The organisers of the BRIT Awards have introduced that they are going to be tweaking their guidelines for the 2024 instalment, following a row over variety.
The structuring of the award ceremony confronted criticism at first of the yr when it was revealed that no feminine artists had been shortlisted for the 2023 Best Artist award. This got here following the 2021 merging of the Best Male and Best Female classes.
The winner of this yr’s prize was pop icon Harry Styles, who additionally made a nod in direction of the perceived lack of equity within the broader class – dedicating his speech to feminine artists together with Rina Sawayama, Charli XCX, and Becky Hill, and acknowledging his “privilege”.
Now, based on a brand new report by BBC News, it has been introduced that the organisers of the BRITS will now enhance the variety of shortlisted artists for the Best Artist award. This sees an growth from 5 to 10 nominees for the 2024 version, within the hopes of making a extra balanced area.
The expanded shortlist may even apply to the Best International Artist class as of subsequent yr.
As nicely as broadening the variety of nominees, the organisers have additionally confirmed that they are going to be introducing a brand new award class, devoted solely to the R&B style. This comes because the nominees from the R&B world had been beforehand compiled right into a broader Best Pop/R&B style – which means that they confronted competitors from a few of the greatest mainstream pop stars together with Sam Smith and Dua Lipa.
Speaking to the outlet, the brand new restructuring of BRITS classes was supported by BBC 1Xtra’s DJ Ace, who mentioned that “proper now could be such a good time for R&B,” and artists from the style deserve a fairer probability at successful an award.
Singer Mahalia – who contested the joined pop/R&B class by sporting a coat with the phrases “Long Live R&B” painted on the again a this yr’s ceremony – additionally shared her “pure happiness and pleasure” on the change.
“For me, when the [combined] class acquired introduced a few years in the past, I used to be dissatisfied for the youthful era of R&B children, who had been going to suppose a Brit nomination was unimaginable,” she informed BBC News. “I used to be form of feeling that, too. If I’m in a longlist with all of those big artwork pop artists, I don’t know the way I’m going to shine by.”
To make up for the R&B artists who could have been missed this yr as a result of mixed class, organisers have additionally mentioned that for the 2024 version there can be an eligibility interval of 24 months (as a substitute of the same old 12), which means that those that went for the 2023 awards are nonetheless in a position to qualify.
“Obviously we had been dissatisfied that no ladies had been nominated for artist of the yr in 2023,” Dr Jo Twist, CEO of awards organisers the BPI informed the outlet, reflecting on the explanations behind the restructure. “So we reached out to folks within the business and skilled teams to know how we will enhance this for this yr, to make the Brits inclusive and reflective.”
The subsequent instalment of the BRIT Awards ceremony will happen at London’s O2 Arena on March 2. The 2024 version of the trophy has been designed by British visible artist Rachel Jones, who has hinted that the design will probably be “vibrant and chaotic”.
In different BRIT Award information, earlier this yr Sam Smith’s outfit on the crimson carpet occasion sparked upset with viewers, and over 100 Ofcom complaints had been filed based on the broadcasting regulator.
After the ceremony, Charli XCX criticised the awards for his or her all-male Artist Of The Year shortlist – “I’ve heard lots of chat concerning the truth there weren’t sufficient females in album cycle,” she wrote to a fan who requested her about her lack of nominations. “That’s why nobody was nominated.”
