It’s that time of year again when music’s finest unite on British shores for a celebration filled with glitz, glamour, and a sprinkle of controversy, and this year’sBRIT Awardsdid not disappoint. This year’s ceremony, which was held at London’s famous O2 Arena, also marked a revival of the pop star courtesy of music’s favorite pop sensation,Sabrina Carpenter.
After a mammoth year for the songstress, courtesy of her anthemic candy pop albumShort n' Sweet, Carpenter supercharged the BRITs with a shot of espresso, opening the awards with a melody of hit tracks “Espresso” and “Bed Chem.” Naturally, she did this all while boasting a London-themed ensemble dressed as a marching guard before switching to a dazzling red sparkly bodysuit for a string of stunning synchronized choreography, in her signature style, for the latter track. However,the night really hit a climax for the star when she made BRITs history as the first ever international singer to be honored with the Global Success Award.
Carpenter took a moment to thank her fans, reminiscing on her first trip to the U.K. over a decade ago. “The first time I ever came to the U.K. was 10 years ago,” she said. “I was with my mom. Nobody knew who I was. Maybe 10 people. This week, I get to headline the O2 because of you guys. In a very primarily tea-drinking country, you guys streamed the shit out of ‘Espresso.'” She went on to add, “This is all because of you, and this is for you."
Sabrina Carpenter Is Gearing Up for an Even Longer Leg to Her ‘Short n’ Sweet' Tour
The force was undeniably female at this year’s BRITs withCharli XCXcleaning up the awardscourtesy of her adored albumBrat. Taking home five prizes, including the esteemed “British Album of the Year” accolade, “Song of the Year” for “Guess” (featuringBillie Eilish), “British Artist of the Year,” “Best Dance Act,” and “Songwriter of the Year,” proving it really was a “brat summer” after all. During her acceptance speech for Best Album, the singer spoke about how it finally felt like she was a part of the industry with this album. “I used to tell myself awards weren’t important, and that was easy to do as until last year I wasn’t nominated for anything,” she admitted. “I always felt like an outsider, particularly in the British music industry. It feels really nice to get recognition for this album. I’ve not changed anything… I guess culture caught up with us and wanted to be on this journey.”
Other notable wins of the night includeLittle Mix’sJade Thirlwall, who took home her first-ever solo prize for “Best Pop Act,” taking the moment to thank her fellow Little Mix sisters.Chappell Roanalso had her moment, scooping the “Best International Artist” and “International Song of the Year” prizes.
