The BRITS are easily one of the highlights of the musical year. With a long history of incredible live performances, sharp-witted hosts, and potentially awkward moments, this year was no different. Although, it was a little. Gone were the thousands of people crammed into London’s O2, this year a small audience of artists and essential workers cheered on the winners and performers for the awards show.<\/p>\n
There were some pretty jaw-dropping moments in there too. Kicking off with Coldplay and a group of holographic backing dancers on the Thames, followed by Dua Lipa arriving on stage by tube – you could just tell we were in for a treat. And the show delivered, from Olivia Rodrigo’s epic performance of Drivers License, to The Weeknd’s Save Your Tears.<\/p>\n
Here’s a look at some of the best moments that have us aching to be back in a venue to see some gigs soon!<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"y7AJnDRuemA","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"
Olivia Rodrigo just got her driver’s license, so decided to head to London to try it out! Her absolutely stunning performance started off restrained and subdued. Building and building with graphics, lighting, and a presence on stage that just blew us away. Absolutely incredible performance from one of this year’s breakout stars.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"iKm5-XtXcII","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"
Clearly dressed for the Irish summer, The Weeknd put the rest of our Zoom backgrounds to shame with this absolutely stunning performance inside a cement box in a desert. It was incredible and totally harked back to the visual style of movies like Drive and Nightcrawler. Surreal, pretty, stunning. What more can you say? Oh, and he also won Best International Male Artist<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"Hk4eMIswunQ","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"
So take the awards, the barge on the Thames, the Zoom background, and forget all about it. The real star of the show was an incredible performance from Years&Years and Elton John, covering the Pet Shop Boy’s It’s A Sin. In the year of COVID, an incredible Channel 4 show from Russel T. Davies brought us back to a pandemic that decimated the LGBT community and was for many years completely ignored. This iconic disco track celebrates the community, the loss, but also the resilience of that community and the resilience of our wider world as we come out of the latest pandemic.<\/p>\n
At its very heart though, this is an INCREDIBLE song, and the staging, the lighting, the dancing. Just not much more we can say other than WOW.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"
And now on to the winners of the night! Starting with;<\/p>\n
Proving why she is so deserving of this award, her acceptance speech on self-acceptance and the importance of belief in yourself and others was touching and deeply moving.<\/p>\n
Arlo Parks AJ Tracey Bicep Arlo Parks – WINNER<\/strong> Don’t Need Love \u2013 220 Kid and Gracey Collapsed In Sunbeams \u2013 Arlo Parks Ariana Grande Bruce Springsteen BTS Brits Rising Star (Winner previously announced)
\nCeleste
\nDua Lipa – WINNER<\/strong>
\nJessie Ware
\nLianne la Havas<\/p>\nMale Solo Artist<\/h3>\n
\nHeadie One
\nJ Hus – WINNER<\/strong>
\nJoel Corry
\nYungblud<\/p>\nBritish Group<\/h3>\n
\nBiffy Clyro
\nLittle Mix – WINNER<\/strong>
\nThe 1975
\nYoung T & Bugsey<\/p>\nBreakthrough Artist<\/h3>\n
\nBicep
\nCeleste
\nJoel Corry
\nYoung T & Bugsey<\/p>\nBritish Single<\/h3>\n
\nRain \u2013 Aitch and AJ Tracey featuring Tay Keith
\nPhysical \u2013 Dua Lipa
\nWatermelon Sugar \u2013 Harry Styles – WINNER<\/strong>
\nAin\u2019t It Different \u2013 Headie One featuring AJ Tracey and Stormzy
\nHead & Heart \u2013 Joel Corry featuring MNEK
\nLighter \u2013 Nathan Dawe featuring KSI
\nSecrets \u2013 Regard and Raye
\nRover \u2013 S1mba featuring DTG
\nDon\u2019t Rush \u2013 Young T & Bugsey featuring Headie One.<\/p>\nAlbum<\/h3>\n
\nNot Your Muse \u2013 Celeste
\nFuture Nostalgia \u2013 Dua Lipa – WINNER<\/strong>
\nBig Conspiracy \u2013 J Hus
\nWhat\u2019s Your Pleasure? \u2013 Jessie Ware<\/p>\nInternational Female Solo Artist<\/h3>\n
\nBillie Eilish – WINNER<\/strong>
\nCardi B
\nMiley Cyrus
\nTaylor Swift<\/p>\nInternational Male Solo Artist<\/h3>\n
\nBurna Boy
\nChildish Gambino
\nTame Impala
\nThe Weeknd – WINNER<\/strong><\/p>\nInternational Group<\/h3>\n
\nFontaines D.C.
\nFoo Fighters
\nHaim – WINNER<\/strong>
\nRun The Jewels<\/p>\n
\nGriff<\/p>\n"}],"block_type":"image-content","thumbnail_size":"height-2","image_thumbnail":{"ID":1234,"id":1234,"title":"Elton John Years and Years","filename":"261A2520_Edit-2-scaled.jpg","filesize":636890,"url":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/261A2520_Edit-2-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/music-news\/brit-award-2021-winners-and-highlights\/the-brit-awards-2021\/","alt":"Elton John Years and Years","author":"3","description":"Elton John Years and Years","caption":"","name":"the-brit-awards-2021","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1233,"date":"2021-05-12 09:05:02","modified":"2021-05-12 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