Adele bags Artiste of the Year, two others at British music awards

British superstar , Adele Adkins popularly known as Adele won three awards, including the artiste of the Year, at the Brit awards on Tuesday.

This was the first Brit awards that did away with gender specific categories for the first time.

Adele won best album for “30”, as well as song of the year for her hit single “Easy On Me” and artist of the year, no longer female or male, after which she acknowledged the changing times. She stated in her award acceptance speech,

“I understand why they changed the name of this award, but I really love being a woman, being a female artist, I do. I can’t believe a piano ballad won against so many bangers.”

The Brits said they did away with gendered categories to celebrate “artists solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify or as others may see them.”

Last year, Sam Smith, who is non-binary, did not submit their album “Love Goes” because it did not fit into the male and female categories.

Although, male artists dominated the awards show, this year’s nominations featured the highest number of woman-fronted acts in more than ten years.

Ed Sheeran received the award for Songwriter of the Year. While last year’s winner of British Album of the Year, Dua Lipa, won the TikTok vote for best pop/R&B act. Sam Fender won Best Alternative Rock Act. American artist Olivia Rodrigo won International Song of the Year for “Good 4 U”. While Becky Hill won Best Dance Act.

The awards show included performances by Liam Gallagher and Anne Marie, who stumbled during her performance of “Kiss My (Uh-Oh)” in front of 20,000 audience members. However, she soon regained her composure.