Major changes to Brit Awards as they ditch male and female categories

The Brit Awards have announced that from next year – the best female and male categories will merge into a single prize for best British artist.

The organiser’s announcement today said the move was about “celebrating artists solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify or as others may see them.”

There will also be a change in the international category – where the best international male and female awards will be replaced by a single best international artist prize.

Brit Awards 2022 – will female artists get overlooked?

There are concerns that female musicians will be marginalised, but changes to other music awards suggest it’s unlikely to happen. The MTV Video Music Awards replaced its best male and best female prize with an overall best artist award in 2017. The winners since 2017 include Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

The most celebrated music awards – the Grammys – also merged the male and female categories for best pop vocal, country vocal and R&B vocal performance in 2012. In the 10 years since this was introduced the prizes have been split 50/50 between men and women.

The Brits gender-neutral prize for best album has been won by female solo artists 10 times and by male solo artists nine.

Adele 30 set to win big

Adele 30 is likely to sweep the board next year as the British singing sensation returns with her jaw-dropping new album.

The album 30 is on course to have the biggest opening sales week of 2021 and will is likely to put her in best position to win both album of the year and the best artist prize.

Other changes to Brit Awards

The Brit Awards is set to reintroduce genre-based prizes for the first time since 2006. Covering pop, rock, dance and rap, the awards will be voted for by fans – a departure for The Brits, which typically distributes prizes based on votes from music industry insiders.

Voting for the Brit awards opens on 10 December and Brit Awards 2022 is set to take place on 8 February 2022 at London’s O2 arena – hosted by Mo Gilligan who will take over from Jack Whitehall.

Adele review, 30: Patron saint of heartbreak licks her wounds in a divorce album that takes risks

Cardi B makes stunning entrance to American Music Awards 2021 in striking gold mask

……………………

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARE WTX NEWS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY:

Facebook – Please like our page

Twitter – Twitter updates available in English and Arabic. Please follow us and we would love to hear from you

Instagram – Follow our pages in English and Arabic