BREAKING NEWS
By Steven McIntosh
Entertainment reporter
Singer Shaznay Lewis has mentioned it “would not feel just that feminine artists possess suffered” as a outcomes of category changes at the Brit Awards.
Best male and best feminine possess been merged into one best artist category to permit non-binary acts to compete.
However, the shortlist for this 365 days’s best artist prize is all-male.
Lewis, who won two Brits as a member of All Saints, welcomed the awards body’s intentions, however mentioned: “Revolutionary tips ought to restful profit everyone.”
Writing in the Radio Times, she mentioned: “How can that be the case if we produce no longer acknowledge feminine artists, who’re symbols of empowerment to millions of young aspiring females?”
The singer and songwriter described the category change as a “welcome and just appropriate-searching step” for recognising expertise despite an artist’s gender.
However, she persisted: “If the Brits are supposed to be accolades for all, how will we follow a category that this 365 days has excluded half of the population, females? I’m hoping it may presumably presumably no longer be the case in 2024.”
Adele used to be the first winner of the newly-titled artist of the 365 days category in 2022, following the start of her fourth album 30.
She mentioned in her acceptance speech: “I label why the identify of this award has modified however I truly admire being a woman and being a feminine artist. I’m truly proud of us.”
This 365 days, the best artist nominees are Fred All over again, Central Cee, George Ezra, Stormzy and Harry Styles.
Feminine artists comparable to Charli XCX and Florence + The Machine overlooked out, though acts love Wet Leg, Nova Twins and Cat Burns are recognised in thoroughly different categories.
Lewis mentioned: “Girls, predictably, possess suffered as a consequence [of merging the categories]. It would not feel just.”
She puzzled why females faced being “brushed aside and excluded”, and requested whether it used to be because of feminine artists possess been no longer viewed as “equally bankable” by the song change.
Brits organisers mentioned the changes possess been made because of “it used to be time to development to judging artists completely on the quality and recognition of their work, in space of on who they’re, or how they settle on to identify”.
They mentioned 42% of nominations this 365 days featured females, however that a key component at the lend a hand of the best artist shortlist used to be “unfortunately, there possess been moderately few commercially worthwhile releases by females in 2022 compared to those by males”.
A press start on Monday added: “We recognise this elements to wider issues around the illustration of females in song that have to additionally be addressed.”
Organisers enact an annual review of the awards, they mentioned, adding that they may look the artist of the 365 days depend on after this 365 days’s ceremony on Saturday.
“We’re wholeheartedly committed to a idea-about review of the categories over the immediate months following this 365 days’s event, and it would encompass change consultation and dialogue, per what we instigated over the previous five years, with any conclusions and actions made forward of the 2024 event.”
However, they advised beyond regular time will probably be wanted to evaluate whether females are at a disadvantage.
The assertion mentioned: “We mediate that any changes made to award categories desires to be fastidiously evaluated over time. Final 365 days Adele used to be voted the inaugural AOTY, and females triumphed in 10 out of the 15 categories.”
All Saints won best single and best video for their hit Never Ever at the Brit Awards in 1998.
Each categories possess been gender impartial and saw the girl team compete against male acts comparable to Elton John, Blur, Radiohead, Oasis and David Bowie.
However, the existence of gendered categories that 365 days meant there possess been thoroughly different guaranteed feminine winners, with Shola Ama winning best British feminine solo artist and Bjork winning best global feminine.
Lewis mentioned the team possess been vastly proud of their accomplishment, writing: “We played a critical section in guaranteeing that the Brits used to be a home for females to thrive. Is that also the case?”
The 2 awards won by All Saints possess been voted for by the overall public – however many of the winners and nominees at the ceremony are chosen by the Brits Balloting Academy, which is made up of about 1,200 contributors.