The annual BRIT Awards are usually being held mid-February at London’s O2 Arena. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony for the 41st annual award show has been pushed back by three months. It will now be held on May 11, 2021. However it is not yet confirmed if the event will be hosted at the O2.
Organisers made the decisions after consultation with the music industry and partners ITV, Mastercard and AEG. With the new date set, the eligibility period will also be changed. Further announcements regarding artists and nominations are yet to be announced, as well as a showrunner. Former chairman David Joseph, CEO and Universal Music UK chairman, stepped down after this year’s revamped award show.
“Along with the many safety and logistical considerations of staging a huge awards ceremony in February for those putting the event on as well as the guests, The BRITs believe that this move will give a fairer opportunity to all artists as well as ensuring a mix of huge domestic and global superstars that annually attend and perform at the show”, organisers have said.
2021 BRIT Awards delayed by 3 months to become a spring celebration of UK music https://t.co/25YQyguQIl
— David Farrell (@DavidJ_Farrell) June 29, 2020
Geoff Taylor, BPI and BRIT Awards chief executive said in a statement: “We want to make sure that The BRITs delivers the outstanding production levels, superstar performances and live excitement that make it the biggest night in music. We believe that the best way to achieve this in 2021 is to move the show back a few months to May, and we are already at work planning a spectacular event that will remind us how important music has been in getting us all through these difficult times. I would like to thank our labels, ITV, AEG and Mastercard and all our partners for their fantastic support.”
The BRITS celebrated their 40th anniversary this year, with performances by Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Stormzy, while beloved Jack Whitehall has returned as host. We can’t wait to find out if Whitehall will take the position as host once again and which artists will make their way to the event.