Image source, EPA

Host Mo Gillian has opened the Brit Awards 2023. Stay with us. And we're starting with a performance from who else but Harry Styles.

Paul Glynn
Entertainment & arts reporter

In order to save time and make room in the live TV show, several winners were announced beforehand.

Rising star went to BBC Sound of 2023 champions, girl group Flo, who received their award on the red carpet.

It was also announced earlier this week that French DJing stalwart David Guetta will pick up the producer award on the night.

And songwriter of the year will go to Harry Styles' right (or should that be write) hand man, Kid Harpoon.

OK, now The Masked Singer is over, let the other ITV music show we've all been waiting for begin!

What to look out forpublished at 20:26 Greenwich Mean Time 11 February 2023

20:26 GMT 11 February 2023

Paul Glynn
Entertainment reporter

Image source, Getty Images

After his big win at the Grammy Awards, the smart money is on some (if not all) of the major Brit Awards ending up at Harry's house.

Styles is up for four prizes, including best album, where he'll be up against his recent touring buddies Wet Leg. The Isle of White indie duo are in with a good shout of winning best alternative act and perhaps even best group, which would cap a remarkable breakthrough year.

They'll perform live on the night too, as will their most famous fan, Styles - who covered their innuendo-laden indie hit Chase Longe in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. He'll be hoping his stage spins around the right way, unlike last week's technical glitch in Los Angeles.

Expect performances too from Lizzo, David Guetta and Stormzy - who stole the Brits show several years back with a bare-chested government protest in the rain.

Elsewhere listen out for anyone becrying the total lack of female nominees in the nowadays genderless best artist category, in their acceptance speeches.

Read more.

That wraps up all the action from the red carpet. The show starts soon so we'll turn our attention to the competition, the upcoming performances and best bits from past shows - as well as all the stuff in between.

TikTok star Abby Roberts made her name with make-up videos but is appearing at the Brits thanks to her move into music.

Image source, Reuters

The London-born rapper released his latest album This Is What I Mean in late 2022, which is also up for British Album of the Year.

To accompany the record's release, Stormzy teamed up with east London festival All Points East, curating a line-up for the This Is What I Mean day in August, where he will also headline.

The BBC wasn't wrong to name him one to look out for in 2015, as his debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, was the first grime album to reach number one in the UK albums chart.

It only took four years from then for him to became the first black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury, where he wore a Union Jack stab vest made by Banksy.

Not one to shy away from politics, at the 2018 Awards he publicly asked then-Prime Minister Theresa May, "Where’s the money for Grenfell?"

He's also funded the Stormzy Scholarship for black British students at Cambridge University and is launching a new initiative to increase black Brits involvement in the football industry.

Alongside his Artist of the Year nomination, Stormzy is also nominated for Album of the Year (This is What I Mean) and Best hip-hop/rap/grime.

See the full list of nominations here

Mark Savage
Music correspondent, BBC News

Bradford bassline collective Bad Boy Chiller Crew were surprise nominees for best group - nestling alongside more established names like Arctic Monkeys and The 1975.

Still, they announced their arrival in regal style, with a procession fit for a king.

Paul Glynn
Entertainment reporter

Going into this year's Brits, one of the biggest talking points has been the fact that no women were nominated in the now genderless five-strong overall best artist category.

Not long ago, Charli XCX gave her thoughts on the matter to the BBC's Colin Paterson on the red carpet.

"I've heard a lot of chat about the fact that there weren't enough females in album cycle and that's why no-one was nominated," she queried.

"But I was in an album cycle and I had a number one album."

"So did Florence [and the Machine]," noted the BBC's entertainment correspondent.

"Yeah, there's many of us," she replied. "So I don't know, you should ask them. We're doing everything right. I don't think it's our fault, I think it might be theirs."

Emily McGarvey
BBC News Live reporter

Back to the red carpet and we’ve just heard that Mimi Webb was wearing £1.3m worth of diamonds on her neck, that’s one heavy necklace.

She also had a security guard with her at all times on the carpet - we’re not sure if he was minding her or the necklace to be honest.

Image source, Reuters

Harry Styles, who is performing tonight, leads the pack with four nominations.

He released his third studio album Harry's House last year, that debuted number one on the UK albums chart and Billboard 200 in the US, becoming the fastest and best-selling album of 2022 in Britain.

His single As It Was broke records and inspired TikTok trends, becoming the most streamed track on Spotify within 24 hours of release by a male artist and won the Brit for Song of the Year in 2021, with Watermelon Sugar taking home the prize.

Last week, he won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy awards.

Styles has been drawing fans and feather boas on his worldwide tour since 2021, and will continue to bring it with his outfits and vocals until summer 2023.

As well as his Artist of the Year nomination, Styles is also up for Album of the Year (Harry’s House), Song of the Year (As it Was) and best pop/R&B.

See the full list of nominations here

It's less than an hour to go until the start of the Brit Awards 2023 - where we find out which acts have won the biggest accolades in the UK music scene.

As we've been reporting Harry Styles and the indie band, Wet Leg, lead the nominations and are both up for four prizes.

The show itself starts at 20:30 with comedian Mo Gilligan taking on hosting again. He'll will be introducing performances from Harry Styles, Lizzo, Stormzy, Sam Smith, Wet Leg and Cat Burns among others.

Whether you're watching at home - on TV or on the Brits official Youtube, external - or want to keep up to date while you're out and about, stay with us here as we bring you all the winners, losers and hot takes right here.

But now, we're going to bring you profiles of the Artist of the Year nominees.

Emily McGarvey
BBC News Live reporter

The mad rush of celebrities has calmed down now but we’re waiting for some final big names to arrive.

We were expecting the red carpet to wrap up 30 minutes ago but we can still hear the shouts from photographers as some stars make a fashionably late arrival.

We’re hoping to chat to Charli XCX shortly but many big names such as Harry Styles and Lizzo only stopped for a quick photo opp before heading into the arena.

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, BBC News

Shania Twain has arrived.

At last year’s Coachella Festival she was the guest on stage of one Harry Styles who has the most nominations tonight.

His secret?

“He is utterly authentic. He is nice. He is kind. And obviously he is super talented.”

That don’t impress me much.

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, BBC News

Producer of the year David Guetta is here.

“Longevity in this industry is a miracle,” he beams.

He will be performing with Becky Hill during tonight’s show. He says his hit I’m Good (Blue) came about because a TikTok influencer sampled it before it was released.

Despite all the use of technology he insists that music all comes down to one thing: “Nothing is going to replace taste.”

But what do we make of his taste in jackets?

Emily McGarvey
BBC News Live reporter

Sugababes are here and they’re very excited to see Stormzy perform tonight.

The UK icons shut down Glastonbury festival last year after pulling in such a huge crowd that the Avalon stage had to be closed.

“It was the show of our lives,” they say.

They’ve teased new music and promised once they get some free time “we’ll be back in the studio”.

Emily McGarvey
BBC News Live reporter

Ellie Goulding is here and wants to highlight the lack of female artists in this year's Brit Award nominations.

Speaking about abundance of female talent in the industry, she says: “Have they been recognised this year? No.

“It’s really surprised me, I wish there had been more representation this year for women.”

Image source, PA Media

Artist of the Year nominee Stormzy is on the carpet.

Stay tuned, we are hoping to hear from him soon.

Paul Glynn
Entertainment reporter

Sam Smith and collaborator Kim Petras caused a stir at Sunday's Grammys with their erotically-charged set, upsetting religious conservatives who said the duo embraced Satanic imagery.

The Church of Satan, however, responded that the performance was "alright" and "nothing particularly special".

Tonight, Smith has just waddled on to the red carpet in an inflatable latex suit, which is bound to get more people talking.

Emily McGarvey
BBC News Live reporter

Nigerian artist Fireboy DML is here and he’s been nominated in the international song of the year category for his song Peru, featuring Ed Sheeran.

“I’m blessed to be here,” he says. "Altogether the song changed my life… it’s one of those songs you just knew, the energy was amazing.”

Image source, Getty Images

Here's Sam Ryder hugging a massive statue of the trophy tonight's winners will be taking home, although they will be given much smaller versions.

This year it's been designed by the Nigerian artist Olaolu Slawn and the concept behind it is "hats off to you".

The trophy usually has a helmet on, but Slawn has removed it for this year and added three different facial expressions to the bronze figure. He says the design reflects the spirit that he feels towards the Brit Awards for its contribution to British creativity.

Slawn (who's pictured below) joins a list of impressive names. Vivienne Westwood, Tracey Emin and Sir David Adjaye are just some of the artists to have designed the trophy in the past.

Image source, Getty Images