The BRIT Awards 2020 with Mastercard today announce details of ‘The BRITs at 40’, a two hour TV special celebrating the 40th edition of The BRIT Awards, which will air on ITV on Tuesday 11th February.
Hosted by Jack Whitehall, the show delves into the archives and narrates an entertaining look back at over four decades from the UK’s biggest music show, celebrating the most memorable moments in BRITs history.
Since its first show in 1977, The BRIT Awards have pulled in the biggest global names to perform on their stage - including British icons such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, David Bowie, Oasis, Blur, Spice Girls, Adele, Coldplay and international superstars such as Prince, Jay Z, P!nk, Madonna, Bee Gees, Kanye West, Fleetwood Mac and Beyonce. The show’s prestigious Mastercard Album Of The Year Award has a roll call of phenomenal recipients including The Beatles who won the inaugural Best British Album award in 1977 for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Multiple wins of this showcase award have only gone to four acts in BRITs history - three times to Coldplay and Arctic Monkeys and two times to Adele and Manic Street Preachers.
The BRITs has also helped launch some of the most loved British artists of the last decade with its Critics’ Choice award - this year re-named to Rising Star - including Adele, Florence + The Machine, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Emeli Sande and Sam Fender, providing a significant platform for emerging music talent; even more so this year with 2020 Rising Star winner Celeste set to perform on the main show in a BRITs first.
From girl bands to great British groups, unique collaborations to rising stars, ‘The BRITs at 40’ travels back in time to showcase the BRITs’ most iconic, legendary and talked-about moments, from Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox’s hosting disaster, Geri’s Union Jack dress, Oasis v Blur, to Madonna’s calamitous cape, Stormzy speaking out, and many more.
‘The BRITs at 40’ includes exclusive interviews from BRIT Awards alumni Mel B, Robbie Williams, Mick Fleetwood, Little Mix, Sam Smith, Sharon Osbourne, Dua Lipa, Davina McCall, Dizzee Rascal, Paloma Faith, Sir Tom Jones, Rick Astley and many more.
‘The BRITs at 40’ airs a week before The BRIT Awards 2020 with Mastercard, which takes place Tuesday 18th February at The O2 Arena in London, broadcast exclusively on ITV, and featuring exclusive performances from Billie Eilish, Celeste, Harry Styles, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel and Stormzy.
Amazon Music is the digital music partner for The BRIT Awards 2020 and will host the Official BRIT Awards 2020 playlist - available to listen to on all four of Amazon Music’s streaming tiers. Further BRITs playlists will also be available on Amazon Music, including a playlist celebrating the best of The BRIT Awards over the past 40 years.
