The Brit Awards is sticking to old ways, and Sam Smith has something to say about it.
In 2019, the British award show announced plans to eliminate gendered categories for its prizes in order to better include non-binary artists.
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But according to the Sun, a source has said that this year’s telecast, set to air in May, will still feature gendered categories.
“The concern is that looking at the artists who have released this year – with all of the restrictions and problems – scrapping separate male and female awards categories might actually have had more of a negative impact across the board,” the source explained. “It’s definitely something that is going to be looked at again in subsequent years.”
Smith responded to the report, having come out as non-binary in 2019.
“The Brits have been an important part of my career, one of my earliest achievements was winning Critics Choice in 2014,” the singer wrote.
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“Music for me has always been about unification not division,” they continued. “I look forward to a time where awards shows can be reflective of the society we live in. Let’s celebrate everybody regardless of gender, race, age, ability, sexuality and class.”
While the gendered categories remain, this year’s Brit Awards will see one major change after a campaign spearheaded by artist Rina Sawayama, allowing musicians without British citizenship to be eligible for awards if they’ve resided in the country for at least five years.
