BRIT Awards for global live stream on YouTube

Next month’s BRIT Awards at London’s O2 Arena are to be live streamed around the globe on YouTube, organisers have confirmed.

The 19th February event, arguably the biggest night of the year in the UK music calendar, will see the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Pharrell Williams, Ellie Goulding, Bruno Mars and more take to the stage, alongside a recently-announced collaboration between Disclosure and Lorde.

Organisers of the ceremony have also confirmed the first ever Social Vote Award for Best British Video. Viewers will be able to live-vote throughout the broadcast on Twitter, with the winner announced at the end of the show. Nominees for the category will be revealed throughout the day on 10th February on the official BRIT Awards YouTube channel, with the overall shortlist being based on official YouTube views.

BRITs chairman Christian Tattersfield said: “By adding the first ever Social Vote and YouTube live stream we are taking the BRITs to a whole new level, offering a dynamic, engaging and fully interactive experience for fans everywhere.”, whilst chief executive Geoff Taylor added “The live vote on Twitter means that viewers world-wide will decide on the night who made the best British music video. Given the phenomenal success of British music overseas and the huge importance of social media to our artists, it’s right that the BRITs should become a truly global, digital event.”