DUA LIPA, TAYLOR SWIFT SWEEP TOP BRITISH AWARDS

Dua Lipa won the coveted British Album of the Year prize at the Brit Awards on Tuesday, in a ceremony that saw women artistes dominate the mixed categories.

Around 4,000 guests streamed into London’s O2 Arena for the biggest night in British pop music, as the ceremony welcomed guests for the first time in two years as part of the government’s pilot scheme easing coronavirus restrictions.

Little Mix won best British group - becoming the first female act ever to do so. Singer and poet Arlo Parks took the Breakthrough Artist award, and best international group went to the American band HAIM.

In another history-making moment, Taylor Swift became the first woman winner of the global icon award, for what organisers said was “her immense impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date”.