Sometimes even star power isn't enough to keep people coming back to an awards show year after year — or at least that's how it seems in the case of this year's BRIT Awards. The ceremony scored the lowest viewing figures in the show’s history, with an average of 2.5 million.
Even though the show aired live on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK, at its peak it was only viewed by 3 million viewers, which — just to clarify the seemingly-ridiculous use of the word "only" in advance of a number like "3 million" — is nearly a million fewer viewers than last year.
Mind you, these figures are taken from the overnight ratings and don't include viewers who will watch the show after the fact, but even so, it's hard to call the figures anything less than disappointing.
Raye, all smiles whilst walking the paparazzi line at the BRITs
The 2023 BRIT Awards broadcast, which featured performances by Harry Styles (“As It Was”), Wet Leg (“Chaise Longue”), Lewis Capaldi (“Forget Me”), and Sam Smith and Kim Petras (“Unholy”), among others, hit a high of 3.9 million viewers and averaged 3.3 million.
This year's ceremony took place on March 2 at the 02 in London, with Raye setting a record by taking home six awards, including Album of the Year (My 21st Century Blues), Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year (“Escapism”). The previous record – four awards in a single year – had been jointly held by Adele, Blur, and Harry Styles.
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Despite failing to secure significant ratings (at least compared to previous years, anyway), the 2024 BRITs nonetheless offered several other notable moments beyond Raye’s record-setting wins.
Dua Lipa kicked off the ceremony with a performance of her latest single, “Training Season,” one which didn’t quite find her defying gravity but did come surprisingly close at one point. In addition to winning her own award for Best Pop Act, Dua Lipa also popped up to honor Kylie Minogue with the Global Icon Award, and Minogue later thanked the assembled masses by performing a lengthy medley of her greatest hits.
Billie Joe Armstrong and Tré Cool of Green Day presented the award for International Group of the Year to boygenius. Alas, the trio wasn’t there to accept, but they did reunite long enough to put together a brief acceptance video, during which Lucy Dacus said, “Long live boygenius!”
In early February, the band announced their hiatus during a show in Los Angeles, but signaled that the group may reunite again.
"This is the last show," Dacus said. "Not ever!" Baker replied.
After their BRIT Awards win, Dacus took to Facebook and shared a heartfelt message.
"I’m feelin reflective and wanted to say thank you to everyone that cares about my music and Boygenius. It is not lost on me what a rare experience I’m getting to live," she wrote.
"The past year has been unbelievable, more like a dream than reality. But I have kept some of the carnations you threw during 'We’re In Love' and they are very real to me. I hold them tightly. I have vivid memories of people singing along, blue lights during 'True Blue,' Phoebe crowdsurfing, and Julien throwing her birthday cake into the audience," Dacus continued.
"We shared the stage with some of my favorite musicians of all time and played every venue I would’ve put on the most far reaching bucket list. I feel lucky and grateful today, and most days."
She concluded: "I’ll love Phoebe and Julien til the end of time. We’ll be missing you. Long live Boygenius."
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