Lily Allen blasts the BRITs

Jun 8, 2010 09:37 EDT

Lily1Lily Allen has been quoted in the media as blasting the BRIT awards – the UK’s high-profile equivalent to the Grammys (think BAFTAs to the main prize the Oscars). The singer won best British solo female artist at the prize ceremony in February at which she also performed. Her website was not coy about the triumph, trumpeting the star on her official website and calling the award “coveted”.
Either Allen’s memory is short or her PR team is not on message, because in an interview that has just been aired as part of Sky Arts’ “In Confidence” series, she is quoted by the Mirror tabloid and Telegraph broadsheet as calling the prize a “non-award” that “means nothing”. ”The Brit Awards is a TV show, and a record company executive makes deals with ITV and the producers about who wins what award in exchange for performance time,” she said. “I got one last week and it just meant absolutely nothing to me, to be honest. It just became a non award.”
The BRIT organisers, somewhat baffled by the timing of Allen’s statement given that the awards took place nearly four months ago, have defended the way the winners are decided. A spokesman said in a statement: “We are sure that Lily will be happy to hear that the voting for her BRIT Award for British Female Solo Artist was scrutinised and approved by the electoral reform society, as are all awards voted for by the BRITs Academy.” The Academy is made up of some 1,000 people from the music business, ranging from journalists to managers to record label executives.
It will be interesting to see how Lily gets on should she be nominated again in 2011