The O2 arena very much felt like Harry’s House when it came to the BRIT Awards 2023. The all-conquering Styles was, of course, the big winner, taking home Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Pop/R&B act. Beyoncé and Wet Leg, meanwhile, both claimed two awards respectively, with the Renaissance superstar claiming International Artist Of The Year and International Song Of The Year, and the indie breakout stars nabbing Group Of The Year and Best New Artist.
The biggest question going into the night was how the final winners list would actually play out given the controversy surrounding its all-male Artist Of The Year shortlist – featuring Central Cee, Fred Again.., George Ezra, Harry Styles and Stormzy – and the absence of R&B from its Pop/R&B category. You can revisit our BRITs 2023 digital cover story with showrunner Damian Chrsitian here for more context.
So how did it all shake out? Eventually, nine of the 15 awards on the night were won by male acts. And there were some strange decisions that didn’t particularly help balance this out in terms of show-time representation. Most notably the absence of Rising Star Winners FLO neither performing onstage like recent previous winners Holly Humberstone, Griff and Celeste, or even being given the chance to accept their award onstage – instead being presented with it on the Red Carpet. At a time when many people are concerned about the relative lack of breaking British talent, it seemed a no-brainer that the Island Records stars deserved their time to shine.
Elsewhere, moments of brilliance (see below) often rubbed shoulders with outright confusion during the evening, with an unexpected delay even forcing the show to re-run an Adele performance from last year at one point. Tom Grennan will presumably already be deeply regretting his gross remarks to Ellie Goulding – though the latter has taken to social media to defend him as a "gentleman" and a "great co-host". Lewis Capaldi, meanwhile, has already made light of accidentally being introduced by comedian Mo Gilligan as “Sam Capaldi”.
Held for the first time on a Saturday night, the awards show at The O2 aired live on ITV and ITVX, as well as via YouTube globally, we now wait and see if the move has helped boost ratings. Watch this space.
With six wins on the night, Sony Music came out as the top corporate group. Columbia were the top label, followed by Domino’s two wins via Wet Leg. On top of the latter, the indies also saw Partisan scoop one with Fontaines DC and Dirty Hit for The 1975, whose singer Matty Healy thanked "our small team who are doing great things" in an unusually measured – and short – speech.
Here, Music Week picks some standout moments from the biggest night in British music.
LEG IT
Wet Leg guitarist Joshua Mobaraki delivered the night’s political controversy when he added the words “fuck the Tories” as an addendum to the group’s second acceptance speech of the night. It, it turn, conjured one of the night's biggest rounds of applause. The Isle Of Wight band, led by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, had already been onstage twice, once to perform Chaise Longue and a second time to accept the Best New Artist award. Their performance was glorious, overblown Morris-dancing stage production (including people dressed in giant animal costumes – the owl was our favourite) adding gloss to all the things there are to love about Wet Leg’s sarcastic indie rock. What a delight to hear the guitars in Chaise Longue’s mid-section reverberate around The O2, turning it into a giant indie disco. Rhian Teasdale then quoted Alex Turner’s “that rock ‘n’ roll eh…” BRITs speech from 2014, when Wet Leg’s labelmates Arctic Monkeys won Album Of The Year. Teasdale also shouted out Domino, called out the industry “boys’ club” and paid tribute to the women on Team Wet Leg. A palpable sense of the weight of the occasion made her words hit home even harder. As they have done ever since they first emerged, Wet Leg stand apart in the UK music industry: weird, special, important and a force for good.
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Praise be for Lizzo, who brought the night’s outstanding performance, perhaps its best chorus in 2 Be Loved and 100% its best outfit. The giant pink fluffy collar that towered around her neck (from a distance it looked like it would function equally well as an armchair) was awesome, the perfect visual match to a performance that jolted the BRITs, an electric shock of bombastic pop. Introducing a medley from Special, Lizzo called the record “the best album ever” and why not? The title-track, 2 Be Loved and About Damn Time were colossal, the performance brilliantly OTT. The obligatory flute moment delivered, too. Hopefully, the assembled music execs learned a valuable lesson: all awards shows need more Lizzo.
YOU’RE A WIZARD, HARRY
Harry Styles likes a magical aesthetic, the campaigns for his last two records luxuriating in the idea that things aren’t always as they seem (giant fish, Harry as a mermaid, warped, Willy Wonka style press shots etc). At The BRITs, the singer dared you to wonder if in fact he is magic, taking home each award he was shortlisted for in a clean sweep. We first glimpsed him in the middle of the vast stage, spotlit and sparkling in a glittery red jacket. Soon, he’d be scampering up and down the stage, pirouetting, ducking and diving his way through As It Was, which, although a great way to start would have been even better at the end of the night – perhaps he should have just played it twice? Then, just like that, he was gone. We’d see him again, four times in fact, his acceptance speeches reminding us of real Harry, the Stanley Tucci fan who loves his family, his One Direction bandmates, the UK and his fans (“There is no place like home,” he said). The singer's team were part of the love-in too: Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson joined him onstage, while Rob Stringer got a shout-out for allowing them the use of his house to make Harry's House (as Johnson revealed in Music Week last year). Notably, referencing the fact that he triumphed in an all-male field, he ended his Artist Of The Year address with the words, “I’m very aware of my privilege so this award is for Rina, Charli, Florence, Mabel and Becky.” A reminder of the improvements The BRITs and the music industry must continue to make.
UNHOLY ROLLERS
Fun fact: Sam Smith provided one of the best moments of the BRITs 2023 before it even started. Rocking up to the red carpet wearing a ludicrously OTT inflatable black latex costume, it was a look that very much set the tone for what was to come. Smith may not have won on the night, but their performance of Unholy with Kim Petas was a riot. With a stage set-up that was half Kwik Fit, half BDSM dungeon, sparks flew – quite literally – as the duo brought one of 2022's most ubiquitous hits to life. For anyone saying awards performances are too safe these, this was Smith and Petras going all-out in the best way possible.
EYE OF THE STORMZ
In 2018, Stormzy delivered one of the best moments of any BRIT Awards: his rain-soaked, impassioned performance calling out then-Prime Minister Theresa May about Grenfell. His 2023 return was powerful, but in an altogether different way. Hide & Seek and I Got My Smile Back – like the album they belong to – showcase a much mellower sound, but still delivered intensity through sheer passion. Flanked by a brilliant, slowly-revealed backing band and choir, the effect was of a superstar baring his very deepest feelings to the nation. We all know he can get crowds moving, this was was a powerful reminder – not that any was needed, mind – that he can stir the soul, too.
ONE MORE TIME WITH FEELING
Excuse us for indulging our soppy side, but amidst the search for meaning, controversy, industry impact and all the rest of it, one question emerges. What, really, is the point of The BRITs? The answer lies in the moments of raw emotion that always seem to punctuate the night. Two from this year will live in the memory. First, the tremble in Becky Hill’s voice as she thanked the queer community and referenced her own “imposter syndrome” among the list of nominees in the dance category. Second, the smile that flickered across Cat Burns’ face as confetti fell around her at the climax of an unbridled performance of Go, a sad, fragile song that has grown into a giant pop moment, birthing a star in the process. These instances show what it means to be up there and long may they continue.
You can see the full list of winners below:
AWARD – BRITs RISING STAR
Winner – FLO
AWARD – SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Winner – Kid Harpoon
AWARD – HIP HOP/GRIME/RAP ACT
Winner – Aitch
AWARD – INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Winner – Beyoncé
AWARD – DANCE ACT
Winner – Becky Hill
AWARD – POP/R&B ACT
Winner – Harry Styles
AWARD – BEST NEW ARTIST
Winner – Wet Leg
AWARD – ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Winner – Harry Styles
AWARD – INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Winner – Fontaines D.C.
AWARD – GROUP OF THE YEAR
Winner – Wet Leg
AWARD – INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR
Winner – Beyoncé ‘Break My Soul’
AWARD – ALTERNATIVE/ROCK ACT
Winner – The 1975
AWARD – SONG OF THE YEAR
Winner – Harry Styles ‘As It Was’
AWARD – PRODUCER
Winner – David Guetta
AWARD – MASTERCARD ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner – Harry Styles ‘Harry’s House’
