Brit Awards 2020 highlights: from Lewis Capaldi’s speech to Caroline Flack tribute and Harry Styles’ performance
Celebrating the best of British talent as well as some of the biggest international stars who have topped the UK charts, it was also a big night for performance, with Billie Eilish singing the theme song to the new Bond film - No Time To Die - for the first time.
Stormzy, Lizzo, Capaldi, Harry Styles and Dave also performed, while Sir Rod Stewart closed the show.
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Hide AdHere are some of the highlights from a packed night of music:
Dave's rap
Grime star Dave used his Brits performance to highlight social issues such as racism, inequality and the Grenfell Fire.
After performing Black at a double-ended piano, he stood up to perform a previously unheard rap decrying Boris Johnson as a "racist" and the difference in news reports about Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton.
He also paid tribute to Jack Merritt, one of the London Bridge attack victims who died in November last year.
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Hide AdThe rap was so inflammatory, Home Secretary Priti Patel branded Dave's comments as "utter nonsense".
Later in the evening, Dave was the surprise winner of the Album of the Year award for 'Psychodrama', a record about his mental health struggles. The album also won the Mercury Music Prize last year.
The artist wasn't the only one to call out a Prime Minister, as winner of International Male Solo Artist - Tyler, The Creator - sarcastically thanked Theresa May for banning him from travelling to the UK during her tenure.
He said: "Thank you Theresa May... I know she's at home p***** off."
Billie Eilish's Bond theme
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Hide AdBillie Eilish performed her new James Bond theme "No Time To Die" live for the first time at the 2020 Brit Awards.
The 18-year-old star appeared on stage alongside the Oscar-winning film composer Hans Zimmer and the former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
Eilish was also joined by her brother and the song's co-writer Finneas O'Connell at London's O2 Arena for its much-hyped first live airing.
Taking to the stage for a second time - this time to collect the International Female Solo Artist award - Eilish said London felt "like a second home" to her and that seeing the crowds made her emotional.
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Hide Ad"I have felt very hated recently," she said. "When I was on stage and I saw you guys all smiling at me it genuinely made me want to cry and I want to cry now."
Lewis Capaldi's Buckfast endorsement
The West Lothian singer-songwriter stole the show in his acceptance of the Best Song award, which he won for lovelorn ballad ‘Someone You Loved'.
Brandishing a bottle of Buckfast in hand, Capaldi revealed that the song is not actually about a past romantic fling.
"A lot of people think it is about my ex-girlfriend," he said, “who you can now see every night on Love Island.”
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Hide Ad"It was actually about my grandmother who sadly passed away a few years ago."
Earlier in the night, Capaldi's speech as he took home the Best New Artist award was censored by ITV as the 23-year old exclaimed, "Thank you very f*****g much!”
Ceremony host Jack Whitehall told the cameras: "I love that man!"
Calling for change
As Foals picked up Group of the Year, lead singer Yannis Philippakis called out the lack of female nominees, saying: "Hopefully net year we'll see more women in this category."
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Hide AdNo women won any of the non gender-specific awards, securing just four nominations out of a possible 25 in those categories.
After picking up the male solo artist award – only the fifth time best male has been won by a non-white artist – Stormzy paid tribute to the women in his team.
"To be the best male, I have got the most incredible females in my team," he said. "You lot are the greatest, the best male is nothing without the best females. I love you guys."
Earlier in the night, Jack Whitehall made a dig at the lack of female representation, saying: "Environmental issues have been a big theme of awards show this year. And in the spirit of sustainability the BRITs have been recycling all sorts of excuses for why so few women were nominated.”
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Hide AdThe nature of the categories has also been questioned, with calls for gendered categories to be dropped altogether to accommodate non-binary artists such as Sam Smith.
Caroline Flack tributes
The ceremony, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary and hosted by Jack Whitehall, was overshadowed by the recent death of former Love Island host Caroline Flack, who was found dead on Saturday having taken her own life.
The show opened with a tribute to the late presenter, with Whitehall saying she was "a member of the Brits family" during his opening monologue, adding that she was "a kind and vibrant person with an infectious sense of fun".
"She will be sorely missed. I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say our thoughts are with her friends and family."