South London rappers Stormzy and Dave and pop star Mabel have won the three biggest gongs at the Brit Awards 2020.
Stormzy, who became the first black, British solo artist to headline Glastonbury last summer and won the 2018 Brit Award for Best Album with his debut Gang Signs & Prayer, took home Best Male Solo Artist, beating ex One-Directioner Harry Styles and singer songwriter Lewis Capaldi.
Dave, who has been compared to a UK Kendrick Lamar with his “socially conscious” lyricism, won Best Album of the Year for his debut Psychodrama, which, framed as a therapy session (Psychodrama is a particular form of active therapy given to prisoners), included the song Black, a meditation on what it is to be black and British, and Lesley, about a woman suffering from an abusive relationship.
The album debuted at number one when it was released last March, and won the 2019 Mercury Prize.
Mabel, daughter of Neneh Cherry, was the only UK female musician nominated in the gender neutral categories, and won Best Female Solo Artist, while losing Best New Artist to Lewis Capaldi. Highlighting the heavily male dominated UK charts, Mabel, who released her debut album High Expectations last sumer, was the only British female artist to feature in the top 40 singles in the UK last year.
Meanwhile 18-year-old musician of the moment Billie Eilish, who tonight performed her just-released Bond theme for No Time to Die, became this year’s Best International Female, beating Lizzo and Ariana Grande.
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