Stormzy is stunned at top award as Brits are dominated by wearing of white roses
He two years ago criticised the Brit Awards for failing to acknowledge urban music stars.
Now Stormzy has been named best male solo artist at the annual celebration of UK music, fending off competition from seasoned Brits rivals Liam Gallagher and Ed Sheeran. The grime also took home the award for Best British Album.
Hosted by Jack Whitehall, this year’s Brit Awards also saw Dua Lipa pick up a string of awards, while fans enjoyed performances by artists including Justin Timberlake and Foo Fighters, as well as a surprise appearance from Gallagher, who replaced Ariana Grande in a tribute to the 22 victims of the Manchester terrorist attack last year.
Lipa – the first British female solo artist to be nominated in five categories – beat Paloma Faith, Jessie Ware, Kate Tempest and Laura Marling to be named Best British Female, as well as Breakthrough Artist. The musician paid tribute to female singers as she accepted her award from Kylie Minogue and Stranger Things star, 14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown.
The 22-year-old star dedicated her trophy to all the female musicians who “have allowed us to dream this big”. She said: “Here’s to more women on these stages, more women winning awards and more women taking over the world.”
Meanwhile, Scots DJ Calvin Harris, nominated for two awards this year, lost out to Rag’n’bone Man in the British single. Harris, from Dumfries, was among a host of stars who wore a white rose on the red carpet at the event at the O2 in London to support campaigns against sexual harassment and assault.
Stormzy appeared stunned as he accepted the award from Little Mix. He said: “I’m going to try … firstly, thank God, that’s the reason I’m here, that’s the reason why I’m able to do what I do.” Foo Fighters were announced by Anna Friel and Damian Lewis as the winners of the international group award, the fourth time they have scooped the prize, with singer Dave Grohl saying the band consider the UK to be “like a second home”. Damon Albarn made a politically-charged acceptance speech for the Gorillaz’s British Group award. He said: “Considering our size we do incredible things in music, we’ve got a real spirit and a real soul and don’t let politics get in the way of all that sh*t, alright?”
Sheer an performed Supermarketflowers, a ball ad about his late grandmother, before being presented with the Global Recognition award for his third album, Divide, which was the biggest album of 2017.
Ariana Grande was forced to pull out of a planned Manchester Arena bombing tribute performance at the awards due to illness. The singer, who was performing in Manchester in May when the attack took place, was replaced by Gallagher performing the Oasis classic Live Forever.
The notoriously outspoken Manchester singer had earlier this week suggested he was unlikely to attend the Brits ceremony, saying: “Get down there with your little f***ing suit on and put your arm around Stormzy and Rag’n’bone Man, do all this b **** cks? That ain’t me, mate.”
Introducing Gallagher last night, Gary Barlow commented on the “lives changed irreparably forever” by the attack and added: “A few weeks later, Ariana returned to host the One Love Manchester concert, helping the victims and survivors of the tragedy. The event epitomised the human spirit and showed hate will never win.”