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.

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.

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!

Olivia Rodrigo

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.

The Weeknd

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

Years & Years and Elton John

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.

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.

Brits 2021 Winners

And now on to the winners of the night! Starting with;

Global Icon – Taylor Swift

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.

Female Solo Artist

Arlo Parks
Celeste
Dua Lipa – WINNER
Jessie Ware
Lianne la Havas

Male Solo Artist

AJ Tracey
Headie One
J Hus – WINNER
Joel Corry
Yungblud

British Group

Bicep
Biffy Clyro
Little Mix – WINNER
The 1975
Young T & Bugsey

Breakthrough Artist

Arlo Parks – WINNER
Bicep
Celeste
Joel Corry
Young T & Bugsey

British Single

Don’t Need Love – 220 Kid and Gracey
Rain – Aitch and AJ Tracey featuring Tay Keith
Physical – Dua Lipa
Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles – WINNER
Ain’t It Different – Headie One featuring AJ Tracey and Stormzy
Head & Heart – Joel Corry featuring MNEK
Lighter – Nathan Dawe featuring KSI
Secrets – Regard and Raye
Rover – S1mba featuring DTG
Don’t Rush – Young T & Bugsey featuring Headie One.

Album

Collapsed In Sunbeams – Arlo Parks
Not Your Muse – Celeste
Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa – WINNER
Big Conspiracy – J Hus
What’s Your Pleasure? – Jessie Ware

International Female Solo Artist

Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish – WINNER
Cardi B
Miley Cyrus
Taylor Swift

International Male Solo Artist

Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Childish Gambino
Tame Impala
The Weeknd – WINNER

International Group

BTS
Fontaines D.C.
Foo Fighters
Haim – WINNER
Run The Jewels

Brits Rising Star (Winner previously announced)
Griff