RAYE was the big winner at the 2024 Brit Awards, winning a record six awards – artist of the year, album of the year for My 21st Century Blues, song of the year for “Escapism” (featuring 070 Shake), R&B act, new artist and songwriter of the year. This breaks the old record of four awards in one night, held jointly by Harry Styles (2023), Adele (2016) and Blur (1995). Adele and Styles had won artist of the year the last two years. RAYE is not yet in their league as a global superstar, but after this strong show of support in her home country, she is on her way.
RAYE sobbed as she won the album of the year award, saying, “You just don’t understand what this means to me. … I’m ugly-crying on national television. All I ever wanted to be was an artist. And now I’m an artist with an album of the year.”
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“Escapism,” which reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and climbed as high as No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, is the first collaboration to win song of the year since “One Kiss” by Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa five years ago. (Harris and Lipa were both winners on this night, as well.)
The Brits were held at The O2 arena in London on Saturday (March 2). Clara Amfo, Maya Jama and Roman Kemp co-hosted the ceremony.
The Brits report that “three-quarters of award wins [featured] women and non-binary people.” Female artists made a clean sweep of the three awards for international artists (that is, artists who hail from outside the U.K.).
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” won international song of the year, coming out on top in a 15-entry field. (Memo to the Brits: 15 is way too many nominees.) “Flowers” was named the top-selling global single of 2023 by IFPI earlier this week. It won the Grammy for record of the year on Feb. 4. This is the third consecutive year that this Brit Award has gone to a No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. The award had gone the last two years to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4U” and Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.”
SZA won international artist of the year, beating a very strong field which also included Cyrus, Rodrigo, Kylie Minogue and Taylor Swift. Swift had topped SZA to win the Grammy for album of the year.
Boygenius won international group of the year. They are the fifth all-female group to win in this category, following The Bangles (1987), TLC (2000), Destiny’s Child (2002) and HAIM (2021).
The Last Dinner Party won the rising star award. They are the first all-female group to win in the category, which was first presented in 2008.
The pop/R&B act category was split in two this year — pop act, which went to Dua Lipa, and British R&B act, which went to RAYE. Lipa had won in the combined pop/R&B category two years ago. This was her seventh career Brit Award.
Calvin Harris won dance act, beating Becky Hill, who had won in that category the last two years. In accepting the award, Harris praised Ellie Goulding, with whom he teamed on “Miracle,” a song of the year nominee.
Chase & Status are this year’s Producer of the Year winners. The electronic music duo, consisting of Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status), was also nominated for group of the year. They have produced not only their own releases, but the works of such other acts as Becky Hill, Rihanna, Rita Ora and Tinie Tempah. Chase & Status are the fourth multi-person production team to win Producer of the Year, following Stock Aitken Waterman (1988), Chris Potter, The Verve & Youth (1998) and Alan Moulder & Flood (2014).
Central Cee and J Hus, which had finished second to RAYE in the nominations count with four nods each, were shut out on the night.
Here’s the complete list of 2024 Brit Awards nominees, with winners marked.
Mastercard album of the year
Blur, The Ballad of Darren, Parlophone/Warner Music
J Hus, Beautiful and Brutal Yard, Black Butter/Sony Music
Little Simz, NO THANK YOU, Forever Living Originals/AWAL
WINNER: RAYE, My 21st Century Blues, Human Re Sources/The Orchard
Young Fathers, Heavy Heavy, Ninja Tune
Artist of the year
Arlo Parks, Transgressive
Central Cee, Columbia Records/Sony Music
Dave, Neighbourhood/Live Yours
Dua Lipa, Warner Records/Warner Music
Fred Again.., Atlantic/Warner Music
J Hus, Black Butter/Sony Music
Jessie Ware, EMI / Universal Music UK
Little Simz, Forever Living Originals/AWAL
Olivia Dean, EMI/Universal Music UK
WINNER: RAYE, Human Re Sources/The Orchard
Group of the year
Blur, Parlophone/Warner Music
Chase & Status, EMI/Universal Music UK
Headie One & K-Trap, One Records & Thousand8/The Orchard
WINNER: Jungle, Caiola/AWAL
Young Fathers, Ninja Tune
Best new artist
Mahalia, Asylum/Atlantic Records/Warner Music
Olivia Dean, EMI/Universal Music UK
PinkPantheress, Warner Records/Warner Music
WINNER: RAYE, Human Re Sources/The Orchard
Yussef Dayes, Brownswood Records/ADA/Warner Music
Song of the year
“Miracle,” Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding, Sony Music/Universal Music UK
“Prada,” cassö/RAYE/D-Block Europe, Ministry Of Sound/Sony Music
“Let Go,” Central Cee, Columbia Records/Sony Music
“Sprinter,” Dave & Central Cee, Neighbourhood/Live Yours
“Dance the Night,” Dua Lipa, Atlantic Records/Warner Music
“Eyes Closed,” Ed Sheeran, Asylum/Atlantic Records/Warner Music
“Who Told You,” J Hus Ft Drake, Sony Music/Universal Music
“Strangers,” Kenya Grace, Warner Music
“Wish You the Best,” Lewis Capaldi, EMI/Universal Music Group
“Boy’s a Liar,” PinkPantheress, Warner Records/Warner Music
WINNER: “Escapism,” RAYE ft 070 Shake, Human Re Sources/The Orchard
“Dancing Is Healing,” Rudimental/Charlotte Plank/Vibe Chemistry, Columbia/Sony Music
“Firebabe,” Stormzy Ft Debbie, #Merky Records/0207 Records/Universal Music UK
“REACT,” Switch Disco & Ella Henderson, Relentless Records/Sony Music
“Messy in Heaven,” Venbee & Goddard, Room 2/Columbia Records/Sony Music
International artist of the year
Asake, YBNL Nation/Pri.me
Burna Boy, Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records
Caroline Polachek, Perpetual Novice/The Orchard
CMAT, CMATBABY/AWAL
Kylie Minogue, BMG Records
Lana Del Rey, Polydor/Universal Music UK
Miley Cyrus, Columbia/Sony Music
Olivia Rodrigo, Polydor/Geffen/Universal Music Group
WINNER: SZA, RCA/Sony Music
Taylor Swift, EMI/Republic/Universal Music Group
International group of the year
Blink-182, Columbia/Sony Music
WINNER: Boygenius, Polydor/Interscope/Universal Music Group
Foo Fighters, Columbia/Sony Music
Gabriels, Parlophone/Warner Music
Paramore, Atlantic/Warner Music
International song of the year
“What Was I Made For?,” Billie Eilish, Darkroom/Interscope/Polydor/Universal Music Group
“Daylight,” David Kushner, Miserable Music/Virgin Music Group/Universal Music Group
“Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat, RCA/Sony Music
“Giving Me,” Jazzy, CHAOS/Polydor/Universal Music UK
“People,” Libianca,5k Records/Sony Music
“Made You Look,” Meghan Trainor, Epic Records/Sony Music
WINNER: “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Columbia Records/Sony Music
“Stick Season,” Noah Kahan, Mercury Records/Republic Records/Island UK/Universal Music Group
“Miss You,” Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz, Atlantic Records / Warner Music
“vampire,” Olivia Rodrigo, Polydor/Geffen/Universal Music Group
“(It Goes Like) Nanana,” Peggy Gou, XL Recordings
“Calm Down,” Rema, Mavin Records/Jonzing World/Virgin Music Group/Universal Music Group
“Kill Bill,” SZA, RCA/Sony Music
“greedy,” Tate McRae, RCA/Sony Music
“Water,” Tyla, Epic Records/Sony Music
Alternative/rock act
Blur, Parlophone/Warner Music
WINNER: Bring Me The Horizon, RCA/Sony Music
The Rolling Stones, Polydor/Universal Music UK
Young Fathers, Ninja Tune
Yussef Dayes, Brownswood Records/ADA/Warner Music
Hip-hop/grime/rap act
WINNER: CASISDEAD, XL Recordings
Central Cee, Columbia Records/Sony Music
Dave, Neighbourhood/Live Yours
J Hus, Black Butter/Sony Music
Little Simz, Forever Living Originals/AWAL
Dance act
Barry Can’t Swim, Ninja Tune
Becky Hill, Polydor/Universal Music UK
WINNER: Calvin Harris, Columbia/Sony Music
Fred again.., Atlantic/Warner
Romy, Young Recordings
Pop act
Calvin Harris, Columbia/Sony Music
Charli XCX, Atlantic/Warner Music
WINNER: Dua Lipa, Warner Records/Warner Music
Olivia Dean, EMI / Universal Music UK
RAYE, Human Re Sources/The Orchard
R&B act
Cleo Sol, Forever Living Originals
Jorja Smith, FAMM/The Orchard
Mahalia, Atlantic/Warner Music
WINNER: RAYE, Human Re Sources/The Orchard
SAULT, Forever Living Originals
Brits rising star
Caity Baser, EMI / Universal Music UK
Sekou, Island / Universal Music UK
WINNER: The Last Dinner Party, Island / Universal Music UK
Producer of the Year
Winner: Chase & Status
Songwriter of the Year
Winner: RAYE
Global Icon Award
Winner: Kylie Minogue