The Weeknd has been confirmed as the latest performer at the BRIT Awards 2021. The annual ceremony will take place this year on May 11 at The O2 in London, with Jack Whitehall set to host once again.
Abel Tesfaye will deliver a remote live performance at this year’s BRITs, with the Canadian artist – who is nominated for International Male Solo Artist – unable to attend the ceremony in person due to the current coronavirus travel restrictions.
The Weeknd joins the growing list of live performers for the 2021 BRIT Awards, which already includes Coldplay (who will open the ceremony), Arlo Parks, Headie One, Dua Lipa, Griff and Olivia Rodrigo. Rag’n’Bone Man, meanwhile, will also team up with P!nk for a special collaboration with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir.
2500 people will be in attendance at this year’s BRITs as part of the UK Government’s scientific Events Research Program, which uses enhanced testing approaches to examine how live events can take place without the need for social distancing.
This year’s BRIT Awards trophy gives nominees the chance to share their award with someone close to them. Award recipients will be given a double trophy, which consists of a larger, colorful statuette, as well as a smaller metallic statuette, and have been “encouraged to award the second smaller trophy on to someone else.”
It has been designed by artists Es Devlin and Yinka Ilori, who said that the spirit of lockdown had inspired their original design.
“The idea came from the experience of lockdown, where your neighbor you’ve lived beside for six years and never say hello to suddenly gave you flowers, foods, acts of kindness,” said Ilori.
“I wanted to capture that…I would describe it as two artists from different disciplines, different inspirations, coming together to design a trophy based around the idea of giving something back – acts of kindness.”
Devlin added: “Yinka and I thought that the best award that one could receive would be agency to award another…Each recipient is invited to award the second trophy to someone they consider worthy – it might be recognition – or it might be someone that does something entirely unrelated to music.”
