Female acts have dominated this year’s Brit Awards, with Little Mix and Dua Lipa among the big winners and Taylor Swift making a surprise appearance – at a ceremony which saw artists calling out sexism and a lack of diversity in the music industry.
Winners at the show – the UK’s first major indoor live music event in more than a year, held without masks and social distancing as part of a COVID-19 test scheme – also paid tribute to key workers in their acceptance speeches.
For Little Mix, the night was history making, as they became the first female band in 41 years of the Brits to win the best group award.
Little Mix made history with their best group gong
US star Taylor Swift was named global icon and appeared in person to collect her prize
Dua Lipa was named best female solo artist and also won best album for Future Nostalgia, while Haim were named best international group and Arlo Parks picked up the breakthrough prize.
And rather than appearing virtually, US superstar Taylor Swift took to the stage in person to collect her previously announced global icon award.
The event, which featured an audience of 4,000 people – including 2,500 key workers – marked the return of live music to London’s O2 Arena after 14 months.