BRIT Awards to Adopt Gender-Neutral Categories in 2022 – Entertainment

LONDON (Reuters) – The Brit Awards, the UK’s biggest music awards, will cut the men’s and women’s categories from next year, awarding gender-neutral awards to local and international artists, organizers said on Monday.

Now musicians will compete for Artist of the Year or Global Artist of the Year at the annual gala on February 8, 2022.

“It is important that Britons continue to evolve and aim to be as inclusive as possible,” Tom Marsh, the new British president and co-chairman of Polydor Records, said in a statement.

“This seems like a perfect time to celebrate the accomplishments of artists for the music they create and the work they do, regardless of genre.”

The Briton is following in the footsteps of awards or other events that ignored gender labels.

In September, the San Sebastian Film Festival presented its first gender-neutral award for Best Acting to co-winners Jessica Chastain and Flora Ophelia Hoffmann Lindahl.

Next year’s 42nd BRIT Awards will expand the nominations for guest artists in this year’s coveted song category. To date, only the top nominated artists or contributors have been recognized as contenders for the award.

Four awards will be added to illustrate a variety of styles, alternative/rock, hip-hop/grime/rap, dance, and pop/R’n’B, all chosen by the audience.

(by Marie-Louise Jomochian)