Clara Amfo has celebrated the diversity of the BRITs 2019 shortlists, telling Music Week that “polar opposite artists in the same category is really cool”.
The BBC Radio 1 DJ will be presenting from the red carpet on the night, and said this year’s nominees also represents the surge in importance of “DIY culture”.
“The prevalence of DIY culture is really being taken seriously by the industry,” said Amfo. “Gone are the days you absolutely need to have this million pound record contract to become the biggest thing ever.”
Amfo said 2019 is “one of my favourite years, nominee-wise,” and celebrated the presence of an array of acts including Giggs, Music Week Artist Of The Year George Ezra and Little Mix on the shortlists.
“The fact that Giggs and George Ezra can go against each other in the Best Male category is fab, they are just as important as each other,” Amfo sais. “Sure, Giggs didn't have a NO.1 record with Shotgun, but he didn't need one to be just as relevant as George in my personal opinion.”
Giggs and George Ezra are just as important as each other
Clara Amfo
“George is somebody who has been working really hard for a long time. He wasn't expecting that single to be No.1,” she added.
Amfo said the discussion around the make-up of the BRITs shortlists “goes back to the old school argument about what is ‘real music.’”
“Arctic Monkeys are in the same category as Little Mix,” Amfo said. “And why not? I see people tweeting, ‘Get some more music on,’ it's such a lazy way to categorise what is deemed correct and proper and what's not.
“There are some people that love Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino probably just as much as they love listening to Shout Out To My Ex a million times. And that's okay, you know? It's really cool that all these artists that are polar opposite to each other are in the same category.”
Subscribers can read Music Week’s recent Aftershow interview with Amfo online here.
Revisit the best moments of last year’s BRIT Awards here, and stay tuned to musicweek.com throughout the week for build up and reaction to the big night.
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