The Brat Awards

So last night (1st March 2025) the Brits rolled around again. The biggest night for British music, this year was a year free from controversy for the most part. However, that did not mean that the biggest artists of the evening didn't use their voices as a platform for good. 

'Rising Star' Myles Smith, 'British Group' Ezra Collective and 'Best New Artist' The Last Dinner Party used there speeches to talk about grass roots music. 

Myles Smith addresed the room with three questions. "If British music is one of the most powerful cultural exports we have, why have you treated it like an afterthought for so many years?”

“How many more venues need to close? How many more music programmes need to be cut before we realise that we can’t just celebrate success, you have to protect the foundations that make it?

“My second is to the biggest venues in the country and around the world: If artists selling out your arenas and your stadiums started in grassroots venues, what are you doing to keep them alive?

“And my third, to the industry, to the execs in the room, and to the people behind the scenes: Are we building careers or are we just chasing moments?
“Because moments fade and careers take time, so please stick with artists past their first viral hit, please stick with artists past their first tour, because it really matters to us, and moments, they fade, but careers last forever.”

Ezra Collective also appealed for government support, in particular with support for youth clubs and music education, saying: “So many of the problems that face greater society in the UK, we’re unsure of how to fix, but the solution likes with giving a young person a trumpet, a saxophone – because when you do that you give them an aspiration, a goal.”

It was a history making award for Ezra Collective as they became the first jazz group to win a Brit Award, in 2023 they also became the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize. 

The Last Dinner Party echoed his statement about grass roots venues asking the bigger more established venues to support those at the bottom warning those that if we didn't we would continue to lose them at the alarming rate we currently are. All of the artists on the bill last night had to start somewhere. 

It was an important message that needed to be echoed. Music in Britain has been treated as an after thought for numerous years. Those venues have aided the rise of all of the greats. Oasis in the Boardwalk, Arctic Monkeys in The Grapes, The Beatles in The Cavern, there's so many of the venues that have now gone, and many more will follow if steps aren't taken to protect them. 

There has been progress with the grass roots levy, implemented by artists like Sam Fender however, there is definitely more that can be done.

Talking of Sam Fender. 

He collected his third Brit last night, picking up the award or Best Alternative/Rock Act, following the release of his new album 'People Watching'

During his speech, he thanked his fans who he claimed were "the best in the world" as well as his band mates, who he said “without I’m just a mad person shouting at walls.”

Fender also took a moment to pay tribute to his hometown of North Shields. Sam later took to the stage to play the lead single and title track from his new album 'People Watching'. 

Sam was deserving of the award, he's had quite a manic few months. A sold out arena tour, announcing stadium shows this summer, the ever looming Glastonbury headline rumours. As for his latest album it landed the biggest UK opening week for a British act since Harry Styles‘ ‘Harry’s House‘. It also marked his biggest ever opening week, selling more units than 2019’s debut ‘Hypersonic Missiles‘ and 2021’s ‘Seventeen Going Under‘ combined.

He joins only eight other artists who have managed 100,000 UK albums sales in a week this decade – Taylor Swift, Adele, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Take That, ABBA and Arctic Monkeys. ‘People Watching’ has also become the fastest-selling vinyl album by a British act this century.

Fontaines DC scooped their second Brit Award, winning 'International Group' just as they had done in 2023.

The band were unable to attend the ceremony due to being on tour in Australia, the band said in a recorded message “We weren’t expecting to get it, this year in particular we’re up against some great people in that category. Amyl (and the Sniffers) – one of the most inspiring bands at the moment”.

However one artist stole the show. Charli XCX won Five Brit's this year, including four on the night. Taking home 'Album of the Year' for 'Brat', 'Song of the Year' for 'Guess' featuring Billie Eilish, 'British Artist of the Year' and 'Best Dance Act'. Before the show she was also named Songwriter of the Year. 

What Charli did last year with Brat is nothing short of phenomenal. It gave rise to a cultural movement "Brat summer" she managed to even infiltrate the American election campaign declaring that Democrat candiate Kamala Harris, was 'Brat'

Brat topped the UK chart and has spent 38 weeks in the Top 20, and was critically acclaimed for its range: between the club bangers lay a series of thoughtful, romantic and emotionally raw tracks that laid bare Charli’s anxieties about fame and potential motherhood. It was also a success in the US, reaching No 3 and winning three Grammys.

She thanked some of her dance music heroes – resulting in probably the first mention of Autechre at the Brit awards – as well as Eilish for turning her contribution to 'Guess' around in a handful of days, saying: “Not all artists are spontaneous, despite claiming that they are.” On winning album of the year, she said: “I’ve always felt like an outsider ... particularly in the British music industry. So it feels really nice to be recognised on this album, when I haven’t made any sacrifices.” She told her fellow artists: “You don’t need to compromise your vision.”

'Brat' proved that Charli ripped up the pop rule book, and ended up having her biggest and most succesful album to date.

I was quite vocal about the Brits last year. In my opinion they got a few awards wrong. I still don't think Raye deserved six awards. I know Charli won five, and other than maybe songwriter of the year could you argue any of them. In my opinion probably not. 

Last night celebrated some brilliant music, both with the awards and performances. Sam Fender launched the 'People Watching' era. The Last Dinner Party proved themselves to be one of Britain's most interesting bands. Lola Young performed her smash hit 'Messy'.

Sabrina Carpenter played her brilliant pop song about coffee to a nation of tea drinkers, with one of the awards most racy performances ever. It was a good evening for Sabrina being the first act of the evening and having already won the Global Success Award. She was also nominated for two further prizes  for International Artist Of The Year and International Song Of The Year for ‘Espresso’, but lost out to Chappell Roan for both.

The performance caused some controversy, being played before the 9pm watershed. You can imagine Ofcom got a few complaints.

Other than Hip-hop/grime/rap which Stormzy admitted himself on stage he probably didn't deserve. Sauing that Central Cee should have won it. There was no major shocks or upsets, Ezra Collective beat out Coldplay, The Cure, Bring me the Horizon, and The Last Dinner Party. However, it wasn't like a complete unknown had won it, the band are Mercury Prize, winners and have made the jump into arenas. 

All in all a rather good evening, where the great and good of British music was celebrated. 

Thank you for reading.