London – Dua Lipa won the coveted British Album of the Year prize at the Brit Awards on Tuesday, in a ceremony that saw female artists dominate the mixed categories.
Around 4,000 guests streamed into London’s O2 Arena for the biggest night in British pop music, as the ceremony welcomed guests for the first time in two years as part of the government’s pilot scheme easing coronavirus restrictions.
The awards have been criticised in the past for nominations seen as skewing heavily male, but this year almost all of the main prizes went to female artists.
Little Mix won best British group – becoming the first female act ever to do so. Singer and poet Arlo Parks took the Breakthrough Artist award, and best international group went to the American band HAIM.
TAYLOR Swift became the first female winner of the global icon award, for what organisers said was “her immense impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date”.
With her album “Future Nostalgia”, Dua Lipa – who has won three Brit Awards previously – beat soul singer Celeste, Parks and rapper J Hus, who was the only contender in the best album category.
Dua Lipa and J Hus were also named best female and male solo artist respectively.
“Last time I was up here accepting this award in 2018, I said that I wanted to see more women on these stages,” Dua Lipa said.
“I feel so proud that three years later, we’re seeing that happened, and it really is such an honour to be a part of this wave of women in music.”
