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Tag: Brit Awards

  • Queen guitarist Brian May slams Brit Awards for removing gendered categories

    By ANI

    LONDON: Brian May, the guitarist for the British rock band Queen, has excoriated the Brit Awards for its decision to scrap gendered categories, describing the “frightening” move as “a decision that has been made without enough thought.”

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, earlier this week the Brits scrapped four awards including male solo artist, female solo artist, international male solo artist and international female solo artist, in favour of two gender-neutral categories, which are the artist of the year and international artist of the year.

    Organizers said the change was to reward artists “solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify or as others may see them” and was part of the event’s “commitment to evolving the show to be as inclusive and as relevant as possible.”

    Speaking to a newspaper at ITV’s Palooza event in London, May took aim at the organizers of the UK’s biggest music awards for giving into the woke culture as he saw it and even suggested that Queen, and even the late Freddie Mercury, would have struggled in the current climate.

    “It’s a decision that has been made without enough thought. A lot of things work quite well and can be left alone,” said May.

    “I get so sick of people trying to change things without thinking of the long-term consequences. Some of these things are an improvement, some of them are not,” he added.

    Referring to cancel culture, May felt there was an “atmosphere of fear everywhere because people are afraid to say how they really think,” before adding, “I think so many people are feeling, ‘Hang on, this isn’t quite right.’ But they don’t dare say anything. Eventually, there will be some kind of explosion.”

    The veteran rocker also spoke at length about his former bandmate Freddie Mercury and how the band would struggle to be relevant today for their lack of diversity and how such things shouldn’t matter.

    “Freddie came from Zanzibar, he wasn’t British, he wasn’t white as such – nobody cares, nobody ever, ever discussed it,” May said.

    Speaking further about Freddie, he continued, “He was a musician, he was our friend, he was our brother. We didn’t have to stop and think: ‘Ooh, now, should we work with him? Is he the right colour? Is he the right sexual proclivity?’ None of that happened, and now I find it frightening that you have to be so calculating about everything.”

    As per The Hollywood Reporter, he added, “[Queen] would be forced to have people of different colours and different sexes and we would have to have a trans [person]. You know life doesn’t have to be like that. We can be separate and different.”

  • Singer Dua Lipa calls for pay hike of UK health workers after double win at Brit Awards

    By Associated Press
    LONDON: British singer Dua Lipa called for a “fair” pay raise for UK health workers as she was named a double winner at the Brit Awards in London on Tuesday night. An audience of 4,000 witnessed the glitz of Britain’s leading music prize ceremony at the O2 Arena as part of a test return to mass attendance events in the age of the coronavirus.

    Among them were 2,500 key health workers and their guests who had received tickets in recognition of their efforts during the pandemic.

    Lipa, who took home the British female solo artist and album of the year titles, highlighted the words of nurse and academic Elizabeth Anionwu to say there was a “massive disparity between gratitude and respect” for those on the health front line.

    “I think what we should do is we should all give a massive, massive round of applause and give (British Prime Minister) Boris (Johnson) a message that we all support a fair pay rise for our front line,” she said.

    In her acceptance speeches, the “Levitating” singer also paid tribute to Anionwu, who has campaigned against racial injustice for decades, as well as Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole and Joaquin Garcia, who jumped into the River Thames near London Bridge to try to save a woman last month.

    Olubunmi-Adewole (20) did not survive the rescue attempt. Taylor Swift said it was an “incredible honor” to receive the global icon title, which has previously been awarded to superstars such as Elton John and David Bowie.

    “I’m really proud to be part of this musical community especially in a year where we needed music so much. And what we needed even more was the help and support of the NHS and the key workers that are here for us tonight,” Swift said.

    Little Mix became the first all-female band to win best British group, and called attention to “sexism and a lack of diversity” within the music industry. Harry Styles took best British single for his song “Watermelon Sugar”, while J Hus received best British male solo artist.

    Female singer-songwriters Arlo Parks and Griff took home the British breakthrough artist and rising star awards respectively. Former US first lady Michelle Obama sent a video message as she presented The Weeknd with the international male solo artist prize.

    Billie Eilish was named international female solo artist winner, while Haim were dubbed best international group. Live performers at the ceremony, which was hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall, included Lipa, Coldplay and a collaboration between Rag’n’Bone Man, P!nk and National Health Service choirs.

    It was the largest audience for a live music event in the UK since March 2020, when pandemic restrictions were first introduced. The event is part of the government’s Events Research Program, which has recently seen crowds return to soccer matches, an outdoor concert and a nightclub.

    Attendees were not socially distanced or wearing face masks, but had to provide a negative coronavirus test ahead of the show. “It’s the first event we’ve been to since the pandemic, there’s a great buzz,” said police nurse Brian George, who brought his 18-year-old daughter to the ceremony.

    “I’m hoping that with a few more events like this it’ll be like, by the autumn, let’s open up everything again. That would be fantastic,” he said. Those who attended also will be tested and monitored after the event as part of the research.

    Britain has recorded more than 127,500 coronavirus deaths, but deaths have dropped to single digits after a lockdown at the start of 2021 and the rapid vaccination rollout.

    Lockdown is slowly being lifted and measures are set to be further eased in England on Monday with the reopening of indoor hospitality venues and outdoor gatherings of up to 30 people. Social distancing guidance will remain in place.

    All restrictions have been set out to be lifted by June 21 under the government’s current roadmap, with gigs and music festivals due to return for the first time since early 2020.