After Brits scrap gender categories, not ONE female act is up for top gong
THE decision to abolish gender categories at the Brit Awards raised concerns that female acts would miss out on top gongs.
And now those fears have been realised, with male acts dominating the top nominations this year.
Bosses scrapped ‘male’ and ‘female’ categories last year to be ‘inclusive and relevant’, after non-binary musicians – who identify as neither male nor female – said they felt excluded.
now not a single woman has been nominated for the artist of the year award, which will go to either Harry Styles, George Ezra, Stormzy, DJ and producer Fred Again or rapper Central CEE. Styles, Stormzy and Fred Again – real name Fred Gibson – are also up for album of the year, alongside The 1975 and indie duo Wet Leg, who are the only female act in the category.
The list of nominations in 12 categories – unveiled yesterday – features 15 female acts and 28 men or all-male groups, excluding mixed-gender bands. Styles and Wet Leg lead this year’s nominations with four each. The proportion of female nominations this year is 42 per cent, down on 46 per cent last year and 43 per cent in 2021.
BBC music correspondent Mark Savage said it was a ‘travesty that no female artists are up for best artist’, while a spokesman for campaign group Fair Play For Women said: ‘Genderneutral doesn’t benefit women.’
A Brits spokesman said ‘while it’s disappointing there are no nominations in the artist of the year category... 2022 saw fewer high-profile women artists in cycle with major releases’.