Singer-songwriter Raye made history at the Brit Awards, sweeping six out of the seven categories for which she was nominated. This achievement surpassed the records previously held by Blur, Adele, and Harry Styles, who each had four wins at a single event.
She also became the first woman to win the Songwriter of the Year award.
Accepting her awards barefoot, she said, “The artist I was three years ago would not believe I’m in control – I’m my own boss.”
Dua Lipa was named the Best Pop Act, and Kylie Minogue received the Global Icon award.
Expressing gratitude toward her supporters, Dua Lipa credited them for bolstering her confidence and making her believe she could achieve anything.
She extended thanks to her father and manager, affectionately referring to him as “Dadager Dougie,” appreciating the opportunity to work closely with him.
Raye’s first accolade of the evening was for the Song of the Year for “Escapism,” presented by Jo Hamilton, a former subpostmistress impacted by the Horizon IT scandal.
Monica Dolan, who portrayed her in “Mr. Bates vs The Post Office,” joined her on stage.
Jo Hamilton, accused and later cleared of embezzling £36,000 from the Post Office, advocated for continuous support for postmasters at the event held at London’s O2 Arena, highlighting the government’s failure to compensate them adequately.
An emotional Raye brought her grandmother Agatha to the stage for her final award of the night, Album of the Year, presented by Stuart Worden, her past headteacher at the Brits School.
After overcoming numerous rejections from her record label and finally gaining the freedom to release her own music, Raye’s song “Escapism” became a viral sensation on TikTok, leading to a number one hit.
“You just don’t understand what this means to me,” the singer said between sobs. “I’m ugly crying on national television. All I ever wanted to be was an artist, and now I’m an artist with an Album of the Year. Thank you so much; this is too much – come on, Grandma, let’s go.”
The ceremony was hosted by Clara Amfo, Maya Jama, and Roman Kemp. Amfo, credited with giving Raye her debut radio feature on BBC Radio 1 a decade ago, expressed her pride in the singer’s long-term success, stating, “Success doesn’t happen overnight; I’m incredibly proud of your achievements.”
Raye also advocated for the music industry to allocate master royalty fees to songwriters, highlighting the importance of sharing success: “If our songs are successful, writers should share in that success. I urge you to make this possible.”
SZA clinched the Best International Artist award, outshining competitors including Taylor Swift.
As she accepted her award, Kylie, with over 80 million global record sales and the distinction of being the first female artist to achieve a number one album across five consecutive decades in the UK, said she would be “sharing tears of joy with Raye.”
