Now in its 40th year, the Brit Awards with Mastercard are back for what promises to be another rip-roaring ceremony at London’s O2 arena this February. As always, the music industry’s best and brightest will gather to celebrate the hottest acts of 2020, from the most exceptional solo artists to the songs that stole our hearts, with Jack Whitehall returning to host for the third time running. This year, however, the format of the awards has been shaken up, with a streamlined total of ten categories and longer performances than ever before. From precisely who will be performing to all the nominees (including GQ's predictions for who will come out top) here’s everything you need to know about the biggest night in British music. Want to see all the fun from the Brit Awards as it's happening? Head over to the GQ Vero channel, where we'll be posting exclusive interviews with the hottest attendees from the red carpet.
When are the Brit Awards?
The Brits will take place on Tuesday 18 February 2020 at The O2 Arena in London and will be televised live on ITV. You can watch all the coverage from the red carpet, with hosts Alice Levine and Clara Amfo, on ITV2 from 7-8pm. The awards will be broadcast live from 8-10pm on ITV1.
Who will perform?
As well as Sir Rod Stewart, who will close the ceremony, nominees Lizzo, Dave, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Stormzy, Mabel and Lewis Capaldi have been confirmed as performers at this year's Brits, promising a stellar night of music from the hottest artists in the world right now, as well as a true legend. With the exception International Solo Female shortlisted artists Lizzo and 18-year-old Eilish, who has recently been announced to do the next Bond theme, all of the performers up for multiple awards, making this line-up one of the most exciting in the Brit Awards history. The seven solo artists join Celeste, the winner of this year’s Rising Star award, on the bill Formerly Critic’s Choice, it’s the one accolade that is always announced ahead of the ceremony, with Sam Fender picking up the trophy last year – and Jorja Smith in 2018 – although this will be the first time that the winner has received a performance slot on the main show. If the soul singer’s standout turn on Jools Holland back in October is anything to go by, Celeste will certainly hold her own alongside the yet to be announced A-list line-up.
Will the Brit Awards be going gender neutral?
Contrary to speculation that the Brits would be going gender neutral in order to accommodate nonbinary artists – the report came a week after Sam Smith’s request to fans to call them by pronouns they/them, rather than he/ him – this year, there are still separate male and female categories for both British and international “best artists”. That said, the Brits has said it will be reviewing the way it distributes awards in future, so 2021 may well see the scrapping of gender-specific categories.
Who are the nominees?
There are ten Brit Awards in total this year – eight are British categories and two are international – meaning that nine will be announced on the night, given that Rising Star Celeste already has hers. The awards are voted for by the Brits Academy, which is a 1,500 strong collection of people from across the music business, from press to previous winners.
Mastercard British Album Of The Year
Up for the most prestigious award of the night is Stormzy – who won the award in 2017 – with Heavy Is The Head, Harry Styles for Fine Line, this year’s streaming star Lewis Capaldi’s Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, Michael Kiwanuka with Kiwanuka and GQ’s Breakthrough Artist Of The Year Dave for the Mercury Prize-winning Psychodrama.
GQ’s prediction: Although Scottish troubadour Capaldi has been the most commercially successful of the bunch with the biggest-selling record of last year, we’d wager that the Brits’ Voting Academy will agree with us that Dave’s Psychodrama was, in terms of ambition, execution and scope, the best album of 2019 (fun fact: Dave worked with the same producer and cowriter, Fraser T Smith, as Stormzy did on the Brit-winning Gang Signs And Prayers).
Group Of The Year
While there’s no international group this year, the Brit Awards is still paying homage to the best homegrown bands, with Coldplay, Foals, Bastille, rock outfit Bring Me The Horizon and rap duo D-Block Europe all shortlisted.
GQ’s prediction: As much as we love Coldplay here at GQ (sorry not sorry), the buzz around Foals peaked in 2019. Their fifth album, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1, was one of the most critically acclaimed records of the year, with a collection of atmospheric arena anthems about climate change that make the Oxford rock band a prime, thoroughly zeitgeist-tapping choice.
Female Solo Artist Of The Year
Presented in association with Amazon Music, the women up for this award are Mabel, Freya Ridings, FKA Twigs, Charli XCX and Mahalia.
GQ’s prediction: It’s a tough call, but we’re hedging our bets on FKA Twigs, if only because her second album, Magdalene – which received rave reviews back in September – is the most artistically impressive output from the shortlisted artists.
Male Solo Artist Of The Year
Up for best male are some serious heavyweights, from Harry Styles and Stormzy, to newcomers Dave and Lewis Capaldi, via singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka.
GQ’s prediction: Not only is Stormzy riding high on the success of his second album – the first UK No1 of the decade – he practically won 2019 with that historic Glastonbury performance, becoming one of the most talked about musicians in the world. Of all the thoroughly worthy acts shortlisted, no one deserves it more than Big Mike.
New Artist Of The Year
A stellar set of artists broke through into the mainstream last year, just as the calibre of this line-up proves: nominated are Manchester rapper Aitch, Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender and Solo Artist nominees Dave and Mabel.
GQ’s prediction: As strong as all the contenders are, it’s just got to be Lewis Capaldi, who, with 110 billion streams, was the biggest-selling artist of 2019. Watch out, Ed Sheeran.
Song Of The Year
Ed Sheeran’s “I Don’t Care” (featuring Justin Bieber), Mabel’s “Don’t Call Me Up”, “Giant” by Rag‘n’Bone Man and Calvin Harris, “Location” (featuring Burna Boy) by Dave, “Nothing Breaks Like A Heart” by Mark Ronson (featuring Miley Cyrus), Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved”, “Dancing With A Stranger” by Sam Smith and Normani, AJ Tracey’s “Ladbroke Grove”, Tom Walker’s “Just You And I” and Stormzy’s “Vossi Bop”.
GQ’s prediction: All ten nominated singles did astronomically well, but no track on this list had our toes tapping quite like Mark Ronson’s country-tinged “Nothing Breaks Like A Heart”.
International Male Artist Of The Year
Alongside three Americans – Bruce Springsteen, Post Malone and Tyler, The Creator – Irishman Dermot Kennedy and Nigeria’s Burna Boy have made the shortlist this year, making the category feel a little more global than it has in the past.
GQ’s prediction: Post Malone might be the obvious choice, but we’re backing Burna Boy, if only for the unprecedented way he’s taken African music global this year. Of particular note are the two massive British hits he’s featured on recently: Dave’s Brit-nominated “Location”, plus the first No1 single of 2020, Stormzy’s “Own It”, also featuring Ed Sheeran.
International Female Artist Of The Year
With Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello and Lana Del Rey all shortlisted, there looks set to be some formidable competition in this category.
GQ’s prediction: It’s an extremely close call, but given the seismic impact she’s had on the industry, particularly when it comes to representation, we think Lizzo will just about pip Billie Eilish to the post on this one.
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