BRIT Awards: Raye leads early wins at Britain's pop music honours

Singer-songwriter Raye was the early big winner at the BRIT Awards, the biggest night in British music, on Saturday, picking up three early prizes out of her record seven nominations. She won the first award of the night, song of the year for "Escapism". The 26-year-old also triumphed in the genre category for R&B act and was named best new artist.

Singer-songwriter Raye was the early big winner at the BRIT Awards, the biggest night in British music, on Saturday, picking up three early prizes out of her record seven nominations. Raye is a contender in the awards' top categories: artist of the year and album of the year for "My 21st Century Blues". She won the first award of the night, song of the year for "Escapism".

The 26-year-old also triumphed in the genre category for R&B act and was named best new artist. Her tally of seven nods broke the record for the most nominations by a single artist in any one year, according to the annual ceremony's organisers, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Raye, who parted ways with her record label in 2021 to work as an independent artist after she said the label had withheld her debut album, began early celebrations this week, when she was named BRITs Songwriter of the Year. She is the first woman to win the award since its launch in 2022.

"What is actually happening right now because I just don't understand," Raye said when she picked up her third award at the ceremony, for best new artist. "I released my first song when I was 15 years old... but I do feel like a new artist, I got to start again... I'm in control, I'm my own boss now."

Band Jungle won group of the year, while rock band Bring Me the Horizon won the alternative/rock act category, beating the likes of Blur and The Rolling Stones. More than half, 55%, of this year's nominations feature women - either as a solo artist or as part of an all-woman group, the BPI said.

Artist of the year is a gender neutral category now counting 10 nominees after organisers doubled its number following an outcry over an all-male list of contenders last year. U.S. singer SZA won the gender neutral international artist of the year category, which also now counts 10 nominees, beating the likes of Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus.

Ahead of the awards, Kylie Minogue was named as this year's BRITs Global Icon, while indie rock band The Last Dinner Party have already been revealed as winners of the rising star award.

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