That nostalgia is one of the reasons the Brits always feel like a washout. For decades, as how we consume music has transformed and as celebrity chaos ceases to be glorified, they have lost their gravitas and declined into a bland, backslapping corporate away day for music industry bigwigs and just another cursory appearance for stars who happen to be in London and deign to perform.
It’s a tragedy, because the Brits should feel exciting, special, and important. This ought to be one of the most prestigious events in showbiz in a country with some of the greatest musicians in the world. It should celebrate tastemakers and starmakers; it should offer unique performances that stun and thrill us; it should tell us something about the state of British arts and how we value them.
Raye’s Brits sweep last year was a rare occasion on which big, predictable names did not dominate (Photo: JMEnternational/Getty Images)
The power of a Brit is totally diluted – every few years there are new rules, new awards, new categories and new criteria that become impossible to really care about. Sometimes, the recognition from a Brit really does still feel significant – last year, when Raye made history winning six, it was a striking and overdue moment for a star too long overlooked and rejected by her own record label. But this was an exception.
Much of that is down to how they are decided. Every year, an enormous Voting Academy of 1,200 are invited from across the media – I have been one of them – to create the shortlist for each category. But with no obligation for members to listen to every song or artist, most judges naturally most gravitate toward what they’ve heard already or what they “feel” – because of an artist’s fame or cultural prominence – ought to get a look-in.
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Read MoreFrom there, the Voting Academy votes for the eventual winners of eight categories, while the genre categories – which this year count for five of the total 16 – are fan voted. Only three awards are decided by a panel of genuine experts, Producer, Songwriter and Rising Star. Which is absurd. Awards are supposed to have the clout of experts behind them; if we only wanted to find out what’s popular or who has the most active fanbases we can open up Spotify or TikTok ourselves.
Charli deserves to sweep it – no other British record in the last 12 months has had the cultural impact or originality of Brat. But when that album has already won her two Grammys and the global zeitgeist the Brits feel like a footnote. If this institution had any conviction or cared about cultural influence, it would have recognised her years ago.
The Brit Awards are on ITV1 on Saturday at 8.15pm
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