The BRIT Awards 2022 with Mastercard breaks new ground with digital plans for show
The BRIT Awards 2022 with Mastercard has today revealed its social and digital plans to build relationships with a new generation of BRITs fans. With a series of groundbreaking partnerships for the show, the BRITs will continue to grow its influence in social and digital spaces around tomorrow’s ceremony taking place at The O2 arena.The strategy for this year’s show has been focused on expanding the universe of The BRITs. By opening up voting to millions of TikTok fans, releasing the show’s first ever NFT, working with top tier social talent and building digital-first partnerships, opportunities to get involved with the event have never been wider.
On the night, the show will come to life through multi-platform live streaming. This year’s Red Carpet Live Stream will be hosted by Munya Chawawa and Nella Rose, who will be providing the perfect warm-up to the main event. In a 60 minute show, broadcast on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter from 6pm GMT, Munya and Nella will help artists, guests and nominees settle nerves and get ready for the biggest night in UK music.
International fans will then follow the show on the BRITs YouTube channel in a stream presented by AJ Odudu along with Reece Parkinson. This is the ninth year YouTube have delivered the event to fans outside of the UK and the show, broadcast live from backstage, will keep the audience entertained with highlights, interviews and features. Performances and highlights from the night will be going up on The BRITs' YouTube channel as soon as the main show comes to a close.
This year’s show also sees some significant firsts for the event, including the launch of four new genre awards voted for by the fans. Powered by TikTok, music fans cast their votes over a two-week period to determine the winners of Alternative/Rock Act, Dance Act, Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act and Pop/R&B Act, all of which will be announced in tomorrow night’s ceremony. This is the first time TikTok has powered voting for a UK Awards show. Alongside the vote, the platform has launched a dedicated #BRITsTok hashtag, which has received over 175million views in the voting period.
Another milestone for the show is its launch of limited BRITs NFTs, celebrating the winners of each category, designed by digital artist MRE. Priced at £10 and purchased at brits.serenade.co, fans can own a piece of show history with all proceeds going to The BRIT Trust. There are 250 editions for each category and they go on sale at 9am Wednesday 9th February.
The BRITs 2022 has also collaborated with fashion brand Depop, who will be celebrating this year’s Awards across their social channels by throwing back to iconic BRITs looks. There will also be prominent features in-app, including curated lists by BRITs nominees Joy Crookes and Holly Humberstone, winner of this year’s Rising Star award.
Inside the arena, the BRITs social team, powered by Somethin’ Else Creative Studio, will ensure that every angle is covered with live coverage. The team will be sharing content in real-time to all social platforms and collaborating with GIPHY to ensure that the show’s best moments are at fans’ fingertips. There will also be additional coverage from LADBible on the red carpet and Love of Huns, who will be providing a whole new angle on show night for their fans. The build-up to the show has featured a huge range of artist-led content including Day in the Life videos from Nominees, fan profiles of artists such as Coldplay and a Twitter Spaces conversation between Holly Humberstone and Griff.
YouTube Shorts is the Official Digital Music Partner and is bringing fans closer to the BRITs than ever before. #BRITsUnseen, YouTube’s campaign with the BRITs has been taking fans on a journey to the BRITs through exclusive content with 2022 nominees including Griff, Ghetts, Holly Humberstone, along with collaborations with some of YouTube’s biggest creators, a bespoke YouTube Shorts red carpet moment on the night of the 8th February, and promotion across YouTube and socials. YouTube are working with artists and dozens of their biggest YouTube creators to capture content en-route to the awards, on the red carpet, backstage and the day after, creating a body of Shorts and video content for socials, and giving fans a window into the unfiltered - usually unseen - moments of the BRITs. YouTube have also this year partnered with Amelia Dimoldenberg who will be bringing her unique brand of interviewing to the BRITs 2022 from the red carpet. Artists will also have the opportunity to create unique content live from the YouTube Shorts booth on the red carpet. Amelia will be joined by Harry Pinero and Unknown Vlogs for coverage across The O2 arena.
And in an exciting first, fans will also be able to watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage on the night on YouTube Shorts, a new short-form video experience right on YouTube, as well as listening to their favourite artists' playlists on YouTube Music. YouTube Shorts sponsors the 2022 Artist of the Year award.
The BRIT Awards 2022 digital campaign is led by Luke Ferrar, Innovation Director at Polydor and BPI Director of Digital Giuseppe De Cristofano, who jointly co-chair The BRIT Awards 2022 Digital Committee, working with content agency Somethin’ Else Creative Studio led by Executive Producer Darren Struwig and Producer Lucy Bacon.
Luke Ferrar, Innovation Director, Polydor Records + Co-Chair of the BRITs Digital Committee:
“When planning the BRITs 2022 digital campaign we wanted to rethink how and where the new generation consume the show and its content. From global partner plans with YouTube, brand new voting technology with Tik Tok, our first NFTs with MREGFX and a whole host of other new partnerships I feel we have placed the BRITs on the cutting edge of award ceremonies. Proud to have the BRITs that I’ve watched for so many years enter so many new spaces in such an interesting way.”
Giuseppe De Cristofano, BPI Director of Digital - Co-Chair of the BRITs Digital Committee:
“Every campaign, we strive to take the BRITs to younger audiences in new and innovative ways to help us futureproof the show for years to come. I particularly want to thank Luke in his role of Co-Chair of the Digital Committee for his passion and vision, and to Tom, Darren, Lucy, and the whole team at Somethin’ Else Creative Studio who have worked tirelessly to deliver this year’s campaign. We are all really excited to build on the success of the 2021 campaign, and we can’t wait to deliver the BRITs to an even wider global audience!”
Darren Struwig, Executive Producer at Somethin’ Else Creative Studio - "Following an incredible digital campaign for the BRITs in 2021, it’s been brilliant to build on the success by expanding the BRITs online community into new spaces. The BRITs has always celebrated the relationship between artists and their fans and Somethin’ Else Creative Studio are proud to have worked so closely with Giuseppe and Luke on ensuring the BRITs 2022 is no different. We cannot wait to deliver engaging, exciting and extensive coverage of this year’s award show to a truly global audience."
Dan Chalmers, Head of Music EMEA YouTube: “We're thrilled to be taking the BRITs to a global audience of millions through the livestream once again, and to be giving people the chance to experience the show in a way never before seen through #BRITsUnseen. From the lead up to the red carpet to the morning after, #BRITsUnseen will be capturing all the best moments as they happen.”
The BRIT Awards 2022 with Mastercard take place Tuesday 8th February at The O2 arena, exclusively broadcast on ITV and ITV Hub and hosted by Mo Gilligan. The BRITs 2022 line up of performances are confirmed as: Adele, Anne-Marie/KSI/Digital Farm Animals, Dave, Ed Sheeran, Holly Humberstone, Liam Gallagher, Little Simz and Sam Fender.
