on to wow fans across the world with her incredible vocals on hits like 'Clown', 'Next To Me' and 'Heaven'.
Tom Odell: 2013
Singer-songwriter Tom Odell won the award in 2013, going on to release five albums since. His fifth album 'Best Day Of My Life' was released in October 2022.
Sam Smith: 2014
Since winning the award in 2014, Sam Smith hasn't look back! The vocalist has released four massive albums which include hits like 'Too Good At Goodbyes', 'One Last Song' and 'Promises'.
After teaming up with Calvin Harris in 2018, Sam then worked with former Fifth Harmony singer Normani on the track 'Dancing With A Stranger' and has since dropped tracks such as 'Unholy' and 'Gloria'.
James Bay: 2015
One year after winning the award in 2015, James Bay went on to win a BRIT Award for Best British Male Solo Artist in 2016.
The singer has since released amazing singles such as 'Hold Back The River' and 'Let It Go'.
Jack Garratt: 2016
Jack Garratt won in 2016 and continues to wow his fans with his vocal. The singer dropped his debut album 'Phase' in February 2016. Jack released his second album 'Love, Death & Dancing' in 2020.
Rag'N'Bone Man: 2017
Since Rag'n'Bone Man won the award in 2017, the singer has gone on to massive things.
Not only did he drop the massive hit 'Human', Rag'n'Bone Man, real name Rory Graham, teamed up with Calvin Harris on the amazing song 'Giants', with the pair working together again in 2024 on 'Lovers In A Past Life'.
Jorja Smith: 2018
Singer-songwriter Jorja Smith won the award in 2018 at the age of just 20.
Since winning the award last year, Jorja has released her debut album 'Lost & Found' which was positively received by fans.
Sam Fender: 2019
Sam Fender has become hugely popular over the last couple of years, so it's no surprise he won the award in 2019. His debut album 'Hypersonic Missiles' was adored by fans.
Sam dropped his second album ' Seventeen Going Under' in October 2021 and has since sold out shows across the world.
Celeste: 2020
British singer-songwriter Celeste won the prestigious award in 2020, going on to perform at the 2020 ceremony. After her victory, Celeste released her debut studio album in January 2021 and her single 'A Little Love' featured on the 2020 John Lewis Christmas ad.
Griff: 2021
Singer-songwriter Griff picked up the award in 2021. Gushing over her win, she said: "In my head I'm still screaming from the phone call when I found out. It's honestly such a miracle: how on earth did we manage to win a BRIT and break through during a pandemic?"
Holly Humberstone: 2022
Holly Humberstone picked up the award, now named the Rising Star Award, in 2022. She is known for her tracks 'London Is Lonely' and 'Falling Asleep At The Wheel'.
On receiving the award, Holly said: "I remember watching the BRITs with my parents each year and being totally awe struck by the artists coming together in what felt like another universe. Now to be named the BRITs Rising Star and nominated alongside two other incredible women, with the songs that started within those four walls at home is so mad. It just doesn't feel real. This year has been a wild ride and a year of firsts, and I am so grateful and thankful for everyone who has helped make this happen!"
FLO: 2023
The 2023 Rising Star Award went to girl group FLO, known for their songs 'Cardboard Box', 'Not My Job' and 'Immature'. They said of their win: "From growing up watching the BRITs, to finding each other and forming FLO, releasing our first body of work in 2022 and winning a BRIT award in the same year!! We are so shocked and grateful. We are the first group to win the BRITs Rising Star! We've just made history and couldn't have done it without our wonderful fans and supportive families. It's truly a dream come true. We feel so empowered creating the music we love and we hope others feel that too."
The Last Dinner Party: 2024
The Last Dinner Party were announced as the winners of the 2024 award after a stratospheric rise to fame. The five-piece from London started out only in 2020, giving their first performance in 2021 - so it's a pretty impressive trajectory.
They said of the win: "We are so proud beyond measure to have won the BRITs Rising Star. It's an honour to achieve something so iconic so early on in our career and we can only hope to keep making music that connects with all the incredible people who have listened to and supported us so far. Thank you!"
Myles Smith: 2025
Myles Smith was announced as the winner of the 2025 award ahead of Elmiene and Good Neighbours. Myles said of his victory: "Winning the BRIT award for Rising Star is such a surreal moment. Music has always been about connecting with people, and to see it resonate on this level is incredible. I'm so grateful to my team, my family, and especially the fans who've supported me every step of the way. Your belief in me means everything. This is just the beginning, and I'm so excited for what's to come—thank you for being part of this journey."
Read more:
BRIT Awards Critics' Choice: Winners who became huge stars
The BRIT Awards 2023: Everything you need to know
Get to know FLO the winners of The BRITs Rising Star Award