The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)

Capaldi and Dave big winners at Brits

MUSIC AWARDS: Mabel, Stormzy and Billie Eilish also pick up gongs at 40th anniversar­y event at the O2 in London

- PRESS ASSOCIATIO­N

Lewis Capaldi and Dave were among the big winners at a male-dominated Brit Awards.

Glaswegian singer Capaldi took home the song of the year and best new artist awards, while Dave won the coveted album of the year gong for Psychodram­a.

The pair led the nomination­s prior to the ceremony, with both artists securing four nomination­s in the same categories.

No women won any of the awards which were not gender-specific after securing just four nomination­s out of a possible 25 in the categories.

After picking up the male solo artist award, Stormzy paid tribute to the women in his team.

He said: “To be the best male, I have got the most incredible females in my team. You lot are the greatest, the best male is nothing without the best females. I love you guys.”

It is only the fifth time best male has been won by a non-white artist.

The show featured performanc­es from artists including Billie Eilish, Capaldi, Dave, Stormzy and Sir Rod Stewart.

Mabel, who won the best female artist gong, opened the show at the O2 Arena with her song Don’t Call Me Up.

She said that it felt like a “full-circle” moment after her mother musician Neneh Cherry performed at the ceremony decades earlier. Prior to her performanc­e, she said on the red carpet: “It’s actually 30 years since my mum performed at the Brits and it’s just so amazing and such a lovely, sort of fullcircle moment.”

It is the 12th time best female has been won by a non-white artist.

Other winners included Billie Eilish, who won best internatio­nal female solo artist, and Tyler, The Creator, who scooped the equivalent male award.

Eilish, who performed her new James Bond soundtrack during the ceremony, said that London feels “like a second home” to her and that seeing the crowds made her emotional.

She said: “I have felt very hated recently.

“When I was on stage and I saw you guys all smiling at me it genuinely made me want to cry and I want to cry now.”

The ceremony, which was celebratin­g its 40th anniversar­y and hosted by Jack Whitehall, opened with a tribute to the late former Love Island host Caroline Flack, who was found dead on Saturday having taken her own life.

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