The Brit Awards will no longer have separate male and female awards for best solo or best international act. Gender-specific categories will be replaced by two awards that are gender neutral: artist and international artist.
“The Brits have committed to making the show more inclusive,”According to organizers, the event will be held in Statement on Twitter. The awards show’s websiteThey also added that it was about “celebrating 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.”
The upcoming awards ceremony, set for February 8th, 2022, will also debut four new categories, Alternative/Rock act, Pop/R&B act, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap act and Dance act. “This year fans have more power than ever as we bring back the vote, while The Brits shines a light across a diverse range of genres,”The organizers made this observation.
Many artists, including Brit winner Sam Smith who identified as non-binary have previously called for a shift away from gendered classifications. At 2021’s ceremony, Smith was excluded from the gendered categories for solo artist. In a statement, Smith stated that he was not included in the gendered categories for solo artists. “I look forward to a time where awards shows can be reflective of the society we live in. Let’s celebrate everybody, regardless of gender, race, age, ability, sexuality and class.”
Smith was responded to by a Brit Awards spokesperson, who noted, “Sam is an extraordinary British artist and we agree with what they have said today. The Brits are committed to evolving the show and the gendered categories are very much under review. But any changes made to be more inclusive need to be just that – if a change unintentionally leads to less inclusion then it risks being counterproductive to diversity and equality. We need to consult more widely before changes are made to make sure we get it right.”
The 2022 Brit Awards, hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan, will be held at London’s O2 Arena.