Record-breaking Raye sweeps up SIX gongs on the BRIT Awards

Raye‘s journey from musical obscurity to international pop star reached a brand new top tonight as she made historical past by sensationally successful six Brit awards. 

The London-born singer, full title Rachel Agatha Keen, was overwhelmed as she broke the file for successful essentially the most gongs in a single night time, going up every time to gather her awards barefoot. 

She was nominated seven occasions – essentially the most ever for a single artist in a yr – however could not probably have received greater than she did as she was shortlisted twice for track of the yr – for Escapism, which received the title, and for Prada.

At the ceremony at London‘s O2 area, the 26-year-old collected prizes for finest artist, new artist, R&B act and songwriter in addition to a track and album of the yr.

The songwriter’s success represents considered one of music’s best ever comebacks, coming simply three years after her former file label Polydor refused to launch any of her albums.

This led to Raye leaving the corporate and releasing her critically acclaimed, and now award successful, debut My twenty first Century Blues as an impartial artist. 

Raye was seen in floods of tears as she collected her awards and even introduced her grandmother on stage to gather Album of the Year. 

The star of the night time additionally took to the stage to carry out a trio of hits – Ice Cream Man on piano, an orchestral model of Prada earlier than ending with Escapism.  

The singer/songwriter scooped the Song of the yr award for her hit Escapism ft 070 Shake, shortly earlier than additionally taking residence the R&B Act gong and Best New Artist.

‘I’m shaking. I do not actually know what to say proper now, however… thanks. I’ve all the time dreamed of claiming that,’ she stated because the reached the rostrum to simply accept her first award of the night time.

Accepting Best New Artist simply minutes afterwards, the emotional star advised the gang: ‘What is definitely taking place proper now ‘trigger I simply do not perceive!’

Raye’s latest success comes after she parted methods together with her former label, Polydor, and launched her critically acclaimed debut My twenty first Century Blues as an impartial artist. She referenced her new starting in her Best New Artist Speech. 

‘I’ve to thank my mum and my dad who’re additionally a part of my group, and my grandma. Yes grandma! I, in methods, do really feel like a brand new artist. I launched my first track once I was 15, my first mixtape once I was 16, do not go and take heed to it as a result of it isn’t that good any extra.

‘But I do really feel like a brand new artist, I obtained to start out once more. The artist I used to be three years in the past wouldn’t imagine what she’s seeing in the present day. I’m my very own boss now, I’m in management. Thank you!’

She additionally scooped the primary ever BRIT Award for R&B act, which is voted for by the general public by way of Instagram and is a brand new standalone style class after musicians and followers complained about R&B being conjoined with the pop final yr.

Raye acknowledged the the uproar in her speech, telling the gang: ‘Look I simply wanna say, once I was about 16, 15 years outdated, I needed to be an R&B artist, that is what I’d say. And I used to be advised, I feel, a lie that R&B would not promote within the UK so I wanted to discover ways to make totally different sorts of music.’

‘I do know that is a bit shady however I must say R&B is so vital and there are such a lot of R&B artists within the UK consuming it up. I wanna shout out to Mahalia, who campaigned for this award, Cleo Sol, who’s immaculate, Sault. This actually is loads – thanks.’

Raye additionally received Songwriter of the Year, which was introduced forward of the dwell ceremony, with host Clara Amfo handing her the gong in a shock second after her Best New Artist win.

The prize, which started in 2022, has beforehand been received by Suffolk singer Ed Sheeran and British file producer Kid Harpoon, who labored with Harry Styles on the album Harry’s House. 

The artist then gave an impassioned plea to the music trade, taking the mic to declare: ‘Whilst I’m right here, British file music trade please, I simply wanna have a quick dialog about normalising giving songwriters grasp royalty factors. 

‘It could be web prices, it would not should be at your expense, but it surely means if songs win large the writers win large too. Please permit that to occur.’

Later within the present, the star scooped considered one of Saturday night time’s high prizes – Artist Of The Year.

The non-gendered Artist Of The Year Award sparked outrage final yr, after it changed particular person Male and Female classes, however then failed to incorporate any feminine or non-binary artists amongst its 5 nominations.

This yr nevertheless, thanks partly to the class being doubled in dimension, there have been six feminine nominees out of the ten, together with Raye.

Arlo Parks, Jessie Ware, Lil Simz, Olivia Sims and Dua Lipa made up the feminine nominees, whereas Central Cee, Dave, J. Hus and Fred Again… had been additionally nominated.

‘There are so many ridiculously unimaginable artists right here tonight, so that is particularly overwhelming,’ Raye advised the gang after her fifth win. 

‘Man, what is occurring? What the hell is occurring? Shoutout Croydon! South London! What! Shoutout my group! My sisters! My finest buddy Carly, I like you a lot Carly, do not begin me off!’

‘Thank you, that is unfair, that is unfair, that is wild. Somebody take this mic off me, I’ve had my first drink. Thank you to the Brits, thanks a lot!’

Raye purchased her grandmother on stage as she received Album Of The Year, which was offered to her by her BRIT School headteacher Stuart Warden, who she had earlier given a shout out to.

Speaking on the crimson carpet earlier than the ceremony at London’s O2 on Saturday, Raye admitted she was struggling to take all of it in.

She advised crimson carpet hosts Layton Williams and DJ Harriet Rose: ‘It’s a joke. I used to be making an attempt and hustling for years. It’s an excessive amount of. My primary factor tonight is that I’ve to get pleasure from it. Otherwise what’s the level.

‘It’s actually arduous to course of issues in actual time.’

Raye vowed to have fun the night time away on the after-parties at unique places equivalent to Soho House’s 180 venue the place file label Universal hosted a bash, and the Nomad lodge.

Born in Tooting to a Ghanaian-Swiss mom and English father, Raye started singing within the church choir. At the age of 14, she was accepted into the Brit School for performing arts, however dropped out after two years saying she felt ‘confined’.

She first discovered fame in 2016, aged 19, when she featured on Jax Jones’s You Don’t Know Me which peaked at No 3 on the UK singles chart.

But in 2021 she revealed that file label Polydor had refused to launch any of her albums, regardless of having signed her seven years earlier. She took to Twitter to say : ‘I’ve been on a 4 album file deal since 2014. And have not been allowed to place out one album.’

Her debut album My twenty first Century Blues was launched independently final yr made No2 within the charts – in addition to securing her the Brit Award final night time.

Raye has beforehand advised how she was assaulted by a music producer who compelled his hand between her legs when she was 17 – an expertise she drew upon for the album monitor Ice Cream Man.

Her history-making night time comes after the singer, actual title Rachel Keen, delivered a show-stopping efficiency on the primary stage at Glastonbury final summer season and obtained a Mercury Prize nod for My twenty first Century Blues.

But the Brit School graduate has been climbing her approach by means of the ranks for a few years, having signed to Polydor Records as an adolescent. 

She later lent her vocals to high 5 hits by David Guetta and Jax Jones and wrote lyrics for Beyonce and Rihanna. 

Despite her apparent expertise, her solo work didn’t attain the identical heights and in 2021 she expressed frustration at her label not letting her launch her debut album but.

In a collection of posts to X, previously Twitter, she wrote: ‘Imagine this ache. I’ve been signed to a serious label since 2014… and I’ve had albums on albums of music sat in folders amassing mud, songs I’m now freely giving to A listing artists as a result of I’m nonetheless awaiting affirmation that I’m ok to launch an album.’

She stated she had ‘performed every thing’ they requested her to do, together with switching genres and dealing lengthy weeks.

‘I’m performed being a well mannered pop star. I wish to make my album now, please that’s all I need,’ she stated.

She advised the Sunday Times she was resentful of the music trade executives who took benefit of her youth.

She stated: “When you’re young your mind is malleable, your opinions not always your own.

“As a child on this trade I had horrible paranoia and insecurity projected on to me. I used to be advised to concern the entire ladies doing effectively on the time, like we had been competitors.

“Apparently there was only one seat at the table and I had to fight to make it mine. That was such a confusing narrative for me.”

Raye’s beautiful success on a robust night time for feminine musicians will delight Brit Awards organisers after final yr’s controversy. 

Then, not a single girl was nominated for artist of the yr – which was finally received by Harry Styles – after organisers scrapped separate female and male awards in favour of gender-neutral classes.

Producers additionally modified the gender stability of presenters this yr, changing 2023 host, Mo Gilligan, with Love Island anchor Maya Jama, and radio DJs Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp. 

A file 98 artists had been up for the brand new 2024 BRIT award, which has been designed by British visible artist and painter Rachel Jones. 

As effectively as Raye’s enormous successes, Dua Lipa received finest pop act whereas Kylie Minogue – who had an enormous comeback hit final yr with Padam Padam – picked up the worldwide icon award.

American singer-songwrier SZA, 34, received worldwide artist of the yr whereas Miley Cyrus, 31, received worldwide track of the yr for her hit, Flowers. American feminist indie band Boygenius had been named worldwide group of the yr.

All three carried out on the present too, with Ms Lipa opening the ceremony together with her hit Training Day as greater than 30 dancers twisted and span from invisible wires 50ft above the stage.

The solely males to get accolades had been Calvin Harris for dance act; Sheffield quartet Bring Me The Horizon within the different/rock class; Casisdead for finest hip-hop, grime or rap act; and duo Jungle for group of the yr.

Collecting their first Brit, frontman Oli Sykes stated: ‘We do not know what to say, we did not suppose we’d be successful this.

‘Thanks to the Brits for making a voting system so sophisticated solely our followers might be a**** to vote.’

Before the present began, stars walked the crimson carpet, with 28-year-old Ms Lipa wowing in a plunging leather-based Versace robe. 

She stated: ‘It does really feel like a very robust yr [for women] and it is fantastic to see so many unimaginable feminine artists who I like and I like and I take heed to.To be alongside them feels actually particular and we’d like extra woman vitality. It’s nice.’

Ellie Goulding, 37, made her first public look since she confirmed she had cut up from husband Caspar Jopling after almost 5 years of marriage.

Fresh off the airplane from Costa Rica the place she was seen frolicking within the sea with surf teacher Armando Perez, Ms Goulding was wearing a shocking nude colored floor-length silk robe by Italian label Alberta Ferretti and a pair of £954 Jimmy Choo Max Bing sneakers.

She additionally took to the O2 stage with Harris to carry out their Brit-nominated hit Miracle.

Other stars to stun in on the crimson carpet included actresses Joanne Froggatt, Jaime Winstone, Isla Fisher and Marisa Abela, who performs Amy Winehouse within the forthcoming biopic of the tragic singer, Back To Black.

Also on the crimson carpet had been mannequin Abbey Clancy with ex-footballer husband Peter Crouch, former Spice Girl Mel C and singer Charli XCX.

Comedian Rob Beckett left visitors shocked and amused when he arrived in an inflatable giraffe outfit – apparently plugging his forthcoming stand-up tour, which is known as Giraffe.