Awards show (as they had become known) took place at the Albert Hall and was the first prime-time TV event. Live performances came from the Bee Gees and Bananarama (together with an unforgettable troupe of scantily clad male dancers) while the “special” duet concept was introduced when The Pet Shop Boys stepped out with Dusty Springfield. Winners included George Michael, Sting, U2 and new sensation Rick Astley who collected the Best British Single award, a moment missed by TV viewers as it was cut from the show to allow Outstanding Contribution winners The Who to finish their set.
1989:
One of the most memorable of all shows – for all the wrong reasons – was the one that launched the brand new BRIT Awards. Joint hosts Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood combined to miss their cues and fluff their lines while U2, Bros, Tracy Chapman, and old hands Phil Collins and Annie Lennox carried off the prizes.
And while Fairground Attraction were surprise winners of awards for both Best Album and Best Single and Cliff Richard collected the Outstanding Contribution award after 30 years in the business, there was another embarrassing moment when Government Minister Kenneth (now Lord) Baker was greeted by boos from the audience.
1989 Winners
- Phil Collins
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Annie Lennox
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Erasure
- Best British Group
- Bros
- Best British Newcomer
- Perfect - Fairground Attraction
- Best British Single
- First of a Million Kisses - Fairground Attraction
- Best British Album
- First of a Million Kisses - Fairground Attraction
- Best British Video
- Handel's Messiah - Trevor Pinnock
- Best British Classical
- Buster
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Michael Jackson
- International Male Artist
- Tracy Chapman
- International Female Artist
- Tracy Chapman
- International Newcomer
- U2
- International Group
- Cliff Richard
- Outstanding Contribution
1990:
A new venue this year with a move to the Dominion Theatre where 60s TV star Cathy McGowan took over as host. U2, Phil Collins, Annie Lennox and partner Dave Stewart, as Best Producer, all carried on winning while Nigel Kennedy, Soul II Soul, Neneh Cherry and Rod Stewart were among the performers on the night.
But there was still a hint of controversy when double winners Fine Young Cannibals reacted to a video appearance by Margaret Thatcher choosing her own favourite pop song (she picked How Much Is That Doggy In The Window?) by returning their awards.
1990 Winners
- Phil Collins
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Annie Lennox
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Fine Young Cannibals
- Best British Group
- Lisa Stansfield
- Best British Newcomer
- Another Day in Paradise - Phil Collins
- Best British Single
- The Raw & The Cooked - Fine Young Cannibals
- Best British Album
- David Stewart
- Best British Producer
- Lullaby - The Cure
- Best British Video
- Gershwin Porgy & Bess - Simon Rattle
- Best British Classical
- Batman
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Neneh Cherry
- International Artist
- Neneh Cherry
- International Newcomer
- U2
- International Group
- Queen
- Outstanding Contribution
1991
Following last year’s Outstanding Contribution win by Queen, veteran rockers Status Quo took the prize this year while The Three Tenors first emerged as prize winners following their 1990 World Cup performance and Michael Hutchence and his group INXS both collected awards.
Watched by an average TV audience of 8.2million, award winners The Cure, Beautiful South and Betty Boo all performed live while Seal’s contribution with partner Adamski was a taste of record things to come from the young singer.
1991 Winners
- Elton John
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Lisa Stansfield
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- The Cure
- Best British Group
- Betty Boo
- Best British Newcomer
- Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
- Best British Single
- Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 - George Michael
- Best British Album
- Chris Thomas
- Best British Producer
- A Little Time - Beautiful South
- Best British Video
- Zubin Mehta - The Three Tenors
- Best British Classical
- Twin Peaks
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Michael Hutchence
- International Male Artist
- Sinead O'Connor
- International Female Artist
- MC Hammer
- International Newcomer
- Status Quo
- Outstanding Contribution
1992
Seal stole the show – the first at the Hammersmith Odeon – with the first hat-trick of wins in the history of the BPI/BRIT Awards while Simply Red and KLF (who later dumped a dead sheep at the official dinner venue) tied for the title Best British Group, the first and only time a BRIT award has been shared.
Queen won Best Single (15 years after Bohemian Rhapsody won them the same title) and singer Freddie Mercury was posthumously given the Outstanding Contribution award a year after his death while singer Lisa Stansfield completed her own hat-trick by winning a BRIT Award for the third consecutive year.
1992 Winners
- Seal
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Lisa Stansfield
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Simply Red & KLF
- Best British Group
- Beverly Craven
- Best British Newcomer
- These Are The Days Of Our Lives - Queen
- Best British Single
- Seal - Seal
- Best British Album
- Trevor Horn
- Best British Producer
- Killer - Seal
- Best British Video
- Verdi Otello - Sir George Solti
- Best British Classical
- The Commitments
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Prince
- International Artist
- R.E.M
- International Group
- International Newcomer
- PM Dawn
- Freddie Mercury
- Outstanding Contribution
1993
A new venue – Alexandra Palace; a new host – Richard O’Brien – and a new TV broadcaster as the BRIT Awards moved to Carlton after eight consecutive years with the BBC. It was also the start of a new series of special BRIT Award duets with Kd Lang and Erasure’s Andy Bell teaming-up on stage.
Rod Stewart brought back The Faces to celebrate him winning the Outstanding Contribution award, Annie Lennox won two more awards and Nigel Kennedy collected the final Best Classical trophy. There was a first BRITs appearance for new boy band Take That while guest presenters on the night included Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Naomi Campbell and Smashie & Nicie.
1993 Winners
- Mick Hucknall
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Annie Lennox
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Simply Red
- Best British Group
- Tasmin Archer
- Best British Newcomer
- Could It Be Magic - Take That
- Best British Single
- Diva - Annie Lennox
- Best British Album
- Peter Gabriel
- Best British Producer
- Stay - Shakespears Sister
- Best British Video
- Beethoven Violin Concerto - Nigel Kennedy
- Best British Classical
- Wayne's World
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Prince
- International Artist
- R.E.M
- International Group
- Nirvana
- International Newcomer
- U2
- Best Live Act
- Rod Stewart
- Outstanding Contribution
1994
A new category for Best British Dance Act made its debut and M People notched up the first of two consecutive wins while Take That came back and collected two awards. The duets continued with hosts Elton John, Ru Paul, Bon Jovi and Dina Carroll, and PJ Harvey and Bjork all offering up numbers while the Pet Shops Boys brought their own Welsh Male Voice choir with them.
Ireland’s Van Morrison collected the Outstanding Contribution award from former hostage John McCarthy and friend Jill Morrell in the year in which Jamiroquai received their three first nominations which were to be followed by nine more unsuccessful listings for a BRIT Award over the next five years.
1994 Winners
- Sting
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Dina Carroll
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Stereo MCs
- Best British Group
- Gabrielle
- Best British Newcomer
- Pray - Take That
- Best British Single
- Connected - Stereo MCs
- Best British Album
- Brian Eno
- Best British Producer
- M People
- Best British Dance Act
- The Bodyguard
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Pray - Take That
- Best British Video
- Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell - Meat Loaf
- Best Selling Album
- I'd Do Anything For Love - Meat Loaf
- Best Selling Single
- Bjork
- International Female
- Lenny Kravitz
- International Male
- Bjork
- International Newcomer
1995
The year in which a new breed of British rock band took to the podium; Oasis stepped up as Best Newcomers while Blur established the record for most BRIT Awards in one year with four. The BRIT Awards voting system underwent a major change for these awards with the creation of a voting academy, expanded from 125 record companies to over 500 people from within the UK music industry.
While America’s R.E.M. nailed their Best International Group award in four years and former Fairground Attraction Eddie Reader took a solo Best Female award, host Chris Evans oversaw Sting presenting Elton John with his second Outstanding Contribution title, before duetting with M People, and introduced Madonna’s stunning BRIT Awards debut.
1995 Winners
- Paul Weller
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Eddie Reader
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Blur
- Best British Group
- Oasis
- Best British Newcomer
- Parklife - Blur
- Best British Single
- Parklife - Blur
- Best British Video
- Nellee Hooper
- Best British Producer
- M People
- Best British Dance Act
- Parklife - Blur
- Best British Video
- Pulp Fiction
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Kd Lang
- International Female
- The Artist
- International Male
- R.E.M
- International Group
- Lisa Loeb
- International Newcomer
- Elton John
- Outstanding Contribution
1996
While the headlines went to Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, after he jumped on stage and waggled his bum in protest at Michael Jackson’s performance, Oasis returned to snatch a hat-trick of awards alongside debut double winner Alanis Morissette.
Earls Court was the new venue for the show which brought an record high average TV audience of over 11million who saw Outstanding Contribution winner David Bowie team up with the Pet Shop Boys while Simply Red gave their fourth BRIT Awards live performance in a decade.
Prince/TAFKAP/squiggle won his record sixth International Male Artist award while a special Freddie Mercury Award went to the Help album in aid of Warchild charity and Jackson walked of with the title Artist Of A Generation.
1996 Winners
- Paul Weller
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Annie Lennox
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Oasis
- Best British Group
- Supergrass
- Best British Newcomer
- Back For Good - Take That
- Best British Single
- What's The Story Morning Glory - Oasis
- Best British Album
- Brian Eno
- Best British Producer
- Massive Attack
- Best British Dance Act
- Wonderwall - Oasis
- Best British Video
- Batman Forever
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Bjork
- International Female
- The Artist
- International Male
- Bon Jovi
- International Group
- Alanis Morissette
- International Newcomer
- Help Album For War Child Charity
- Freddie Mercury Award
- Michael Jackson
- Artist Of A Generation
- David Bowie
- Outstanding Contribution

1997:
New host Ben Elton introduced a record number of first time winners in the shape of the Spice Girls, Prodigy, Kula Shaker, Manic Street Preachers, Fugees, Beck and Sheryl Crow who collected their awards from the likes of Eddie Izzard, Frank Skinner, Lennox Lewis, Mrs Merton and Vinnie Jones & Colin Jackson.
Veteran group The Bee Gees were rewarded with the Outstanding Contribution award, George Michael collected his third solo BRIT while soul diva Diana Ross’ duet with Jamiroquai featured alongside appearances by Prince, the Spice Girls and Mark Morrison, complete with a bevy of out of uniform “policewomen”.
1997 Winners
- George Michael
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Gabrielle
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- Manic Street Preachers
- Best British Group
- Kula Shaker
- Best British Newcomer
- Wannabe - Spice Girls
- Best British Single
- Everything Must Go - Manic Street Preachers
- Best British Album
- John Leckie
- Best British Producer
- Prodigy
- Best British Dance Act
- Say You'll Be There - Spice Girls
- Best British Video
- Trainspotting
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Sheryl Crow
- International Female
- Beck
- International Male
- Fugees
- International Group
- Robert Miles
- International Newcomer
- Bee Gees
- Outstanding Contribution
1998
The move to London Arena brought the total of BRIT Award venues to six in 11 years while Ben Elton made it two in a row as host. There was no shortage of special duets this year with Texas and Method Man, Shola Ama and Dave Stewart and Robbie Williams and Tom Jones all teaming up on a night when Chumbawamba decided to pour cold water over Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
The award for Best Producer was presented for the last time after 17 years and went to The Verve and Chris Potter who joined the likes of George Martin, Trevor Horn, Stock, Aitken & Waterman, and Brian Eno on the roll of honour. On the night Bjork and U2 reappeared as winners, All Saints and The Verve triumphed for the first time and Fleetwood Mac returned to the UK to collect their Outstanding Contribution award.
1998 Winners
- Finlay Quaye
- Best British Male Solo Artist
- Shola Ama
- Best British Female Solo Artist
- The Verve
- Best British Group
- Stereophonics
- Best British Newcomer
- Never Ever - All Saints
- Best British Single
- Urban Hymns - The Verve
- Best British Album
- The Verve/Chris Potter/Youth
- Best British Producer
- Prodigy
- Best British Dance Act
- Never Ever - All Saints
- Best British Video
- The Full Monty
- Soundtrack/Cast
- Spice Girls
- Best Selling Album
- Bjork
- International Female
- Jon Bon Jovi
- International Male
- U2
- International Group
- Eels
- International Newcomer
- Elton John
- Freddie Mercury Award
- Fleetwood Mac
- Outstanding Contribution
Por enquanto é só. Aos poucos vou traduzindo para dar continuação neste post ou em outro, a história do Brit Awards. Pretendo se possível for, deixar a tradução aqui e abrir um post só com as traduções. Créditos:
Brit Awards site.