Taking place at The O2, and hosted by Mo Gilligan, the BRIT Awards 2023 saw its fair share of glitzy attire and foul-mouthed speechmaking. But it would be Styles and Wet Leg who ultimately took home the spoils when it came to the awards – with Beyoncé also adding a few gongs to her glittering collection via some of the night’s international awards.
Styles took home four awards in total, including two of the most coveted prizes – Album of the Year, for Harry’s House, and Artist of the year – in addition to Song of the Year (‘As It Was’) and the rather oddly combined award for Best Pop/RnB Act.
Upon receiving his Artist of the Year award, the former One Direction singer said he was “aware of his privilege”, before dedicating the accolade to five female acts, all of whom were noticeably overlooked in the category this year: Rina Sawayama, Charli XCX, Florence Welch, Mabel and Becky Hill.
Styles’ words were a not-so-subtle reference to his acceptance speech at last week’s Grammys, where he’d said his win for Best Album “doesn’t happen to people like me very often”.
Elsewhere, indie-rockers Wet Leg continue their fine award-winning ascendancy by taking home the spoils in the Best New Artist and Best British Group categories. The Isle of Wight outfit likewise had a successful Grammys last weekend, where they’d picked up awards for Best Alternative Album and Best Alternative Music Performance.
Other notable wins from the evening were for Manchester rapper Aitch (Best Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap), The 1975 (Best Rock/Alternative Act) and Becky Hill, who won Best British Dance Act for the second year in a row.
Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. won the award for International Group of the Year. (Although of course that pales in comparison to the prestigious prize whynow recently gave them of having the best album of last year with their sublime record Skinty Fia).
Elsewhere on the global stage, Beyoncé didn’t make an in-person appearance, but did send video messages to accept her two prizes for the night: International Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year, for ‘Break My Soul’, the lead single from her recent Renaissance album.
Among those who did make speeches on the night, there would be some fairly odd moments; not least This Country’s co-creator Daisy May Cooper’s joke about the Sugababes (which had to be muted for live broadcast), and Tom Grennan’s lewd comments about Ellie Goulding.
Simply obsessed with @samsmith's look #BRITs pic.twitter.com/bFjOtP5SJz
— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) February 11, 2023
Help. #BRITs pic.twitter.com/ETMJShhiAJ
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) February 11, 2023
And if that wasn’t enough for the evening’s quirks, there were some rather extraordinary outfits, too. Lizzo, for instance, arrived in full-length gold ruffle, and would later perform in an upturned pink, fluffy gown. Sam Smith, meanwhile, donned an inflatable, black latex bodysuit that looked ready to burst.
But enough of the night’s musings. Here’s the list of winners in full.
Album of the Year
Harry Styles – Harry’s House – WINNER
The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language
Fred Again – Actual Life 3
Stormzy – This Is What I Mean
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Artist of the Year
Harry Styles – WINNER
Central Cee
Fred Again
George Ezra
Stormzy
British Group
Wet Leg – WINNER
The 1975
Arctic Monkeys
Bad Boy Chiller Crew
Nova Twins
Best New Artist
Wet Leg – WINNER
Kojey Radical
Mimi Webb
Rina Sawayama
Sam Ryder
Song of the Year
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – WINNER
Aitch and Ashanti – “Baby”
Cat Burns – “Go”
Dave – “Starlight”
Ed Sheeran and Elton John – “Merry Christmas”
Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal – “BOTA (Baddest of Them All)”
George Ezra – “Green Green Grass”
Lewis Capaldi – “Forget Me”
LF System – “Afraid to Feel”
Sam Smith and Kim Petras – “Unholy”
International Artist of the Year
Beyoncé – WINNER
Burna Boy
Kendrick Lamar
Lizzo
Taylor Swift
Mo Gilligan was host for the second year in a row.
International Group of the Year
Fontaines DC – WINNER
Blackpink
Drake and 21 Savage
First Aid Kit
Gabriels
International Song of the Year
Beyonce – “Break My Soul” – WINNER
David Guetta and Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)”
Fireboy DML and Ed Sheeran – “Peru”
Cast of Disney’s Encanto – “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
Gayle – “ABCDEFU”
Jack Harlow – “First Class”
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
Lost Frequencies ft Calum Scott – “Where Are You Now”
One Republic – “I Ain’t Worried”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Alt/Rock (voted for by the public)
The 1975 – WINNER
Arctic Monkeys
Nova Twins
Tom Grennan
Wet Leg
Hip-hop/grime/rap (voted for by the public)
Aitch – WINNER
Central Cee
Dave
Loyle Carner
Stormzy
Dance (voted for by the public)
Becky Hill –WINNER
Bonobo
Calvin Harris
Eliza Rose
Fred Again
Pop/R&B (voted for by the public)
Harry Styles –WINNER
Cat Burns
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Sam Smith
