On Saturday,  Feb. 11, comedian Mo Gilligan hosted the annual BRIT Awards at the O2 Arena in London. This year’s awards featured some of the world’s most famous artists. The awards show itself was filled with iconic performances, fitting wins and questionable fashion choices. 

Before the event began, many artists rocked new and iconic looks on the red carpet. There were several stars who were debated to be the best dressed of the night. Lizzo wore a Robert Wun black gown with a large gold ruffle. Harry Styles wore a black flared suit and oversized corsage by Nina Ricci. Yet another fan favorite was Jodie Turner-Smith who sported a stunning  Zuhair Murad styled silver gown. On the other hand, Sam Smith was arguably the worst dressed sporting a black latex bodysuit by Harri. The suit had padding in the arm and leg area adding a strange shape to Smith’s figure. Some appreciated the artistic choice in Smith’s wardrobe while many thought the look was ridiculous. 

Among those who were set to perform were Harry Styles, Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Lizzo, Lewis Capaldi and David Guetta with Becky Hill, Ella Henderson and Sam Ryder. Styles opened the ceremony with a performance of his single “As it Was.” Fans were very pleased with his performance, which included his signature style of dancing and high energy. Many even thought that this performance of “As it Was” was better than his Grammy performance, and Styles’ fans believed he looked much more comfortable on the BRIT Awards stage compared to others.

Rising British group Wet Leg gave a performance of their single “Chaise Lounge.” Wet Leg has been gaining popularity since the hit song was released in 2022 along with their self-titled debut album. Wet Leg’s performance was whimsical and featured a forest-like scene with an all-female dance group. 

Capaldi performed the song “Forget Me,” which was featured on his debut album in 2019. Following that was Lizzo performing a mashup of the three most popular songs from her latest album “Special.” The most striking part of Lizzo’s performance was her attire: Lizzo had worn a baby-pink gown with an oversized clamshell-like attachment. Lizzo’s performance also received much positive feedback from fans. Sam Smith and Kim Petras performed their latest single “Unholy,” which has been receiving mixed reviews since its release. While some fans are mesmerized by Smith’s new style, many are shocked by their drastic change from classy to bold. Smith’s performance held true to their new style with a grungy car garage theme featuring both them and Petras decked out in dark colors. 

Finishing off the performances was Guetta along with musical artists Hill, Henderson and Ryder. They performed a mashup consisting of songs Guetta had produced with each singer and brought an atmosphere of excitement to the ceremony. Guetta had won Best Producer and Hill had won the Dance Act award. Although of all the most notable performers, Wet Leg and Styles had stolen the show, taking home the most awards. Wet Leg had won Best New Artist and Best Group overall. Styles had won a grand total of four Brit Awards, those being Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Artist of the Year and Pop/R&B Act. 

On the other hand, Beyoncé won International Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year. Beyoncé’s winning song “BREAK MY SOUL” was a part of her Renaissance album, which was released in 2022. Despite the controversy that occurred after Styles won Album of the Year at the Grammys, there was little complaint about his success at the BRIT Awards. Styles was enthusiastically congratulated by both fans and artists alike. Even those who rooted for Beyoncé to win Album of the Year at the Grammys did get their wish granted at the BRIT Awards, as overall both artists had great success.  

In the end, Styles had won the most awards out of every artist for the night. Between fashion, performance and awards, it is definitely safe to say that he stole the show. Nevertheless, viewers were also happy to see the success of newer bands such as Wet Leg, or even nominees such as Bad Boy Chiller Crew or the 1975, who won Alternative/Rock Act despite not winning Best Group. There was certainly a good balance of artists in attendance and nominated, and every award given seemed well-deserved by the winners.