The 2021 BRIT Awards have just wrapped up – taking place in person! – and it turned out to be quite the history-making event.
Dua Lipa walked away the evening’s big winner, taking home the Mastercard Album of the Year for her second studio album Future Nostalgia.
She also took home the award for Best Female Artist, beating out competition from the likes of Arlo Parks, Jessie Ware and Lianna La Havas.
Upon receiving the award she dedicated the win to nurse and healthcare administrator Dame Elizabeth Anionwu and thanked the audience of 2,500 essential workers saying, “It’s very good to clap for [frontline NHS staff], but we need to pay them.”
Elsewhere, Little Mix became the first female group to win the Best British Group prize in the history of the awards.
The award for Best International Group went to HAIM, Billie Eilish took out the Best International Female Artist award, pop singer Griff won the Rising Star, the prize for Breakthrough Artist award went to 20-year-old British singer-songwriter and poet Arlo Parks while Taylor Swift picked up the Global Icon award, becoming the first ever women to do so. The award’s previous recipients include David Bowie and Elton John.
2021 pop darling Harry Styles walked away with the award for Best British Single for his summer jam ‘Watermelon Sugar’ while east London rapper J Hus was named Best British male. Following his infamous snub by the Grammy Awards this year, The Weeknd was recognised by The 2021 BRIT Awards as Best International male, beating the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Burna Boy, Childish Gambino and our own Tame Impala.
The 2021 Brit Awards marked the UK’s first large-scale indoor event to be held as part of a government-driven research initiative into the safe return of crowded indoor events, with scientists on hand to monitor areas of transmission or contamination.
“The learnings that the government will get out of this will be very important and hopefully will allow them to inform their approach and policy going forward,” said an Awards spokesperson.
See the full list of winners and nominees here below.
2021 BRIT Awards Winners & Nominees
Best Album
Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams
Celeste – Not Your Muse
WINNER: Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
J Hus – Big Conspiracy
Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure?
Best British Female
Arlo Parks
Celeste
WINNER: Dua Lipa
Jessie Ware
Lianne La Havas
Best British Male
AJ Tracey
Headie One
WINNER: J Hus
Joel Corry
Yungblud
Best British Group
Bicep
Biffy Clyro
WINNER: Little Mix
The 1975
Young T & Bugsey
Breakthrough Artist
WINNER: Arlo Parks
Bicep
Celeste
Joel Corry
Young T & Bugsey
Best British Single
220 Kid & Gracey – Don’t Need Love
Aitch & AJ Tracey ft Tae Keith – Rain
Dua Lipa – Physical
WINNER: Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar
Headie One ft AJ Tracey & Stormzy – Ain’t It Different
Joel Corry ft MNEK – Head & Heart
Nathan Dawe ft KSI – Lighter
Regard with Raye – Secrets
Simba ft DTG – Rover
Young T & Bugsey ft Headie One – Don’t Rush
International Female
Ariana Grande
WINNER: Billie Eilish
Cardi B
Miley Cyrus
Taylor Swift
International Male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Childish Gambino
Tame Impala
WINNER: The Weeknd
International Group
BTS
Fontaines DC
Foo Fighters
WINNER: Haim
Run The Jewels
Rising Star Award
WINNER: Griff
Pa Salieu
Rina Sawayama
Global Icon
WINNER: Taylor Swift