A recap of The BRIT Awards 2023
It took place in February!
For the first time ever, The BRIT Awards with Mastercard took place on a Saturday in 2023, with a star-studded line-up of Harry Styles, Sam Smith and Kim Petras, David Guetta (who performed with Becky Hill and Ella Henderson), Stormzy, Lewis Capaldi and more!
As we look ahead to the 2024 BRIT Awards, check out our ultimate recap from the 2023 ceremony.
When were The BRIT Awards 2023?
The BRIT Awards 2023 took place on Saturday 11th February.
New Chair of the BRIT Committee for 2023, Damian Christian, said of the new date: "The BRITs is the biggest night of the year for the UK music industry, and we want as many eyes on it as possible as we showcase the best and most diverse British talent. Moving the show to a Saturday will breathe new life into the iconic ceremony, while also introducing a new and more engaged audience.”
How can I watch the awards ceremony?
The BRIT Awards 2023 aired exclusively on ITV and ITVX and can be watched back on the streaming platform.
Where were The BRIT Awards 2023 held?
Just like it has been since 2011, the 2023 BRIT Awards was held at The 02 Arena in London.
Who hosted the 2023 ceremony?
Comedian Mo Gilligan hosted the show for the second year in a row.
After four years hosting the ceremony, comedian Jack Whitehall passed the job over to Mo Gilligan last year, as Jack was busy filming in America at the time.
Mo said of the gig: "Hosting the BRITs last year was one of the most phenomenal moments of my life. I’ve been so honoured to get to know the incredible team behind the biggest night in music and so proud to bring our amazing audiences even closer to their favourite artists. I promise you, we’re going to go even bigger this year… Let's go!"
Who won at The BRIT Awards 2023?
Ahead of the show three winners were announced, Flo received the Rising Star Award, while David Guetta won Producer of The Year and Kid Harpoon won Songwriter of The Year. The rest of the awards were presented at the live show. See the winners and their speeches below:
RISING STAR
WINNER: FLO
When it was announced that they had won, FLO said: "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."
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: DAVID GUETTA
David Guetta said of the award: "I am very honoured to receive Producer of the Year. I have always felt a strong connection to British music and culture. The UK music scene is full of world class artists and producers so to be recognised like this means a lot to me. Thank you so much!"
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: KID HARPOON
Kid Harpoon co-wrote and co-produced Harry Styles' 'Harry's House'. He said: "To be acknowledged by the BRITs this year for songwriting, a beautiful and complex craft, is unbelievable. It's a dream come true to create for a living, I cannot wait to celebrate with everyone on Saturday."
HIP HOP, GRIME, RAP ACT
WINNER: AITCH
Aitch said: "First of all I just want to big up the fans for voting, of course thank you very much.
"I think that's the main reason I do it, to set examples, to make people know that, it's possible no matter where you're from and just because 5 million people haven't done it before you. So yeah big up everyone."
NOMINEES
Central Cee
Dave
Loyle Carner
Stormzy
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
WINNER: BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé: "Thank you so much for this incredible recognition, I would like to say thank you to all my fans out there in Britain for your continued support over the years and the renaissance begins. I'll see y'all on tour, thank you so much for this honour."
NOMINEES
Burna Boy
Kendrick Lamar
Lizzo
Taylor Swift
DANCE ACT - supported by KISS FM
WINNER: BECKY HILL
Becky said: "The biggest thanks of all has to go to my fans who for another year have helped me win a BRIT Award and imposter syndrome kicked straight in when the nominees were announced.
"I was so scared and when I read all their comments I was so touched, so thank you so much. Thank you!"
NOMINEES
Bonobo
Calvin Harris
Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal
Fred Again...
POP / R&B ACT
WINNER: HARRY STYLES
Harry Styles addressed the crowd: "Thank you so, so much for this. First of all, I know this was a fan voted award, so to all my friends who voted thank you. I have so many wonderful memories of the BRITs so thank you for another one and it is so good to be home. Thank you so, so much."
NOMINEES
Cat Burns
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Sam Smith
BEST NEW ARTIST
WINNER: WET LEG
The winners of the Best New Artist said: "That rock 'N' roll, it just won't go away, it might hibernate from time to time, and sink back into the swamp. No, but also it's nice, thank you so much. It's really cool to be doing this on an indie label, shout out Domino."
NOMINEES
Kojey Radical
Mimi Webb
Rina Sawayama
Sam Ryder
ARTIST OF THE YEAR WITH YOUTUBE SHORTS
WINNER: HARRY STYLES
Harry thanked his family as well as saying: "Niall, Louis, Liam and Zayn, thank you so much. I'm really really grateful and I'm very aware of my privilege up here tonight, so this award is for Rina, Charlie, Florence, Mabel and Becky. Thank you so much."
NOMINEES
Central Cee
Fred again..
George Ezra
Stormzy
INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
WINNER: FONTAINES D.C.
Unable to attend, they said: "Thanks for voting us Best International Group, sorry we couldn't be there, we're in Australia currently. We sent our best man, Carlos, so hopefully he's behaving himself."
NOMINEES
Blackpink
Drake & 21 Savage
First Aid Kit
Gabriels
GROUP OF THE YEAR
WINNER: WET LEG
For their second acceptance speech of the night, Wet Leg said: "They build smooth ships, they build big ships, but they don't build friendships.
"This is really cool, thanks very much."
NOMINEES
The 1975
Arctic Monkeys
Bad Boy Chiller Crew
Nova Twins
INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR
WINNER: BEYONCÉ - 'BREAK MY SOUL'
Beyoncé accepted her second award saying: "Thank you, thank you so much for loving 'Break My Soul', the only intention for this song was to dance so thank y'all for joining this dance of freedom and individuality. I'd like to give a special thank you to The-Dream for co-creating this song with me, I hope y'all having a beautiful night. God bless you and see you all soon."
NOMINEES
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - 'I'm Good (Blue)'
Fireboy DML & Ed Sheeran - 'Peru'
Gaitan / Castillo / Adassa / Feliz - 'We Don't Talk About Bruno'
Gayle - 'abcdefu'
Jack Harlow - 'First Class'
Lizzo - 'About Damn Time'
Lost Frequencies / Calum Scott - 'Where Are You Now'
OneRepublic - 'I Ain't Worried'
Taylor Swift - 'Anti-Hero'
ALTERNATIVE / ROCK ACT supported by Absolute Radio
WINNER: THE 1975
The 1975 took to the stage to accept their award saying: "Thank you so much, this is the first BRIT that we've won that has been voted by the fans so that means a lot, thank you very much."
Lead singer Matt Healy then went on to thank their team for all their support for the band.
NOMINEES
Arctic Monkeys
Nova Twins
Tom Grennan
Wet Leg
SONG OF THE YEAR
WINNER: HARRY STYLES - 'AS IT WAS'
As he accepted his third award of the night, Harry greeted the crowd with a cheery "Hello!". He continued: "This album and this song was the most fun I've ever had making music. I want to thank Rob Stringer for lending me his house to record this in, write it in.
"I want to thank Tom and Tyler and everyone, all my friends who support me. Thank you to everyone who listened and thank you Lewis!"
NOMINEES
Aitch / Ashanti - 'Baby'
Cat Burns - 'Go'
Dave - 'Starlight'
Ed Sheeran & Elton John - 'Merry Christmas'
Eliza Rose / Interplanetary Criminal - 'B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)'
George Ezra - 'Green Green Grass'
Lewis Capaldi - 'Forget Me'
LF System - 'Afraid To Feel'
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - 'Unholy'
MASTERCARD ALBUM OF THE YEAR
WINNER: HARRY STYLES - 'HARRY'S HOUSE'
For his final acceptance speech, Harry said: "There's literally no one I love more in the world than Stanley Tucci (who presented the award). Thank you so much, this night has been really, really special to me and I will never forget it.
"Thank you for the welcome home, I will never forget it. I am so proud to be a British artist out in the world and here celebrating British artists."
NOMINEES
The 1975 - 'Being Funny In A Foreign Language'
Wet Leg - 'Wet Leg'
Stormzy - 'This Is What I Mean'
Fred again.. - 'Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)'
Which artists were nominated at the BRITs 2023?
The 2023 nominations were revealed during a live stream at 4pm on Thursday 12th January, hosted by Vick Hope.
Harry Styles and Wet Leg led the nominations, with four each, while there are multiple nominations for Aitch, Beyoncé, Dave, George Ezra, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Stormzy, Taylor Swift, and more.
Check out the full list of nominations below:
RISING STAR
WINNER: FLO
When it was announced that they had won, FLO said: "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."
MASTERCARD ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The 1975 - 'Being Funny In A Foreign Language'
Wet Leg - 'Wet Leg'
Harry Styles - 'Harry's House'
Stormzy - 'This Is What I Mean'
Fred again.. - 'Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)'
ARTIST OF THE YEAR WITH YOUTUBE SHORTS
Central Cee
Fred again..
George Ezra
Harry Styles
Stormzy
GROUP OF THE YEAR
The 1975
Arctic Monkeys
Bad Boy Chiller Crew
Nova Twins
Wet Leg
BEST NEW ARTIST
Kojey Radical
Mimi Webb
Rina Sawayama
Sam Ryder
Wet Leg
SONG OF THE YEAR WITH MASTERCARD
Aitch / Ashanti - 'Baby'
Cat Burns - 'Go'
Dave - 'Starlight'
Ed Sheeran & Elton John - 'Merry Christmas'
Eliza Rose / Interplanetary Criminal - 'B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)'
George Ezra - 'Green Green Grass'
Harry Styles - 'As it Was'
Lewis Capaldi - 'Forget Me'
LF System - 'Afraid To Feel'
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - 'Unholy'
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé
Burna Boy
Kendrick Lamar
Lizzo
Taylor Swift
INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Blackpink
Drake & 21 Savage
First Aid Kit
Fontaines D.C.
Gabriels
INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé - 'Break My Soul'
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - 'I'm Good (Blue)'
Fireboy DML & Ed Sheeran - 'Peru'
Gaitan / Castillo / Adassa / Feliz - 'We Don't Talk About Bruno'
Gayle - 'abcdefu'
Jack Harlow - 'First Class'
Lizzo - 'About Damn Time'
Lost Frequencies / Calum Scott - 'Where Are You Now'
OneRepublic - 'I Ain't Worried'
Taylor Swift - 'Anti-Hero'
ALTERNATIVE / ROCK ACT supported by Absolute Radio
Arctic Monkeys
Nova Twins
The 1975
Tom Grennan
Wet Leg
HIP HOP, GRIME, RAP ACT
Aitch
Central Cee
Dave
Loyle Carner
Stormzy
DANCE ACT - supported by KISS FM
Becky Hill
Bonobo
Calvin Harris
Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal
Fred Again...
POP / R&B ACT
Cat Burns
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Harry Styles
Sam Smith
Who performed at The BRIT Awards 2023?
Several acts performed at the 2023 BRIT Awards; Wet Leg, Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Harry Styles, BRITs Rising Star nominee Cat Burns, along with David Guetta, with Becky Hill and Ella Henderson, Lizzo, Stormzy and Lewis Capaldi all performed incredible shows.
What outfits did celebs wear on The BRITs red carpet?
Harry Styles
Sam Smith
Maya Jama
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Amelia Dimoldenberg
Lewis Capaldi
Lizzo
Harriet Rose
Mimi Webb
FLO
Ellie Goulding
Michelle Visage
Nella Rose
Tom Grennan
Mo Gilligan
Jessie J
Kim Petras
AJ Odudu
David Guetta
Ella Henderson
Sam Ryder
Stormzy
MNEK
Becky Hill
Aitch
Wet Leg
Zara McDermott
Nova Twins
Sam Thompson
Fatboy Slim
James Barr
Daisy May Cooper
Laura Whitmore
Lucien Laviscount
Shania Twain
The BRIT Awards 2023 trophy
Prior to the event, BRIT Awards bosses unveiled the 2023 statue, designed by artist Slawn. They describe his art as: "Large-scale canvases filled with a blend of caricature-like pop figures, bold colourful forms, and stylish shapes."
Slawn said of being appointed: "I'm overjoyed and honoured to have been chosen. It is an incredible privilege to have the opportunity to take part in this celebration of fellow creatives since The BRITs are an iconic, self-named celebration of British creativity, and a genuine testament to the richness of talent-making and producing music both in this nation and throughout the world.
"The BRIT Awards are a classic celebration of global talent and a powerful forum to genuinely reflect on the shifting nature of culture and the contribution of people to that culture."
What does the trophy design mean?
Slawn revealed his thought process behind the trophy design: "I wanted to design an award that had a sense of refinement and playfulness at the same time. I am conscious of the narrow line I tread between conventional art and the entertainment industry. I wanted to convey feelings of gratitude and celebration since I know that opportunities such as this don't come along very frequently for individuals like myself.
"The concept behind the sculpture is 'hats off to you'. My decision to remove the helmet from the award is my way of thanking The BRITs for providing me with this opportunity. I hope that seeing this award inspires not only the British populace, but individuals across the world, including myself, that these feats are achievable."
He went on to say: "I’ve created something that I am extremely proud of that I feel represents my past, present and future. The placement of the arms and the decision to have three heads meant that I could create an award that shows a different perspective at every angle.
"Growing up in Lagos I was surrounded by bronze sculptures, so they have a very nostalgic feel to me. I also wanted to commemorate and incorporate my roots into the design. I hope that in creating this award this is just the start of my journey in providing more opportunity for young people to realise that these achievements are possible with the right support."
Who won the BRITs Rising Star Award 2023?
Female group FLO were announced as winners of the Rising Star Award 2023 on 8th December! Of their win, Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer said: "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."
British musician Holly Humberstone was crowned the 2022 winner of the BRITs Rising Star Award.
Check out all of former winners below:
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
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!"
The BRIT Awards 2024 will take place on Saturday 2nd March.
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Mo Gilligan steps down from The BRIT Awards hosting role after two years
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