The annual Brit Awards are back in town this weekend and have been gracing our screens every year since 1982. However, the first-ever awards took place much earlier to mark a special royal event.
Before it was named the Brit Awards, the prestigious music ceremony was originally called the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) Awards and later changed to the British Record Industry Britannia Centenary Awards.
Held in 1977, it was launched to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Unlike the current awards ceremony, which celebrates last year’s songs, artists, and bands, the first awards actually honoured the first 25 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
This meant that a track that was released in 1972 had an equal chance of winning as a song released in 1969.
The trophies were also distinctly different. We usually recognise the classic Brit trophy as the female warrior based on Britannia. However, the original trophies were based on the shape of a tuning fork.
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Shirley was crowned Best Female Solo Artist (Image: Getty)
Designed by Roger Clinton-Smith, the trophy reflected the 100th anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of sound recording – another reason the ceremony was held that year.
The first Brits were held at Wembley Conference Centre in London, which also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in May and the BAFTA Film Awards that year.
It was hosted by Michael Aspel and broadcast by Thames Television Network. The ceremony is now usually held at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London.
Cliff Richard won the first ever Best Male Solo Artist award (Image: Getty)
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Some of the first Brit Awards nominees saw the likes of Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Beatles being honoured. A 42-strong panel had the tough decision to choose the winners – with The Beatles winning Best British Group.
However, they lost out on Best Single, which was won as a tie – with Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody from 1975 and Procol Harum’s 1967 song A Whiter Shade of Pale both winning.
Best Female Solo Artist was won by Shirley Bassey, while Best Male Solo Artist was given to Cliff Richard – who defeated and Tom Jones for the award.
The 1977 awards format was never repeated, and it didn’t return until 1982 when the Brit Awards became what we know and recognize today. Cliff Richard was named Best Male Solo Artist for the second ceremony in a row.