Brit Awards 2021: Dua Lipa’s NHS Salary Increase Call, Taylor Swift Surprise, Live Music Return | Ents & Arts News

It was the UK’s return to live indoor music, marking the start of the road back to normalcy – and this year’s Brit Awards hit the right tone, with lively performances and remarkable fashion as well as poignant and political moments.

With (almost) no virtual elements, neither social distancing nor masks – as part of a government testing program – the ceremony certainly made a much better show for home viewers than others like the BAFTAs and Oscars earlier this year.

This year British the winners were almost all women, with Dua Lipa, Small mix, Arlo Parks and Taylor Swift all collection rewards. But there were a lot of other great moments too.

NHS and key workers honored – and Boris called

With 2,500 of the 4,000 tickets given to key workers, this year’s Brits would always highlight their incredible work throughout the pandemic.

But, as Lipa said in her first acceptance speech of the night, it should be more than just clapping.

“It’s great to applaud them, but we have to pay them,” she said, winning the award for best female solo artist.

“I think what we should do is we should all clap overwhelmingly and overwhelmingly and give Boris (Johnson) the message that we all support a fair pay raise for our front line.”

His speech was greeted with enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Harry Styles and Swift also paid tribute to the health workers, with Swift saying that while we have needed music over the past year, “what we needed even more was the help and support we got from the NHS and key agents who are here tonight “.

Rag’n’Bone Man and P! Nk used their performance to honor the health service, singing their song Anywhere From Here alongside the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir and raising money for charity.