Nobody does it like The BRITs

Feb 18, 2022 - Lyor's Letter

“YouTube’s commitment to helping break and develop British artists is really important. The launch of YouTube Music — the subscription tier — is vital, and we really want to see you putting the afterburners on that. We’d love to see the ad-funded side of the business generate more, but overall YouTube is playing a very positive role in promoting British music to a global audience, increasing contributions to the economics of the business, and that’s what helps us sign the next generation of artists. It’s a great partnership, and we should build it further.”

– Geoff Taylor

From Elton, to Amy, to Skepta, and now Little Simz, my mission is to live and breathe UK Music. When British artists create an earthquake, its tremors are felt in every direction. I’m committed to amplifying this influence.

‌Last week we demonstrated this commitment to the UK Music Industry by being the official digital music partner for The BRITs. BRITs-related content already has over 15 million on-demand views on YouTube, and we’re thrilled to have expanded its reach beyond the 2.7 million views on traditional TV. In addition, 5 artist performances reached our Top Music Videos chart. Dave hit #1 on the UK Trending Video chart, while Ed Sheeran and Bring Me The Horizon propelled Bad Habits to the Top Songs chart in over 20 countries.

We also created unique ways for artists and fans to engage with The BRITs on YouTube and Shorts. There are over 5 million views on our #BRITsUnseen films that feature nominees Holly Humberstone, Ghetts, and Griff, and we invited over 70 YouTube Creators to shine light on the BRITs experience and our Shorts red carpet installation (highlights below).

A gif of different people wearing fancy clothes and posing. #BRITsUnseen. YouTube Shorts.

The event restored hope for things to come, and our teams were blown away by the £25 million raised for charity to date as well as by the talent in the room. Where else do you get a mix like Adele, Dave, and Liam Gallagher sharing the same air? And most importantly, seeing women make up 75% of the winners spoke volumes on the direction this industry is headed. Becky Hill (who won her first BRIT Award this year for Best Dance Act) said it best:

“No matter what gender, race, or class, you can progress and make something of yourself. … That’s the message I took away from The BRITs this year.”

– Becky Hill

I discussed what makes The BRITs so special with some incredible champions of the event: Geoff Taylor (Head of BPI and The BRIT Awards), Becky Hill, and Dan Chalmers (Director, YouTube Music, EMEA). We spoke about some of our proudest accomplishments and favourite moments from the event. I invite you to watch the highlights from our conversation.

Here’s to us getting together at a venue near you!

With love and respect,

signature — Lyor Cohen
Global Head of Music, YouTube

Becky Hill - My Heart Goes (La Di Da)