The nominees for the Brits Rising Star Award 2021 have been announced. Griff, Pa Salieu and Rina Sawayama are all in the running to scoop the prize. Previously known as the Critics’ Choice Award, this prize highlights up-and-coming artists from the UK music scene, and is open to those who have not had an album in the UK Top 20, or scored more than one Top 20 single.
We have exciting news!!!
The shortlist for the 2021 #BRITs Rising Star as supported by @BBCR1 is…
Griff (@wiffygriffy)
Pa Salieu (@KING_SALIEU)
Rina Sawayama (@rinasawayama) pic.twitter.com/lwSO1uoQR4— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) March 11, 2021
All three musicians took to social media to commemorate the achievement.
Griff posted: “This is not a drill. I have been nominated for a brit award. Cant believe i just typed that out. Wanna cry. Love you all.”
Pa Salieu wrote: “Thank you @BRITs for the Rising Star nomination… GRATITUDES to you all for always supporting me… Alhamdulillah.”
Rina Sawayama added: “BRITS RISING STAR SHORTLIST WTF… what is this journey… thank u sm I’m on the floor.”
Griff, full name Sarah Faith Griffiths, is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Hertfordshire. Her pop songs have already earned her nominations for an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award and the BBC Sound Of 2021 Award. She was signed to Warner Music shortly after leaving school.
Pa Salieu Gaye is a rapper from Slough who has collaborated with FKA Twigs, M1llionz and Mahalia. He released his debut single Frontline in January 2020. He won the BBC’s Sound Of 2021, and has performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Rina Sawayama is a Japanese-British singer-songwriter. She released her debut single, Sleeping in Waking, all the way back in 2013. Her debut album, Sawayama, released in April 2020, was described as “an honest, genre-exploding self-portrait” by NME. She recently made headlines by successfully convincing the Mercury Prize and the BRIT awards to change their eligibility criteria to include anyone who has been resident in the UK for five years.
The winner will be announced on 19th March, followed by the Brit Awards ceremony which will take place on 11th May, delayed from its usual timing of February. Previous winners of the award include big names such as Adele, Sam Smith, Florence and the Machine, Sam Fender, and Jessie J.
