2011 BRIT Awards
Encyclopedia
The 2011 BRIT Awards
was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.
It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry
's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena
in London
for the first time in its history, moving from the original venue of Earls Court
, also in London. The ceremony was hosted by James Corden
. The artists with the most awards won were Tinie Tempah
and Arcade Fire, with two wins each. The 2011 awards were billed as a reboot of the BRIT Awards format featuring a different venue, a new award statuette designed by Vivienne Westwood
and a greater emphasis placed on music, particularly live performances. Whilst the re-working of the show was generally well-received, the TV audience was the lowest for five years, with an average viewership of 4.8 million viewers peaking at 5.9 million. Comparatively, the final episode of Channel 4's Big Fat Gypsy Weddings was watched by 6.5 million viewers.
All of the live performances apart from Rihanna's medley were released on iTunes
immediately after the show. Tinie Tempah's medley was released under the name "We Bring The Stars Out" and charted in the UK Singles Chart at #40. Plan B's medley was released under the name "She Said Prayin'" and charted in the UK Singles Chart at #72. The other performances were combined with the original versions of the songs for chart purposes; "Someone Like You" climbed to #1, "F**k You!" climbed back up to #19, "Kidz" entered the chart at #31, "Ready To Start" entered the chart at #67 and "Timshel" entered the chart at #71 as a result of this.
and Ellie Goulding
)
won producer of the year. Mute Records
founder Daniel Miller won the outstanding contribution prize. Tony Visconti
won the award for innovation in production, beating Bjork
and Trevor Horn
.
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.
It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for the first time in its history, moving from the original venue of Earls Court
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
, also in London. The ceremony was hosted by James Corden
James Corden
James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
. The artists with the most awards won were Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
and Arcade Fire, with two wins each. The 2011 awards were billed as a reboot of the BRIT Awards format featuring a different venue, a new award statuette designed by Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
and a greater emphasis placed on music, particularly live performances. Whilst the re-working of the show was generally well-received, the TV audience was the lowest for five years, with an average viewership of 4.8 million viewers peaking at 5.9 million. Comparatively, the final episode of Channel 4's Big Fat Gypsy Weddings was watched by 6.5 million viewers.
Performers
- Take ThatTake ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
— "KidzKidz (song)"Kidz" is a song by British pop group Take That from their sixth studio album, Progress. It was released as the second single from the album on 20 February 2011...
" - AdeleAdele (singer)Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
— "Someone Like YouSomeone Like You (Adele song)"Someone Like You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele. Written by Adele and Dan Wilson for her second studio album 21, the song was inspired by a broken relationship of hers, and lyrically it speaks of Adele coming to terms with it...
" - RihannaRihannaRobyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
— "Only Girl (In the World)Only Girl (In the World)"Only Girl " is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010 through Def Jam. It was written by Crystal Johnson, Norwegian production duo Stargate and Sandy Vee, and produced by Stargate and Vee...
/ S&MS&M (song)"S&M" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm and Ester Dean, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen of Stargate and Sandy Wilhelm under her...
/ What's My Name?What's My Name? (Rihanna song)"What's My Name?" is mid-tempo electro-R&B song, produced by Norwegian producers, StarGate, who return Rihanna to the "Island-pop" of her early career with a backing track consisting of "heavy reggae" and ska beats with synthesised organs. Bill Lamb from About.com noted that before Rihanna's vocals...
" - Mumford & SonsMumford & SonsMumford & Sons are a British folk rock band. The band consists of Marcus Mumford , Ben Lovett , Country Winston Marshall , and Ted Dwane...
— "Timshel" - Plan B — "She SaidShe Said"She Said" is the debut single of the pop/rock singer Brie Larson.-Music video:The music video was directed by Chris Applebaum and was filmed on January 9, 2005 and was supposed to be shot at a beach, but it rained so they filmed it at a fast food restaurant...
/ Prayin'Prayin'"Prayin" is the third single from British rapper Plan B's second album The Defamation of Strickland Banks - a concept album whose songs tell the fictitious tale of a sharp-suited British soul singer who finds fame with bitter-sweet love songs, but then loses everything when he ends up in prison for...
" - Arcade Fire — "Ready to StartReady to Start"Ready to Start" is a single from Arcade Fire's third album The Suburbs. It was released as a single on October 3, 2010. The band performed "Ready to Start" as their second performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards, immediately following The Suburbs winning Album of the Year...
" - Tinie TempahTinie TempahPatrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
with Eric TurnerEric Turner (singer)Eric Turner is an American singer-songwriter who currently resides in Sweden. He is the lead singer in the band Street Fighting Man and is also a teacher.-Background:...
and LabrinthLabrinthTimothy McKenzie , better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. McKenzie is signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco, becoming the first non-talent show signing in six years...
— "Written in the StarsWritten in the Stars (Tinie Tempah song)"Written in the Stars" is the third single by English rapper Tinie Tempah, featuring American singer Eric Turner. Unlike his two prior breakthrough singles which were produced by Labrinth, the track instead features production by iSHi. It was released in September 2010 through Parlophone records,...
/ Miami 2 IbizaMiami 2 Ibiza"Miami 2 Ibiza" is a collaborative single by the Swedish House Mafia and English rapper Tinie Tempah. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2010, exclusively by Virgin Records. The song serves as the official second single from the House Mafia's album, Until One...
/ Pass Out" - Cee Lo Green with Paloma FaithPaloma FaithPaloma Faith is a British singer-songwriter and actress. In 2009, she released her debut single "Stone Cold Sober", then her debut album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?, which was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. Her debut album stayed within the top 40 album...
— "Forget You"
All of the live performances apart from Rihanna's medley were released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
immediately after the show. Tinie Tempah's medley was released under the name "We Bring The Stars Out" and charted in the UK Singles Chart at #40. Plan B's medley was released under the name "She Said Prayin'" and charted in the UK Singles Chart at #72. The other performances were combined with the original versions of the songs for chart purposes; "Someone Like You" climbed to #1, "F**k You!" climbed back up to #19, "Kidz" entered the chart at #31, "Ready To Start" entered the chart at #67 and "Timshel" entered the chart at #71 as a result of this.
Nominations
| Mastercard British Album (presented by Roger Daltrey Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also... ) |
Best British Single (presented by Alan Carr Alan Carr Alan Carr is an English comedian and television personality. Born in Weymouth, he was raised in Northampton before moving to Manchester during his early 20's.... ) |
|---|---|
|
Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit... — "Pass Out"
|
| Best British Male (presented by Dizzee Rascal Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles... ) |
Best British Female (presented by Boy George Boy George Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by... ) |
|
Laura Marling Laura Beatrice Marling is an English folk musician from Eversley, Hampshire.Initially prominent within the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim and her second album I Speak Because I Can were nominated for...
|
| Best British Group (presented by Dermot O'Leary Dermot O'Leary Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2... ) |
Best British Breakthrough Act (presented by Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show... ) |
|
Take That Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
|
Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
|
| Best British Producer | Best International Album (presented by Boris Becker Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17... ) |
|
Markus Dravs Markus Dravs is a music producer, programmer, engineer, and mixer.After hearing Brian Eno's collaboration with David Byrne "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts", he decided to get into engineering....
|
The Suburbs (Arcade Fire album) The Suburbs is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released in August 2010. Coinciding with the announcement the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing two tracks from the album, “The Suburbs” and “Month of May”. The album debuted at #1 on the Irish...
|
| Best International Male (presented by Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire... ) |
Best International Female (presented by Cheryl Cole Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls... ) |
|
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
|
| Best International Group (presented by Simon Le Bon Simon Le Bon Simon John Charles Le Bon is an English musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and musician of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.-Early life:... and John Taylor) |
Best International Breakthrough Act (presented by Avril Lavigne Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more... and Will Young Will Young William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise... ) |
|
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
|
Critics' Choice
(presented by Mark RonsonMark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
and Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding
Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is an English singer-songwriter. In 2010 she became only the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll, and win the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008...
)
- Jessie JJessie JJessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
- James Blake
- The VaccinesThe VaccinesThe Vaccines are an English indie rock band who formed in West London in 2010. The band's debut album, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, was released through Columbia Records on 14 March 2011 and reached number 4 in the UK Album Chart. They are currently the biggest selling new band of 2011....
Producer awards
Additional awards related to production were awarded prior to the ceremony. Markus DravsMarkus Dravs
Markus Dravs is a music producer, programmer, engineer, and mixer.After hearing Brian Eno's collaboration with David Byrne "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts", he decided to get into engineering....
won producer of the year. Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
founder Daniel Miller won the outstanding contribution prize. Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
won the award for innovation in production, beating Bjork
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
and Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
.