The organizers of the Brit Awards have scrapped gendered categories, removing separate male and female prizes for best solo and best international acts.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, starting from 2022, the U.K.'s biggest music awards will have gender-neutral categories across the board after removing four awards, best male solo artist, best female solo artist, best international male solo artist and best international female solo artist.
Announcing the change on their official social media, the organizers said the change was to reward artists "solely for their music and work, rather than how they choose to identify or as others may see them, as part of The Brits' commitment to evolving the show to be as inclusive and as relevant as possible."
A number of artists including multiple Brit winner Sam Smith, who identifies as non-binary, had been calling on the organizers to move away from gendered categories.
Additional changes for next year's event include the addition of four new categories, alternative/rock act, hip hop/grime/rap act, dance act and pop/R'n'B act. The four new categories will be decided by a public vote.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the 2022 Brit Awards takes place on February 8 from London's O2 Arena and will be hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan.
( With inputs from ANI )
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