What happened at the Brit Awards 2019? Big wins, Hugh Jackman and Beyoncé's tribute to Meghan Markle
Here's everything you need to know about all the winners, performers and key moments at the Brit Awards
Calvin Harris, The 1975, Ariana Grande, Drake and Ed Sheeran were all victorious at the 2019 Brit Awards on 20th February – but we're still thinking about some of the bigger moments of the night: Hugh Jackman spectacularly opening the show, and Beyoncé and Jay Z's unexpected nod to Meghan Markle as the Mona Lisa.
Here's what you need to know about the UK music industry's biggest night of the year:
Who were the big winners at the Brits 2019?
The 1975 picked up the gong for British Group for the second time, as well as the British Album of the Year Award. (This was not entirely a surprise to viewers: UKTV Play gave the game away before the ceremony even started by broadcasting a pre-recorded advert mentioning "double Brit award winners" The 1975. Oops.)
It was also an excellent evening for Calvin Harris, who took home his first-ever Brit Award – despite being nominated 16 times (16 times!) in the last ten years. It seems you wait a decade for a Brit Award and then two come along at once, because the DJ won both British Single (for his hit collaboration with Dua Lipa, One Kiss) and Best British Producer.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ed Sheeran won the Brits Global Success Awards, which is determined by the global sales success of a British artist. Sheeran already has 10.5 million certified sales for his third album, Divide, and has sold an estimated 150 million records to date.
Ariana Grande was announced as Best International Female, while Drake won the Brit award for Best International Male for the second time.
Best International Group was awarded to The Carters, their first as a group – although Beyonce and Jay Z have both previously won Brit awards as individual artists.
Little Mix were victorious in the British Artist Video of the Year category, which is decided by public social vote. It seems the public loved their music video for Woman Like Me featuring Nicki Minaj, which the girl group performed earlier in the show.
George Ezra won his first Brit Award, taking home the trophy for British Male Solo Artist. It was also a first for Tom Walker, who won British Breakthrough Act (by public vote). Rising star Jorja Smith, who won the Critics' Choice Award in 2018, was named British Female Solo Artist.
Take a look below at the full list of winners.
Hugh Jackman kicked things off with The Greatest Showman
Actor and performer Hugh Jackman kicked off the show with an appropriately-glitzy rendition of The Greatest Show from his musical movie, The Greatest Showman. There were acrobatic dancers... and awards show host Jack Whitehall even put in an appearance.
As the BBC put it, it was a pretty appropriate way to open the show as Jackman played circus impresario PT Barnum "inside Britain's largest tent," at The O2.
Calvin Harris made his Brits debut with a collaboration with Dua Lipa, Sam Smith and Rag’n’Bone Man, and there were also performances from George Ezra, Jorja Smith, Jess Glynne with H.E.R., Little Mix with Ms Banks, and The 1975.
The show was closed by Pink, who delivered a four-song medley to remind us how many bangers she has to her name.
Beyonce and Jay-Z "bowed down" to Meghan Markle
Beyonce and Jay-Z had their first joint win at the Brit Awards as "The Carters", winning Best International Group – and they used it to throw their support behind Meghan Markle.
While they weren't able to be at the Brit Awards in person, the duo posed in front of a portrait of the Duchess of Sussex (who is shown wearing a crown) and, in a photo posted to Beyonce's instagram, wrote that they "bow down" to "one of our Melanated Monas" in honour of Black History Month.
The shot is a spoof of their video for Apes***, in which they stood in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris.
They added "Congrats on your pregnancy! We wish you so much joy."
It is not clear whether Beyonce and Jay-Z already had a painting of the Duchess as the Mona Lisa on their wall, or whether they had it commissioned specially for the occasion.
FULL LIST: Who won at the Brit Awards 2019?
- British Male Solo Artist: George Ezra
- British Female Solo Artist: Jorja Smith
- British Group: The 1975
- British Breakthrough Act: Tom Walker
- International Group: The Carters
- International Male Solo Artist: Drake
- International Female Solo Artist: Ariana Grande
- Brits Global Success Award: Ed Sheeran
- British Artist Video Award: Little Mix ft Nicki Minaj, Woman Like Me
- Best British Producer: Calvin Harris
- British Single: Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, One Kiss
- Mastercard British Album of The Year: The 1975, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships
- Outstanding Contribution to Music: P!nk
- Critics’ Choice: Sam Fender (announced in December 2018)
