There are early indications of a positive impact for several winners at the 2019 BRIT Awards.
While ITV ratings dipped from 4.5 million last year to 4.1m, the ceremony remains the most high-profile UK music awards show. It also upped the production values this year, according to BPI and BRIT Awards chief executive Geoff Taylor.
Based on just over 24 hours of chart data, acts who won and played at the show on Wednesday (February 20) have already enjoyed a sales boost.
The 1975 were double winners on the night – British Group and Mastercard British Album Of The Year – and performed Sincerity Is Scary. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (Dirty Hit/Polydor), which peaked at No.1 in December, rallies on the chart 41-23 with weekly sales of 2,996 (up 38.4%).
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is now officially a gold album, with OCC sales to date of 100,562. Sales flashes earlier in the week showed a slight decline in the week-on-week performance, but that picked up even in the hours after the show and accelerated on Thursday (February 21).
While Tom Walker didn’t perform at the BRITs, he’s clearly benefitted from his nomination and surprise win in the British Breakthrough Act category ahead of Jorja Smith, Mabel, Idles and Ella Mai.
Walker’s now cracked the Top 20 with his single Just You & I (Relentless), which races 30-19 on sales of 17,014, up 26.9% week-on-week. It has OCC sales to date of 208,137. Just You & I has also become Walker’s biggest radio airplay hit following the BRITs. On the latest airplay chart, it moves 19-6 with a 67.35% increase in plays, with support from both BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2.
Leave A Light On, the smash that helped Walker secure Music Week’s Sync Artist Of The Year title last year, re-enters the Top 75 (76-49) on sales of 10,771, up 63%. It has sales to date of 873,545
Both singles were already performing strongly based on sales flashes prior to the BRITs, but the win seems likely to have maintained Walker’s momentum. It certainly bodes well for the timely March 1 release of Walker’s debut album, What A Time To Be Alive.
Following her performance and win for British Solo Female Artist, Jorja Smith is already enjoying a sales impact for Lost & Found (Famm/The Orchard). Weekly sales for her debut album - it peaked at No.3 last summer - have rocketed 80.3% to 2,012, as the album moves 112-47.
George Ezra, winner of the BRIT for British Male Solo Artist, experiences a modest sales lift of 0.7% (8,464 units) for sophomore album Staying At Tamara’s (Columbia). Weekly sales were down slightly in earlier sales flashes, which indicates a small BRITs boost for the album (786,568 OCC sales to date). Staying At Tamara’s moves 7-5, while Shotgun – performed at the ceremony with a brass band – advances 32-27 on sales of 15,057 (up 14.6%).
Dua Lipa’s self-titled debut (Warner Bros) is down 14-15 – but weekly sales are up 2.9% (4,543) following her performance at the BRITs. One Kiss, the Calvin Harris collaboration that won British Single, increases consumption by 19.3% (7,774 sales) as it advances 78-69.
Harris’ other collaborations also make gains, following the medley of hits at the BRITs. Giant, the current single with Columbia label mate Rag‘N’Bone Man, moves 6-4 on weekly sales of 50,902 (up 12.2%). Promises, powered by a Sam Smith vocal, is steady at No.50 but consumption is up 9.1%.
Little Mix’s sales for the LM5 album (RCA) decline following their performance, while British Artist Video-winning Woman Like Me feat. Nicki Minaj falls 82-88 on a slight sales increase. But new single Think About Us feat. Ty Dolla $ign advances 49-26 on consumption of 15,084 (up 47.1%).
Hugh Jackman’s bravura opening performance at the BRITs doesn’t yet seem to have encouraged many of those ITV viewers to check out The Greatest Showman OST (Atlantic). Weekly sales were down 9.9% at 15,936, though it held on at No.2.
Ed Sheeran didn’t collect his Global Success award, so his low-key video message never seemed likely to impact sales for Divide (Asylum/Atlantic). Nevertheless, it’s up 8% week-on-week at 5,148 units to hold steady at No.11 (its sales were already up in the days prior to the BRITs).
There’s no apparent impact for winners in the international categories, which is unsurprising as they failed to make an appearance.
But Outstanding Contribution recipient Pink has experienced an early BRITs boost on the albums chart. Greatest Hits – So Far (RCA) jumps 99-55 on sales of 1,848 (up 50.8%), while her most recent LP Beautiful Trauma re-enters at No.145 on fairly modest sales. The album has sales to date of 516,087.
See the new issue of Music Week on Monday (February 25) for our full BRIT Awards 2019 coverage.
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