The BRIT Awards are celebrating 40 years in 2020 and organisers have announced some major changes for the upcoming ceremony.
One of these changes is a return to the classic, streamlined, helmeted, silver statuette of Lady Britannia. Since 2011, the engraved awards have been reimagined by some notable designers and artists, such as Vivienne Westwood, Damien Hurst and David Adjaye, and have undergone some radical facelifts. The 2020 awards aim to bring back the more recognisable statuette, which was presented from the early 1990s to 2010.
The BRIT awards have had several statuettes since it first began in 1977, the first modelled on a polished aluminium tuning fork, with intersecting pieces which gave it a monolithic shape.
The engraved awards also bear the winning artist’s name, category and an etching of Britannia, as well as the British Phonographic Industry logo. In 1983, winners were presented with a large replica of a vinyl record, and in 1985 a giant number one in blue and red stripes. By 1990, the statuette was in the classic shape of a bronze, helmeted Britannia holding a trident.
The 2020 awards also promise a more streamlined ceremony, with just nine categories up for grabs. This will mean more time to showcase some of the industry’s finest artists with extra live performances.
Some of the categories themselves have also been refreshed, for example ‘British Single’ is being replaced with ‘Song of the Year’, and ‘British Breakthrough Act’ is now ‘Best New Act’.
The ceremony will take place on 18th February 2020 and promises to be just as memorable as in past years.
