George Ezra praises the BRITS for 'great representation'

2023-01-13

‘It’s an absolute disgrace!’: Viewers fume as George Ezra defends The BRITs after female stars are snubbed from top gong (which he’s nominated for) following gender-neutral overhaul

In a surprise snub, female artists were shut out of the Artist Of The Year, which was introduced last year after a gender-neutral overhaul
George Ezra is among five males who are in the running for an award
However, there has been backlash with many thinking the likes of Dua Lipa, Raye and Florence & The Machine should have made it into the nominees
The 2023 BRIT Awards will take place on Saturday, February 11

George Ezra had to face the music on Friday, after he was called out on Twitter for making it into The BRITs Artist Of The Year award nominees, while female stars were snubbed.

The singer, 29, appeared on Lorraine where he defended the BRITs panel for doing a ‘great job of recogising talent’ – despite the fact it was made up purely of males following a gender-neutral overhaul.

Viewers took to Twitter in fury to question organisers’ decision not to put forward a single female act- and awkwardly for George – many voiced they thought the likes of Dua Lipa, Raye and Florence & The Machine were more worthy.

Brits: George Ezra had to face the music on Friday, after he was called out for making it into The BRITs Artist Of The Year award nominees, while female stars were snubbed

One wrote: ‘Are the BRITs truly saying they don’t think there are any female artists in this country better than George Ezra?’ while another added: ‘You cannot tell me that George Ezra is better than Raye or Dua or any other female artist’.

A third viewer chimed: ‘BRIT stands for Boys Receive Industry Trophies’.

‘It’s an absolute disgrace that no women are nominated for artist of the year at The Brits. It’s even more of a disgrace that George Ezra is.’

Men only? The singer, who is nominated himself for the top gong, said he believed that that the judges had done a ‘great job of recognising’ talent – despite no female being nominated for the prize following a gender-neutral overhaul (Dua Lipa pictured)

‘It’s a disgrace!’: Viewers took to Twitter in fury – and awkwardly for George – many voiced they thought the likes of Dua Lipa, Raye and Florence & The Machine were more worthy

During the interview, Lorraine Kelly said: ‘There’s a lot of hoo-ha about the nominees all being chaps, but it is what it is.’

‘We do have a lot of amazing women as well in the other categories, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s he, she, it, they. If it’s best artist, it’s best artist.

George replied: ‘Exactly you’ve hit the nail on the head. I hadn’t looked through the other artists until this morning, because people had been talking about the nominations thing’

‘If you look through the artists in all of the categories, it’s amazing, it’s eclectic’.

‘I don’t know, I don’t have the answer but I do think on the whole they’ve done a great job of recognising.’

Honesty: Lorraine said: ‘We do have a lot of amazing women as well in the other categories, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s he, she, it, they. If it’s best artist, it’s best artist’

Nominated for Artist Of The Year alongside George are Central Cee, Fred Again, Harry Styles and Stormzy.

The category saw snubs for artists including Dua Lipa, Charli XCX and Florence & The Machine, despite Adele scooping the top prize last year, the first time it introduced its gender-neutral overhaul.

In 2021, the BRIT Awards announced that they would be abolishing its male and female categories, in bid to celebrate artists ‘solely for their music.’

Agreeing: George replied: ‘Exactly you’ve hit the nail on the head. I hadn’t looked through the other artists until this morning, because people had been talking about the nominations thing’

Awards: He added: ‘I don’t know, I don’t have the answer but I do think on the whole they’ve done a great job of recognising’

The nominations were announced on Thursday with Harry Styles, Dua Lipa and Sam Smith leading the hopefuls ahead of the ceremony on February 11.

Stars will battle it out for the coveted awards in the live ceremony next month at London’s O2 Arena, with Harry and Wet Leg leading the pack with four nods each.

Meanwhile, set to compete for the coveted Mastercard Album Of The Year are The 1975 with Being Funny In A Foreign Language, Wet Leg with their self-titled album and Harry Styles with his hit compilation Harry’s House.

Gutted: The category saw snubs for artists including Dua Lipa, Charli XCX and Florence & The Machine, despite Adele scooping the top prize last year, the first time it introduced its gender-neutral overhaul

Big night: Nominated for Artist Of The Year alongside George are Central Cee, Fred Again, Harry Styles and Stormzy

Also nominated is Stormzy with his album This Is What I Mean, and Fred Again, with Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022).

Meanwhile the coveted category Song Of The Year With Mastercard, are Aitch with Baby Ft Ashanti, Cat Burns with Go, Dave with Starlight, and Ed Sheeran And Elton John with their festive hit Merry Christmas.

Also nominated are Eliza Rose And Interplanetary Criminal with Baddest Of Them All, George Ezra with Green Green Grass and Harry Styles with As It Was.

Big names! The nominations were announced on Thursday with Harry Styles (pictured) Dua Lipa and Sam Smith leading the hopefuls ahead of the ceremony on February 11

Concluding the Song Of The Year nominations are Lewis Capaldi with Forget Me, Lf System with Afraid To Feel, and Sam Smith And Kim Petras with Unholy.

Speaking after his nods, George said: ‘It’s amazing to be nominated for two BRIT Awards and very flattering. Thank you to everyone involved. The news made me smile and excited for the year ahead.’

Meanwhile Lewis added: ‘It’s an honour to be nominated for British Song Of The Year. I very much look forward to seeing Harry Styles accept the award for As It Was.’

Following his meteoric rise to success in 2022 after helping the UK to a second-place finish in the Eurovision Song Contest, Sam Ryder has been nominated for Best New Artist.

He will compete against Kojey Radical, Mimi Webb, Rina Sawayama and Wet Leg.

Sam said: ‘I’m buzzing! I feel like a Golden Retriever that’s won a medal. Whatever happens, to simply be recognised alongside so many amazing artists and peers is incredible. For me this is truly a reflection of what it’s all about – the music.’

Meanwhile a delight Mimi said: ‘Being nominated for a BRIT Award is something I’ve been dreaming about since I was eight years old and I am so, so grateful. I can’t wait to attend and see my name alongside all the other incredible nominees – it will be a real ”pinch me” moment.

Up for an award: Sam Smith, who led calls for the awards to scrap its gender-focused categories, has been nominated for Pop/R&B Act, and Song Of The Year

‘I remember seeing Dua Lipa win Best New Artist in 2018 and being in awe of her – that moment really inspired me to work hard and be the artist I am today.

‘I am so grateful for all the love and support of those who have helped me get here – it feels so much better than I ever imagined.”

Up for Group Of The Year are The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Nova Twins and Wet Leg, while International Group Of The Year saw nods for Black Pink, Drake And 21 Savage, First Aid Kit, Fontaines Dc and Gabriels.

Lauded: Joining Harry with four nominations are the group Wet Let, who are also up for Album Of The Year with their self-titled release

Speaking after their four nods, Wet Leg said: ‘Somebody hold our horses while we get to grips with this wild news, being nominated for a BRIT award is too hard to comprehend, we never could have expected for our wee band to achieve this.’

Nominated for Alt Rock are The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Nova Twins, Tom Grennan and Wet Leg.

Stormzy has landed another nod in the Hip Hop/Grime/Rap category, competing against Aitch, Central Cee, Dave and Loyle Carner.

The 2023 BRIT Awards will take place on Saturday, February 11 at London’s O2 Arena. They will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX.

BRIT AWARDS 2023: THE NOMINATIONS

Mastercard Album Of The Year

The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language

Wet Leg – Wet Leg

Harry Styles – Harry’s House

Stormzy – This Is What I Mean

Fred Again – Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)

Artist Of The Year

Central Cee

Fred Again

George Ezra

Harry Styles

Stormzy

Group Of The Year

The 1975

Arctic Monkeys

Bad Boy Chiller Crew

Nova Twins

Wet Leg

Best New Artist

Kojey Radical

Mimi Webb

Rina Sawayama

Sam Ryder

Wet Leg

Song Of The Year With Mastercard

Aitch – Baby Ft Ashanti

Cat Burns – Go

Dave – Starlight

Ed Sheeran And Elton John – Merry Christmas

Eliza Rose And Interplanetary Criminal – Baddest Of Them All

George Ezra – Green Green Grass

Harry Styles – As It Was

Lewis Capaldi – Forget Me

Lf System – Afraid To Feel

Sam Smith And Kim Petras – Unholy

Best Alt Rock

The 1975

Arctic Monkeys

Nova Twins

Tom Grennan

Wet Leg

RISING STAR

Flo

Hip Hop/ Grime/ Rap

Aitch

Central Cee

Dave

Loyle Carner

Stormzy

Dance Act

Becky Hill

Bonobo

Calvin Harris

Eliza Rose

Fred Again

Pop/ R’n’B

Cat Burns

Charli Xcx

Dua Lipa

Harry Styles

Sam Smith

International Artist Of The Year

Beyonce

Burna Boy

Kendrick Lamar

Lizzo

Taylor Swift

International Group Of The Year

Black Pink

Drake And 21 Savage

First Aid Kit

Fontaines Dc

Gabriels

International Song Of The Year

Beyonce – Break My Soul

David Guetta And Bebe Rexa – Aim Good

Fireboy Dml & Ed Sheeran – Peru

Mauro Castillo, Stephanie Beatriz, Carolina Gaitán, Rhenzy Feliz, Encanto – Cast, Adassa, Diane Guerrero – We Dont Talk About Bruno

Gayle – Abcdefu

Jack Harlow – First Class

Lizzo – About Damn Time

Calum Scott And Lost Frequencies – Where Are You Npow

One Republic – I Ain’t Worried

Taylor Swift – Antihero

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