Raye’s landslide victory at the 2024 Brit Awards, which took place on Saturday night in London, tastes like a reckoning. Set aside by her record label three years ago, the British singer-songwriter won six categories of the most important awards in the British music industry, including Best Artist, Best Song and Album of the Year.
With a self-managed career since 2022, Raye surpassed the previous record of four awards, held by Harry Styles, Adele and Blur, recalls the British newspaper The Guardian. Nominated in seven categories, the only one that didn’t win was Best Pop Artist, given to Dua Lipa. In the category of Best British Artist of the Year, she dethroned names like Dua Lipa, Central Cee, Little Simz, Fred Again, J Hus or Jessie Ware.
Escapism, single released at the beginning of 2023, which went viral on TikTok and skyrocketed the London artist’s success, it was once again crowned after being the song that was at the top of the UK charts for the longest time last year, also reaching number one in the U.S.
Now the album My 21st Century Blues came out victorious in a list that included heavyweights like The Ballad of DarrenBlur, or No Thank You, by Little Simz. Between pop, soul and R&B, illuminated by names like Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Jill Scott or Charli XCX, in My 21st Century Blues Raye looks at the toxicity of the music industry, drug abuse, anxiety and mental health, the ongoing ecological hecatomb and social media.
Upon receiving the main award of the night, Album of the Year, Raye brought her grandmother on stage, getting emotional. “I’m crying hard and ugly on national television,” said the singer. “I’m so proud of this record, I’m in love with the music – all I ever wanted was to be an artist.”
Raye has never won a Brits award before, but these six wins put her head to head with Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, David Bowie, Phil Collins and Oasis. The most successful artist in Brit history remains Robbie Williams, with 13 awards, followed by Adele, with 12.
This edition of the Brit Awards was, moreover, dominated by women and non-binary people. As the The Guardianthere is “a marked change compared to recent years, in which the Brits were criticized for favoring male artists”.
Also distinguished at the last Grammys, American singer and songwriter SZA – one of the most interesting artists in the current R&B scene – was crowned in the Best International Artist category, beating names like Taylor Swift, Burna Boy, Lana del Rey, Olivia Rodrigo or Miley Cyrus, the latter winner of Best International Song, with Flowers.
Boygenius, a super band that brings together Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, won the award for Best International Group, adding to the three awards obtained at the Grammys. In other Brit Awards categories, rapper Casisdead was considered the Best Hip-hop/ Rap/ Grime Artist (performs on March 15th at Plano B, in Porto) and Kylie Minogue, who closed the ceremony, was awarded the Global trophy Icon (global icon).