12 Established 1961 Lifestyle Awards Thursday, May 13, 2021 In a handout picture released by the Brit Awards English singer-songwriter Dua Lipa In a handout picture released by the Brit Awards English singer-songwriter Dua Lipa performs on stage. — AFP photos accepts her award for Female Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards 2021 in London. ua Lipa won the coveted British Album of the Year prize at the Brit DAwards on Tuesday, in a ceremony that saw female artists dominate the mixed categories. Around 4,000 guests streamed into London’s O2 Arena for the biggest night in British pop music, as the ceremony welcomed guests for the first time in two years as part of the govern- ment’s pilot scheme easing coronavirus restrictions. The Brit Awards have been criticized in the past for nominations seen as skewing heavily male, but this year almost all of the main prizes went to female artists. Little Mix won best British group- becoming the first female act ever to do so. Singer and poet Arlo Parks took the Breakthrough Artist award, and best inter- national group went to the American band HAIM. In another history-making moment, Taylor Swift became the first female winner of the global icon award, for what organizers said was “her immense impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date”. In a handout picture released by the Brit In a handout picture released by the Brit Awards English singer-songwriter Dua Lipa Awards Griff poses with her Rising Star award poses with her awards for Female Solo Artist in the media room. and British Album at the BRIT Awards 2021. File Photo shows Billie Eilish winner of Photo shows Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade International Female Solo Artist. Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards of Little Mix pose with their British Group award. Arlo Parks accepts the award With her album “Future Nostalgia”, 25- for Breakthrough Artist during year-old Dua Lipa-who has won three Brit the BRIT Awards 2021. Awards previously-beat soul singer these stages,” Dua Lipa said. “I feel so British nurse Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, Celeste, Parks, and rapper J Hus, who proud that three years later, we’re seeing noting that she had said “there’s a mas- was the only male contender in the best that happened, and it really is such an sive disparity between gratitude and album category. Dua Lipa and J Hus honour to be a part of this wave of respect for frontline workers, because it’s were also named best female and male women in music.” very good to clap for them, but we need solo artist respectively. “Last time I was to pay them.” “So I think what we should up here accepting this award in 2018, I ‘Give Boris a message’ do is we should all give a massive, mas- said that I wanted to see more women on She dedicated one of her awards to sive round of applause and give Boris (Johnson, the British prime minister) a message that we all support a fair pay rise.” The audience, which was packed with key workers after organizers reserved 2,500 seats for them, gave her a standing ovation. Other winners included Harry Styles, who won best British single for “Watermelon Sugar”, and Billie Eilish and The Weeknd, who won best international female and male artist respectively. Coldplay kicked off the show with a per- formance on the River Thames, and Dua Lipa herself performed live, sporting a Union Jack miniskirt and an upswept hairdo reminiscent of late singer Amy Winehouse. British rapper Rag’n’Bone Man performed live with the choir from Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), while veteran American star Pink joined In a handout picture released by the Brit Awards In a handout picture released by the Brit the performance remotely from the US singer-songwriter Adam Lambert poses on the Awards US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift United States. “Having people attend this red carpet on arrival for the BRIT Awards 2021. attends the BRIT Awards 2021. special evening makes me really excited for touring to come,” said Rag’n’Bone Man before the ceremony. The annual event, which normally takes place in February, was postponed for three months because of coronavirus safety and logistical concerns. Audience mem- In a handout picture released by bers neither observed social distancing the Brit Awards Elton John and nor wore face coverings once seated, but Olly Alexander perform virtually at needed to produce a negative coron- the BRIT Awards 2021. avirus test result. — AFP In a handout picture released by the Brit Awards HAIM win- ners of the International Group award pose on the red carpet..