Noor Nanji
Culture reporter at The O2 Arena

If you base this purely on viewership, the answer is probably: yes. An average of 3.3m people tuned into the Brits last year, the biggest television audience in years. ITV bosses decision to move the event to a Saturday clearly paid off.

The awards are no doubt an important night for the British music industry. If someone you knew got a Brit award, I imagine you’d still be impressed.

The controversies haven’t helped though. Last year, no women were shortlisted for best artist award. It was hardly a good advert for music awards. Organisers will be hoping tonight’s ceremony provides lots of viral moments - and for all the right reasons.

Natasha Bedingfield is next come down the carpet.

She says she’s “so happy” her song Unwritten has experienced a surge in popularity again after it was featured in film Anyone But You.

“The best thing for me is when everyone is singing along to it,” she tells the BBC.

Bedingfield, 42, says she’s been spending her time writing new songs.

“To me a good song is a good song”, she says, adding her grandmother told her women’s voices are in their prime in their 40s.

Image source, bbc

Rebecca Ferguson has just been speaking to the BBC's Mark Savage about her guest performance at Eurovision last year in Liverpool.

It was "just fun", she says. "I just think the atmosphere is amazing, the people are amazing. I'd go again a billion per cent because there's just a lovely atmosphere with Eurovision."

She explains that she had just had a baby at the time she performed - "it was hard but I got through it".

The soul singer says she is most looking forward to seeing Raye perform.

"I think it's lovely to see someone do well and I know she had a bit of a hard time but I'm just so happy for her...

"I'm here to support Raye."

Yasmin Rufo
BBC News Culture

A host of artists will take to the stage at the ceremony later, with Dua Lipa and Raye topping the bill.

Dance duo Jungle, Nigerian rapper Rema and Canadian pop sensation Tate McRae will also appear, while drum and bass veterans Chase & Status will be accompanied by two-time Brit winner Becky Hill.

Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris will team up for a special performance, while Australian superstar Kylie Minogue is set to perform a medley of her hits after she is crowned this year's global icon.

Aoife Walsh
Live reporter at the Brit Awards

Drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash is walking through now. Wearing black latex gloves and corset topped with metallic trim, she’s catching everyone’s attention here on the carpet.

Noor Nanji
Culture reporter at the Brit Awards 2024

I’m here at the O2 arena with the BBC’s music correspondent Mark, our live reporter Aoife, and our producers Guy and Russell.

The media are all crammed into a tiny space on the red carpet - there’s not enough room to swing a cat.

But it’s a really fun atmosphere. Everyone is excited to see the great and the good of the music world arrive - and there’s lots of shouting as journalists spot stars they want to interview.

Aoife Walsh
Live reporter

Traitors star Mollie Pearce has arrived on the red carpet, wearing a vibrant red gown paired with a massive grin.

She tells the BBC she’s excited to be here and is most looking forward to seeing Dua Lipa.

Mollie was a runner-up in the Traitors, but she fell at the final hurdle and lost the £95,000 prize to Harry Clarke.

She says she’s had “quite a few” fans coming up to her since the hit BBC One show aired.

Asked about how she feels about Clarke now, she says she’s “so over it”.

“I’m at the the Brits!” she exclaims.

Image source, Getty Images

It's now 17:00 and the stars are beginning to strut their stuff on the carpet.

You can press Play at the top of our page to follow a live stream of their arrivals until the show begins.

Recognisable faces have started to walk the red carpet - here's who we've spotted so far...

Image source, Getty Images

Love Island star and presenter Zara McDermott dons a red lace halterneck number.

Image source, Getty Images

Actor Layton Williams - from the West End's Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Billy Elliot the Musical - is dressed in an all-green pinstripe suit.

Image source, Getty Images

Mollie Pearce is here for any fans of the BBC's The Traitors. The model and healthcare assistant may have fallen at the final hurdle in the reality show - but she is stunning in a floor-length

Aoife Walsh
Reporting from the O2

The route for tonight’s celebrity attendees has been carefully mapped out.

With less than an hour to go before the carpet opens, some lucky fans are starting to gather in stalls at the entrance.

After greeting fans, the celebrities will then move on to have their photo taken by a cluster of photographers - many of whom were granted access through a raffle system outside.

There’s also a special corner decorated with disco balls where celebrities will be able to stand and strike a pose.

They’ll then make their way to the media stalls, where all of the major outlets are eagerly waiting to speak to them.

Andrew Rogers
Reporting from the O2

There's a good chance you've heard some of the biggest names on tonight's red carpet on TikTok.

Putting the current dispute between the social media giant and Universal Music aside, a bunch of tonight’s acts have had big success as the backing track to your mates’ best posts.

Songs like Tyla’s Water, Prada from Raye, and Central Cee and Dave’s Sprinter were usually just a swipe away.

We’ll find out tonight if that translates into award success.

Image source, Getty Images

Before we get fully distracted with our red carpet coverage, here's a reminder of some of the big names who are going to be dominating the Brit Awards tonight.

Singer-songwriter Raye could make history if she is crowned the winner in all the categories that she’s nominated in, making her the most-awarded artist in a single year at the Brits. Records have already been broken by the young star, as she’s clocked-in seven nominations, including: best artist, album, song (twice), new artist, pop act and R&B act.

Plus, she already has one award in the bag - songwriter of the year, which was announced ahead of Saturday's ceremony.

A big year for British hip-hop is also reflected in rapper Central Cee earning four nominations, with three nods each for J Hus, Dave and Little Simz.

And Kylie Minogue is following in the footsteps of the likes of Taylor Swift and Sir Elton John after being announced as the recipient of the global icon award.

As a helpful reminder, we've got a full list of all the nominees here.

Aoife Walsh
Reporting live from the O2

There’s just a few hours to go before this year’s Brit Awards ceremony gets under way, but there’s already a lively buzz of excitement building here at the O2 Arena.

I’m standing on the red carpet amongst a bustling press pack, all busily setting up ahead of the first celebrity sighting.

I should mention - there’s actually no red carpet here, we’re standing on grey concrete.

In addition to tonight’s brilliant list of nominees, I’m told other famous guests that could be walking the carpet include Mel C, Natasha Bedingfield and Olly Alexander.

The actual walk down the carpet is a very well choreographed event. The celebrities will enter through one designated entrance, where they’ll first be greeted by fans’ spirited cheers, before making their way to pose for pictures, and then on to speak to journalists.

I’ll be filling you in on all the latest from behind the scenes throughout the evening (provided I don’t become too starstruck), so make sure to stay with us.

Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the 44th annual Brit Awards - and what a star-studded ceremony it’s shaping up to be.

We already know who some of the winners are - Chase & Status have been named producers of the year, while British indie rock band The Last Dinner Party took home the rising star award in December.

But the artist of the moment is without a doubt Raye. The south London artist scooped a record number of nominations and all eyes will undoubtedly be on her when she takes the red carpet and the stage for a performance later on in the evening.

Dua Lipa, Tate McRae, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Afrowave star Rema, and dance act Jungle are all confirmed to perform later, and so we’ll also be expecting to see these stars grace the red carpet at some point.

Our colleagues from the culture, music and Newsbeat desks are reporting live from the O2 arena and will be providing us with constant updates from the scene. So settle in and keep following us here for all things Brits!