The rapper Dave grabbed the headlines at the Brits, winning album of the year moments after calling the prime minister a “racist”.
During his performance of the single Black, the Londoner added a newly written verse, in which he said: “The truth is our prime minister is a real racist”.
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Accepting his award, he said “My name is Lewis. Thanks very f***ing much. Contrary to many people thinking it's about my ex-girlfriend who you can now see every night on Love island, it's actually about my grandmother who sadly passed away a few years ago.”
He added: “I hope to God ITV don't contact her to be on a dating show.”
Billie Eilish received a nod in the International Female Solo Artist but the Daily Mail says a “sexism storm” meant just four nominations out of a possible 25 in the categories which are not gender-specific featured women.
Eilish told the Brits crowd: “I just wanna say something I was thinking two seconds ago. I've felt very hated recently and when I was on the stage and I saw you guys all smiling at me, it genuinely made me want to cry and I wanna cry right now, so thank you.”
The best male artist award went to Stormzy, who performed a medley of songs accompanied by more than 100 performers, including a gospel choir, a saxophonist, and Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
He said: “To be the best male, I've got the most incredible females in my team... The best male is nothing without these incredible females.”
The ceremony opened with a tribute to Love Island host Caroline Flack, formerly a backstage presenter at the Brits, who died on Saturday.
“She was a kind and vibrant person with an infectious sense of fun," said the show's presenter Jack Whitehall. “I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say our thoughts are with her friends and family.”
Harry Styles, who briefly dated Flack while he was in One Direction, wore a black ribbon on his jacket on the red carpet, in an apparent tribute to the deceased presenter.
Full list of winners here.
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