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Comedian Mo Gilligan will replace Jack Whitehall as host of the BRIT Awards.
As well as a change in the presenting line-up, there's another big change planned with male and female gender categories completely banished.
The ground-breaking move will see nominations consist of gender-neutral categories, including artist of the year and hip hop/rap/grime act, doing away with British female artist and British male artist.
The BRITs will also launch a new award for international artist of the year, celebrating artists solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify.
The changes to the ceremony are seen as part of The BRITs commitment to making the show as inclusive and relevant as possible.
In another evolution which recognises the popularity of collaborations, the 2022 BRITs will include featured artists in song of the year, only the lead artists or named collaborators have previously been counted.
The axing of the gendered categories has been on the cards for a few years now, especially after singer Sam Smith, who came out as non-binary in 2019, was excluded from the male and female nominees list earlier this year.
At the time, Sam responded: “I look forward to a time where awards shows can be reflective of the society we live in. Let’s celebrate everybody, regardless of gender, race, age, ability, sexuality and class.”
Comedian Mo will become the first non-white and Black British host in BRIT Awards history.
In an excited statement he said: ‘It’s an absolute privilege to host the 2022 Brit Awards.
"I’m truly honoured to be asked. We’re already in the extensive planning stages and all I can say is, I promise we’re going to give it all we’ve got to create an incredible night for music fans everywhere. Let’s go!’
Maya Jama and Clara Amfo will return to host the Brits nominations show and the red carpet.
The Brit Awards 2022 will take place on Tuesday, February 8 at London’s O2 Arena.
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- Mo Gilligan
- BRIT Awards
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