The Brit Awards: Strength In (Smaller) Numbers
The Brit Awards — the annual award show celebrating the best in U.K. music, streamed live from the 02 Arena in London on Feb. 21, hosted this year by the posh comedian Jack Whitehall — is slightly more or less entertaining than the Grammys, depending your tolerance and knowledge of self-referential British humor and pop music.
Though the 2018 ceremony had performances from stateside and , the BRITs necessarily focus on smaller community of artists, allowing for a type of even playing field of nominees compared to the massive American field. Compared to the Grammys, the Brits give out a diminutive number of trophies — 84 compared to 10, respectively, with seven of that 10 set aside for U.K. artists. Much like the Grammys, the show recognizes those at or near the top of the pop food chain, but its homegrown focus allows at least a more wiggle room for promising artists to percolate. Rappers like J Hus or Loyle Carner, parallel in visibility to U.S. artists like Saba, Smino or Leikeli47, are afforded the same shot at a moment of grand exposure as Dua Lipa, the last year.
