10 BRIT Awards winners you may have forgotten

1 March 2025, 13:00

By Radio X

@RadioX

Read more

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The four decade history of the BRIT Awards is studded with superstars, legends and icons. And then there are some winners that aren't as memorable...

1. Best British Newcomer 1999 - Belle And Sebastian

   In an early example of a "social media" hijack, fans of winsome Scottish indie pop hit the Radio One-sponsored Best Newcomers vote. The universe was confused when B&S went and won it, beating the likes of 5ive, Another Level, Billie, Cleopatra (comin' at ya) and Steps. People cried "fix!”, but the gong was picked up by Mick Cooke and Richard Colbourn of the band and the rest of the world went about their business. Dunno who the host is on this clip.

   

   Belle & Sebastian win British Newcomer presented by Huey Morgan & Zoe Ball | BRIT Awards 1999

2. Best British Album and Best British Group 1994 - Stereo MCs

   Clapham’s Stereo MCs bagged the best album AND best group trophies in that fallow year of ’94 (that's sarcasm, by the way). Nominated in the album category were Dina Carroll, Jamiroquai, Sting and Suede. The MCs (as nobody called them) were the biggest thing in the country for about a minute, then they ended up on a TV ad for a phone company. Their album Connected was actually released in September 1992, so just was just about eligible for the 1994 BRITs.

   

   Stereo MC's "Connected"

3. Best British Group 1987 - Five Star

   British groups releasing albums in 1987: The Smiths, The Cure, The Cult, Echo And The Bunnymen, Def Leppard, The Housemartins, Pet Shop Boys, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Public Image Ltd, Pink Floyd and even a career-spanning collection from New Order. And who was regarded the best group of the year? That's right, Romford's answer to The Jacksons.

   

   Five Star - System Addict

4. Best International Newcomer 1992 - PM Dawn

   Set Adrift On Memory Bliss was a hip-hop classic in ’91 with its sample of True by Spandau Ballet, but this year was a tough category, as the winners were up against the smooooooooooooth sounds of Color Me Badd, crooner Chris Isaak, the underrated Jellyfish, long-haired rockers Extreme and another crooner, Harry Connick Jr. To be honest, though, 1991 wasn’t a great year new bands overseas. Except for Nirvana. And maybe Pearl Jam. Oh, and Smashing Pumpkins.

   

   PM Dawn - Set Adrift On Memory Bliss 1991 (Official Music Video) Remastered

5. Best British Album and Single 1989 - Fairground Attraction

   This British band made Number 1 with the catchy single Perfect, but was the album that good? And that wasn’t the end of it - lead singer Eddie Reader won Best Female in 1995 against the likes of Kate Bush and Michelle Gayle (off of EastEnders). Whassat all about?

   

   Fairground Attraction - Perfect

6. Best British Female 1999 - Des’ree

   David Brent: “Money don’t make my world go round, I’m reaching out to a higher ground…” New employee: “Is that a philosopher?” Brent (shakes head): “Des’ree”.
   
   The boss of The Office wasn’t the only fan of the South London soul singer as she triumphed in 1999 after the release of her song Life, but subsquent albums didn't do as well. The Best British Female category that year also featured Billie Piper, Billie Myers, Hinda Hicks and PJ Harvey, who went home empty-handed.

   

7. Best Female Solo Artist 1982: Randy Crawford

   Despite being born in Macon, Georgia - that's in the United States Of America - acclaimed soul singer Ms Crawford went home with the Best British Female Solo Artist in 1982. To be fair, she had two major hits in the UK in the preceding twelve months - You Might Need Somebody and Rainy Night In Georgia - but she beat fellow female musicians Toyah (from Birmingham) and Sheena Easton (from Lanarkshire).

   

8. Most Promising New Artist 1977: Graham Parker

   The frontman of The Rumour shared the award for "Most Promising New Artist" at the inaugural BRIT Awards in 1977. Titled "The British Record Industry Britannia Awards", the event took place at the Wembley Conference Centre on 18th October 1977 and was intended to take a look back how the music business had developed over the previous 25 years - this being the occasion of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, of course.

   

   Parker shared the award with singer Julie Covington, who was a star of the TV show Rock Follies and had just enjoyed an enormous hit with Don't Cry For Me Argentina from the musical Evita. Graham Parker & The Rumour had three Top 20 albums between 1977 and 1980, but split shortly afterwards, leaving the frontman to go solo. He's still recording today, but his last Top 40 album was back in 1982.

9. International Male Solo Artist 1991: Michael Hutchence

   1990 had been a big year for INXS, with their seventh album X making Number 2 in the UK charts and being certified double Platinum back home in Australia. So it was a bit of a puzzler that frontman Michael Hutchence was nominated for "Solo Artist" when his project Max Q was a collaboration with musicin Ollie Olsen and had come out in 1989? The INXS singer had also contributed to the movie soundtrack Dogs In Space, but that had been released some five years previously.

   

10. Best British Breakthrough Act 1992: Beverley Craven

    Someone at BRIT Towers really liked Beverley Craven, as her 1990 debut album - which featured her hit Promise Me - was nominated for 1992's BRITs and the musician herself was also in the frame for British Female Solo Artist. She won Best British Newcomer however, taking the prize from Cathy Dennis, Seal and EMF. In 1994, Craven was up again for Female Solo Artist but lost to Dina Carroll of Don't Be A Stranger fame.