Image Source: HITS Daily Double, The Bharat Express News, iStock

The 42nd BRIT Awards was held on 8th February 2022 at The O2 Arena in London and was hosted by British comedian Mo Gilligan for the first time. The BRIT Awards are conducted to recognize the best in British and International music. In 2021 November, it was announced by BPI that the BRIT Awards will no longer use gendered categories stating, "To recognize artists solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify or as others may see them, as part of the Brits’ commitment to evolving the show to be as inclusive and as relevant as possible." And to compensate for the removal of the gendered award, the BPI revived the award categories for Best Alternative/Rock Act, Dance Act, Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act, and Pop/R&B Act which were voted via TikTok.

Image Source: Daily Record 

The winners of the 42nd BRIT Awards are:

Artist of the Year- Adele

Group- Wolf Alice

BRITs Rising Star- Holly Humberston

Song of the Year- Adele – ‘Easy On Me’

Best New Artist- Little Simz

Mastercard Album of the Year- Adele- ‘30’

Best Rock/Alternative Act- Sam Fender

Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act- Dave

Best Dance Act- Becky Hill

Best Pop/R&B Act- Dua Lipa

International Artist- Billie Eilish

International Group- Silk Sonic/Bruno Mars/Anderson .Paak

International Song of the Year- Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Good 4 U’

Songwriter of the Year- Ed Sheeran

Producer of the Year- Inflo

Adele who took the world by storm in 2021 as she returned to the limelight with her new album '30', was presented with the prestigious Mastercard Album of the Year for the third time. She had previously won the Mastercard Album of the Year award for her previous two albums in 2012 and 2016 and becomes the solo artist in BRITs history to have won this award three times. The singer also became the first-ever recipient of the BRITs' inaugural Artist of the Year award, with her third victory claimed with the win for Song of the Year for Easy On Me.

While accepting the award for Song of the Year, Adele said, “I’d like to dedicate this award to my son and to Simon, his dad. This album was all of our journey, not just mine. I’m very proud of myself for sticking to my guns and putting out an album that was about something so personal to me because not many people do stuff like that anymore. My son has been so gracious and kind and patient with me over the last couple of years and it’s for him. Someone that was absolutely integral to this album is producer of the year this year, his name is Inflo. He really changed my life, not just with my music but he really helped me in so many ways. Flo, I love you — this is for you as well”.

Little Simz who won the award for Best New Artist brought her mother on-stage and said while accepting the award and later handing it over to her mother, "Look at what you've done, Mum. Look at what you've done. Thank you to everyone who supported me on this journey so far. Anyone that is watching this at home, I am living proof that if you work hard at something - no matter where you come from, no matter your background, no matter your race. You can do something extraordinary. So this is for all the kids dreaming. Keep dreaming, keep pushing. I am you, you are me. Blessings".

Ed Sheeran who won the award for Songwriter of the Year said while accepting the award, "Because it's a songwriting prize I really really wouldn't be here without the fantastic people I get to work with, so thank you to all of them. But also my wife Cherry, who at the drop of the hat will come to the middle of nowhere to a really secluded studio and live in-house and be so supportive while we just make songs and songs and songs. So thank you, you're the best." He also thanked his record companies and collaborators for their support and trust in him.

Becky Hill said "I just want to say, this was fan-voted for and in the two weeks that people could vote for I have never been so heart-warmed and touched by all of my fans who just wanted to see me do well and support me. Thank you so much for making this a possibility for me", while accepting the award for her Best Dance Act.

The presenters at the 42nd BRIT Awards included Courtney Cox and Johnny McDaid, Brian Cox, Vicky McClure, Jodie Whittaker, Mo Farah, Tom Daley, and Ronnie Wood. The show was streamed on YouTube.