Warner Music had record breaking year at BRIT Awards

Warner Music UK celebrated its most successful BRIT Awards yet taking out six of eleven awards (or six of eight UK awards).

These followed “a spectacular showing” for the major label at the Grammys in New York last month when Warner subsidiary Atlantic took 13 wins.

At the 38th BRITs. Dua Lipa took home British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist.

She was already the most streamed UK female artist last year.

Ed Sheeran won Global Success, Gorillaz was crowned British Group, and Stormzy was awarded British Male Solo Artist and Mastercard British Album of the Year, for Gang Signs & Prayer.

The artists came from a range of Warner labels, including ADA, Atlantic, Parlophone and Warner Bros.

In addition, as TMN has reported, Stormzy, Lipa, Sheeran, Liam Gallagher and Rita Ora all performed at the ceremony at London’s O2 Arena.

Max Lousada, CEO Recorded Music, WMG and Chairman & CEO, Warner Music UK called the swoop “A celebration of the unprecedented opportunities for home-grown UK talent on the global stage.

“Artists like Dua, Stormzy, Ed, Liam, Rita and Gorillaz are making hugely popular and influential music that is moving culture and cascading throughout the world.”

“The Brits is always an incredible night for British music, but this year was a truly historic night for British urban music,” added Warner/Chappell Music UK managing director Mike Smith.

The publisher has Gorillaz and Stormzy on its roster.

It also celebrated wins by Kendrick Lamar, Ian Kirkpatrick (co-writer of Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’), MNEK, who collaborated with Stormzy on Gang Signs & Prayer, and Rag’n’Bone Man.

Stormzy created quite a few stirs on the night, by trumping Ed Sheeran for the album and male solo artist gongs, and also slamming British Prime Minister Theresa May in a closing medley, ending with ‘Big For Your Boots’.

On the label side, Sony Music’s UK company had three wins (it ruled last year’s BRITs with nine) and Universal had two.

The BRITs’ broadcast on ITV drew an average of 4.5 million and a peak of 5.5 million.

This was down 900,000 viewers from last year.

But BRITs CEO Geoff Taylor had already pointed out that the TV broadcast was just one measurement.

The show had also been broadcast on a number of digital platforms including a global YouTube live stream outside the UK.

The BRITs won its timeslot with 23% share of viewers for the night, compared to 26% last year.

Two years ago the awards reached 5.8 million when Adele stormed the night.