Held on a Saturday night for the first time ever, the 2023 ceremony featured outstanding performances by Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and Wet Leg. However, it wouldn’t be the Brits without at least one bizarre acceptance speech and an embarrassing exchange between presenters on stage.
Harry Styles was on stage accepting awards for what seemed like most of the evening at this year’s Brit Awards, but the singer’s clean sweep was not the only topic of conversation following the presentation.
Held on a Saturday night for the first time, moved from a school night presumably to get more people out to the party, the 2023 show featured standout performances by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, along with the usual mix of at least one strange acceptance speech and an awkward exchange between presenters on stage.
Styles won all four of the trophies he was nominated for, beginning with best pop/R&B act, best artist, best song, and best album, with Wet Leg, Beyonce, Becky Hill, Aitch, and 1975 also taking home honors.
However, award presentations are not only about awards.
Morris dancing and a reminiscence to Arctic Monkeys
Was this the first performance of Morris’s dance at the Brits? If not, it was undoubtedly the first to feature dancers dressed as enormous owls.
Well done, Wet Leg, for a memorable performance.
The band also won awards for best new artist and best group and reminded us all of Alex Turner’s infamous 2014 acceptance speech when Arctic Monkeys won awards for best album and best group.
“This rock-and-roll, huh? This rock-and-roll will not go away. It might occasionally hibernate and return to the swamp “Rhian Teasdale, chuckling as she continued, thanked all the women involved in the creation of their debut album. “But in all seriousness, many thanks. This is so terrifying because television can be such a boys’ club.”
The award for the most-mentioned outfit goes to…
Except for Bjork’s swan dress, Celine Dion’s back-to-front tux, and a few other notable exceptions. The fashion during TV and film awards presentations tended to be more glamorous and less eccentric. Not so with the Grammys and Brits, where music performers demonstrate that it’s all about standing apart in whatever way possible.
This year, American rapper and musician Ashnikko designed an alien-like second skin. While the Nova Twins produced their tartan suits with hooped sleeves.
But in a competitive field, the inflatable latex number by best song nominee and singer Sam Smith is the most discussed on social media…
Serious snogging
And speaking of Sam Smith, their performance of the classic song Unholy with Kim Petras was the night’s highlight, reminding us all of the singer’s ethereal and eerie vocals.
But it’s not just the voice that listeners will remember, thanks to two passionate backup dancers who ended the performance with a very passionate kiss on a vehicle hood.
Goulding and Grennan
Ellie Goulding and Tom Grennan presented an award while wearing what can only be described as a breastplate. Tom Grennan made a somewhat embarrassing remark on stage, perhaps forgetting that the 1990s are long gone.
Gratitude, One Direction
Okay, Styles will be mentioned after all. Not for his four trophies, but for his gratitude.
Styles has achieved Brits and Grammys success in the past week, not to mention a nomination for the Mercury Prize in 2022, and if there were others, they would likely not showcase their road to fame.
Styles thanked his old bandmates and the event that made him famous after winning best musician.
“I would want to thank my mother for registering me up for The X Factor without my knowledge since I would not be here without her,” he remarked. “I’d also like to thank Niall, Louis, Liam, and Zayn, without whom I would not be here. Thank you incredibly.”
He also mentioned female acts Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama, Mabel, Florence + The Machine, and Becky Hill, who were all eligible for the prize’s shortlist.
