The Grammys are in their prime. Here’s What They Should Learn From The BRIT Award

At the risk of sounding cliché, America’s award shows are on the verge of failure. (Unless the show is hosted by BET, of course. In that case, it’s probably going to be a lot of fun.) Last weekend’s Oscars ceremony was riveted for a variety of reasons that had nothing to do with Will Smith. attack someone and then make an angry, tearful speech. Earlier this year, the Golden Globes were held in the basement somewhere and announced on Twitter, with no hope of returning to network television. Rarely relevant VMAs may still occur every year. And the Grammys have spent the past decade handing out hip-hop awards to Macklemore, alleging voter fraud and telling women they often sneak up on work harder.

Of all the prestigious awards ceremonies, the Grammy seems to be the most dedicated to throwing themselves in the wrong hands of history year after year. However, I like to think that handing out real trophies would be a lot easier to consume if the ceremony wasn’t so horrendous at the production level.

Over the past decade, at least, the usually three-hour CBS TV show has consistently had a few startling elements. There’s a boring, polite host whose main job is to explain how music works, as if everyone watching were Martians. For last year’s first post-pandemic ceremony, there are usually a couple of dramatic mash-ups featuring a pair of nominated artists and sometimes an older, older musician. (maybe forget the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder sang “Burnin” Up” together?). Then there are random tribute shows that don’t always coincide with notable anniversaries, like when Usher and FKA Twigs commemorated the Prince four years after his death or when Jennifer Lopez was selected. chose an odd way to perform the Motown Concerto.

In addition, the sheer number of performances in recent years has been astounding, leaving many of them — even by the most talented and exciting artists — to be forgotten by the end of the night. After the 2020 ceremony, which felt like a never-ending charity concert with 22 performances, viewers on social media joked that only three awards were given out in the entire evening. Last year’s post-pandemic performance was a bit more balanced in that respect, but many performers were drawn to each other throughout the night in a way that lessened the impact of their individual showcases.

At a time when ratings for the Grammys are continuing to plummet, I believe the Recording Academy has no choice but to look to the BRIT Awards for guidance.

I started watching BRIT live streams when I was a huge fan of One Direction and the boy band was a prominent presence on the London-based TV channel. The show introduced me to rising pop artists like Olly Murs, Disclosure, Labrinth, Ella Eyre, Jess Glynne and Emeli Sandé, whom I might not have known or cared less about if I hadn’t been following. I’ve witnessed amazing performances from American music hits like Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Katy Perry that just wouldn’t have been possible on an American television station (more on that later). that is in the next section). It’s also one of the only ceremonies I’ve seen that recognizes Rita Ora’s musical contributions. Needless to say, the show has always had a strong impact on me.

Like the Grammy Awards, the BRIT Awards have had a number of internal public issues — some of which have since been rectified. But overall, it has long been a more innovative, exciting, and progressive broadcast than what CBS has to offer.

On a basic but important note, the BRIT has always been the premium award for look in. Grammy, forever tied to hideous metallic, brassy tones, has been trying to incorporate a more vibrant color palette into its graphics over the past three years. But they still lack the sleek look and character you get from the BRITs’ consistent artistic and luxurious aesthetic. The Britannia statue is particularly stunning, receiving redesigns from British art and fashion artists such as Vivienne Westwood, Peter Blake, Damien Hurst, and this year, Sir Anish Kapoor, for visual inspiration. for the rest of the program. Along with the BRIT Awards, the Grammy’s miniature gramophone, despite being an unquestionably iconic image, looks like a sad Christmas ornament from the Dollar Tree.

Another big advantage BRIT has over the Grammys is the size of the shows and what the channel allows each artist to showcase. I’ve always appreciated that the artists performing at BRITs get to spend the entire stage in London’s O2 Arena (plus the runway) to create a unique and immersive visual experience — unlike at the Grammys , where the artists are divided into different parts of the stage and can’t really flex their creative muscles (unless you’re Beyoncé, of course).

Some of the standout pieces at the BRITs include Kanye’s humming 2015 performance of “All Day,” which featured popular artists like Skepta and Krept & Konan, tons of awe-inspiring fireworks, and a pop uncensored series of curse words. A personal favorite of mine is a futuristic Little Mix performance of “Shout Out to My Ex” in 2017, aided by Janet Jackson-esque choreography and a bunch of silver-painted topless men. . Last year, Dua Lipa performed a stop-over medley of her singles from Future nostalgia feels like you are watching a contemporary MGM musical. And who could forget Kylie Minogue emerged from a giant sound system at the 2002 ceremony to sing “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” like a disco Barbie?

Perhaps one of the reasons that the artists performing at BRIT are allowed to make these great artistic flourishes is because the broadcast does not seem interested in organizing as many artists as possible in order to try to tries to maximize viewership, even though the show’s ratings also drop every year. This is simply the reality of award shows in an age where there are a million other things to watch, and the BRIT Awards, at least from the way it appears, have accepted their fate, in accordance has been practiced for a long time. In general, the BRITs are much more selective, thoughtful and focused on the quality, not the quantity, of the performances they arrange.

Finally, it’s nice to know that the celebrities among the audience of any award show are actually having a good time. That’s why the Golden Globes, despite the well-deserved amount of scrutiny they’ve recently amassed, are so essential to our awards program ecosystem in the United States. a seemingly generous supply of alcohol (see: acceptance speech by Adele and the Arctic Monkeys), as opposed to unsupported folding chairs, where even pregnant Beyoncé had to sit for an exhausting three and a half hours. tired at the 2017 Grammys.

During a radio show last year, British superstar Ed Sheeran — who has years of experience attending the Grammys, VMAs, Billboard Music Awards and pretty much any other American musician — confirmed my suspicions that the culture here Award ceremonies across the country wish it were a lot less stressful.

“The room was filled with resentment and hatred towards other people and it was quite an uncomfortable atmosphere,” the “Bad Habits” singer said above. Julia show about American rites. “In the UK our awards shows are like that, everyone is raving and nobody really cares who wins or loses. It was just a fun evening. “

History has proven many things, with the number of theatrical invasions, alterations, and other tumultuous incidents that have occurred in previous years at the BRITs making Will Smith’s slap seem like a suspect. normal awarding. All in all, I’m sure there’s a lot of British audiences who will tell me that the BRIT Awards are absolutely terrible and in need of major overhaul. But the show’s loose, vibrant energy — which it maintains while still managing to feel important and grand — is just what the Grammys desperately need in this current stage of self-seriousness, excessive strategic planning and trivial gestures related to social issues. It’s time for the show to begin.