LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — The Brit Awards, the annual musical showcase organized by the British Phonographic Industry, announced some major changes to the show’s format for 2022.
The changes include a reconfiguration of the awards show’s categories, which will no longer be broken out based on gender and for 2022, the categories of artist of the Year and International Artist of the Year have been added.
Other new gender-free categories for 2022 include Alternative/Rock Act, Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Dance Act and Pop/R’n’B Act.
The full category list for 2022 will be as follows:
Artist of the Year with YouTube Music
Group of the Year
BRITs Rising Star supported by BBC Radio 1
Best New Artist
Song of the Year with Mastercard
Mastercard Album of the Year
International Artist of the Year
International Group of the Year
Alternative/Rock Act
Pop/R&B Act
Dance Act
Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act
The main eligibility window for the above categories (except for Rising Star), and all awards as decided upon by The BRITs Voting Academy, runs from 1st January to Thursday 9th December 2021.
The BRITs Voting Academy is made up of roughly 1200 music industry experts across media, artists, labels, publishers, promoters, retailers and more, and is refreshed annually with an eye towards fostering diversity in the pool of judges.
Additionally, the Brits announced that stand-up comedian Mo Gilligan is confirmed to host the 2022 BRIT Awards with Clara Amfo and Maya Jama announced for presenting duties for pre-show events such as the ‘The BRITs Are Coming’ Nominations show and BRITs Red Carpet show.
“It’s an absolute privilege to host the 2022 BRIT Awards. I’m truly honored to be asked. We’re already in the extensive planning stages and all I can say is, I promise we’re going to give it all we’ve got to create an incredible night for music fans everywhere. Let’s go!” Gilligan said.
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive, BPI and BRIT Awards, added, “The BRIT Awards are not just a celebration of British music, they are a reflection of British culture. The changes we are making for the 2022 show should mean more new fans, more engagement and a bigger global platform than ever for our amazing artists.”
