The prestigious ceremony took place at The 02 in London, on Tuesday 8th February showcasing some of the world’s best talent in the music industry. Following the departure of Jack Whitehall as the presenter for the British Music Awards, comedian Mo Gilligan presented The BRIT Awards 2022 with Mastercard, and unsurprisingly it was a night to remember. We’re going to take a look at the Brit Award winners 2022.
For the first time the show didn’t hand out awards in gendered categories and they were replaced by Artist Of The Year and International Artist Of The Year fields. Four new genre categories were also added – Alternative/Rock Act, Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Dance Act and Pop/R’N’B Act – which fans were able to vote for via TikTok.
Adele dominated the awards winning three British Music Awards. There were also some amazing performances on the night from Ed Sheeran, Sam Fender and Liam Gallagher. This year saw the most British Music Awards nominations in over a decade for female artists.
Who Chooses Brit Award Winners
The Brit Award winners and nominees are chosen by the Brit Awards voting academy which is built up of over 1000 members including record labels, publishers, managers, media, agents as well as previous winners and nominees.
The BRIT Winners 2022
Here is the full list of Brit Award winners this year:
Artist of the Year
Adele – winner
Dave
Ed Sheeran
Little Simz
Sam Fender
Group
Coldplay
D-Block Europe
Little Mix
London Grammar
Wolf Alice – winner
BRITs Rising Star
Holly Humberstone – winner
Bree Runway
Lola Young
Song of the Year
A1 & J1 – ‘Latest Trends’
Adele – ‘Easy On Me’ – winner
Anne-Marie/KSI/Digital Farm Animals – ‘Don’t Play’
Becky Hill and David Guetta – ‘Remember’
Central Cee – ‘Obsessed With You’
Dave – ‘Clash (featuring Stormzy)’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Bad Habits’
Elton John and Dua Lipa – ‘Cold Heart’
Glass Animals – ‘Heat Waves’
Joel Corry/Raye/David Guetta – ‘Bed’
KSI – ‘Holiday’
Nathan Evans/220Kid/Billen Ted – ‘Wellerman’
Riton x Nightcrawlers – ‘Friday (featuring Mufasa and Hypeman)’
Tion Wayne and Russ Millions – ‘Body’
Tom Grennan – ‘Little Bit of Love’
Best New Artist
Central Cee
Griff
Joy Crookes
Little Simz – winner
Self Esteem
Mastercard Album of the Year
Who won best album at the brits..? Here it is!
Adele – ’30’ – winner
Dave – ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’
Ed Sheeran – ‘=’
Little Simz – ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’
Sam Fender – ‘Seventeen Going Under’
Best Rock/Alternative Act
Coldplay
Glass Animals
Sam Fender – winner
Tom Grennan
Wolf Alice
Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act
AJ Tracey
Central Cee
Dave – winner
Ghetts
Little Simz
Best Dance Act
Becky Hill – winner
Calvin Harros
Fred again…
Joel Corry
Raye
Best Pop/R&B Act
Adele
Dua Lipa – winner
Ed Sheeran
Griff
Joy Crookes
International Artist
Billie Eilish – winner
Doja Cat
Lil Nas X
Olivia Rodrigo
International Group
ABBA
BTS
Måneskin
Silk Sonic/Bruno Mars/Anderson .Paak – winner
The War On Drugs
International Song of the Year
ATB/Topic/A75 – ‘Your Love’
Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’
Ckay – ‘Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)’
Doja Cat – ‘Kiss Me More (featuring Sza)’
Galantis/Guetta/Little Mix – ‘Heartbreak Anthem’
Jonasu – ‘Black Magic’
Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’
Lil Nas X – ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’
Lil Tjay & 6lack – ‘Calling My Phone’
Måneskin – ‘I Wanna Be You Slave’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Good 4 U’ – winner
Polo G – ‘Rapstar’
Tiësto – ‘The Business’
The Weeknd – ‘Save Your Tears’
Songwriter of the Year
Ed Sheeran – winner
Producer of the Year
Inflo – winner
Standout Performances
It’s fair to say that awards shows can be long but they seem to always produce a handful of memorable moments. The Brit Awards winners gave powerful speeches and there were performances which will go down in Brits history. Fans praised Anne-Marie after getting right back up after a fall on stage performing with KSI.
There were plenty of highlights with Ed Sheeran winning songwriter of the year, and performing his smash hit “Bad Habits” on stage with Bring Me The Horizon, Dua Lipa took home best pop/R&B act. Wolf Alice scored the best group, Silk Sonic won the best international group, Sam Fender and Becky Hill took the best alternative/rock and dance, respectively, and Holly Humberstone won the rising star award.
Here are just some of the standout moments from the British Music Awards:
Little Simz Took Her Mum On Stage
London Rapper Little Simz (aka Simbiatu Ajukawo) brought her mum on stage following winning the award for best new artist, she seemed extremely happy to be there.
Powerful Acceptance Speech
Little Simz accepted the award by saying for anyone watching, no matter where you are from, no matter your race, you can do something extraordinary if you work hard. Little Simz went on to dedicate the British Music Award to all the kids dreaming and encourage them to keep dreaming and keep pushing.
Adele’s Impressive Performance Of “I Drink Wine”
Adele is sure to give a spectacular live performance and this year at the British Music Awards was no exception. She wore a gold dress, perched by a piano and belted out an incredible version of the ballad “I Drink Wine” from her most recent album, 30.
Adele Speeches
Adele had an amazing night as the top Brit Awards Winners this year, gaining three major awards. Her speeches gained attention with her stating ‘I love being a woman’ when winning the Artist of the Year award in response to the new gender-neutral awards, her words have unwittingly sparked backlash. For her acceptance of the Album of the Year award, she surprisingly dedicated it to her ex-husband Simon Konecki and their son.
Dave’s Fiery Performance
Dave is no stranger to memorable performances. In 2020 his standout moment was for his performance of ‘Black’ which is why hopes were high for his performance this year. He surpassed all expectations by bringing rappers Giggs, Ghetts, Meekz, and Fredo onstage to perform “In the Fire” from his recent album We’re All Alone In This Together. We knew he could play piano but the flaming guitar was spectacular for the night.
Past Brit Award Winners
Which artists have been the most BRIT Awards winners over the past 40 years? Here we have a list of the top winners:
Robbie Williams: 18 BRIT Awards
Robbie Williams is by far and away the most-honoured past Brit Awards winners in the history of the ceremony. Taking away a huge 18 awards over his time. As a member of Take That he was a Brits Winner with five awards: British Group (2011), British Video of the Year for Pray (1994) and British Single of the Year with Could It Be Magic (1993), Pray (1994) and Back For Good (1996).
On his own, Williams won: British Male Solo Artist in 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003 (phew!); British Single of the Year for Angels (1999), She’s The One (2000), Rock DJ (2001); British Video of the Year for Millennium (1999), She’s The One (2000), Rock DJ (2001); Best British Song of the past 25 years for Angels (2005), the Outstanding Contribution to Music (2010) and the Icon Award (2017).
Adele – 12 BRIT Awards
Adele is one of the top Brit Awards winners. As well as the three she won this year, she’s won: British Female Solo Artist twice (2012 and 2016), Best Album twice (2012 and 2016) and Best British Single twice (for Skyfall in 2013 and Hello in 2016). She also won the Global Success Award two years running too (2016 and 2017). And, not forgetting, she was the first-ever winner of the BRITs Critics’ Choice Award in 2008, which started off her impeccable career.
Coldplay – 9 BRIT Awards
Coldplay has been a top past Brit Awards winners have taken home: Best British Group Gong in 2001, 2003, 2012 and 2016; they also won Best British Album for Parachutes (2001), A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2003) and X&Y (2006); Best British Live Act (2013) and British Single of the Year for Speed Of Sound (2006).
Harry Styles – 9 BRIT Awards
As part of One Direction, Styles won British Single Of The Year with What Makes You Beautiful (2012); British Video Of The Year in 2015 for You & I, Drag Me Down in 2016 and History in 2017; BRITs Global Success in 2013 and 2014 and Best Video for Best Song Ever in 2014. As a solo artist, he has also won British Artist Video of the Year for Sign Of The Times in 2018 and British Single of the Year for Watermelon Sugar in 2021.
Take That – 8 BRIT Awards
Take That is one of the best Brits Awards Winners for a British pop group. The Mancunian boy band won British Group in 2011; British Single of the Year five times with Could It Be Magic (1993), Pray (1994), Back For Good (1996), Patience (2007) and Shine (2008); British Video of the Year for Pray (1994) and Best British Live Act in 2008.
Annie Lennox – 8 BRIT Awards
It seemed that Annie Lennox the Eurythmics vocalist was the only Female Solo Artist in Britain as she won the award in 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993 and 1996; she was also nominated in that category in 1985, 1992 and 2004. She took home album of the year in 1993 for Diva and was presented with an Outstanding Contribution To Music alongside her Eurythmics partner Dave Stewart in 1996.
Arctic Monkeys – 7 BRIT Awards
Alex Turner and the lads have walked off with British Breakthrough Act in 2006, Best British Group in 2007, 2008 and 2014 and British Album in 2007 (for Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not), 2008 (Favourite Worst Nightmare) and 2014 (AM).
One Direction – 7 BRIT Awards
The group won British Video Of The Year in 2015 for You & I, Drag Me Down in 2016 and History in 2017; British Single Of The Year with What Makes You Beautiful (2012); BRITs Global Success in 2013 and 2014 and Best Video for Best Song Ever in 2014.
U2 – 7 BRIT Awards
U2 are successful past Brits Winners who have won the BRIT Best International Group in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1998 and 2001; Most Successful Live Act in 1993 and Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2001.
Paul McCartney – 7 BRIT Awards
As one of the Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney was honoured in 1977 at the very first BRIT Awards, the ceremony commemorated the Queen’s Silver Jubilee by honouring music from the previous 25 years. The Beatles were given the Outstanding Contribution To Music, and named Best British Group and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band won Best British Album.
McCartney was given Best British Male Solo Artist and the Sony Trophy Award for Technical Excellence (for his latest album Tug Of War) in 1983, and The Beatles were given the Outstanding Contribution to Music again. In 2008, he took home a solo Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Prince – 7 BRIT Awards
Prince was honoured and is one of the top past Brit Award winners. His appearance at the 1985 award ceremony was one of the greatest BRIT moments ever. He was a top Brit Awards winners as he was named International Artist (1985), International Solo Artist twice (1992 and 1993) and Best International Male Solo Artist twice (1995 and 1996). He also won the best Soundtrack/Cast Recording for Purple Rain (1985) and Batman (1990).
Final Thoughts
As usual The British Music Awards was a spectacle with female artists being recognised across 13 categories and lovely to have it in person unlike the brit award winners 2021. 18 female artists or all-female groups were nominated just under the 22 female acts nominated in 2010. It’s fair to say that the BRIT Awards is an important night for the British music industry and acknowledging British music artists. We know the BRIT Awards 2022 is a night sure to be remembered!