Press

UK recorded music industry association, The BPI, unveiled today a brand new award category for the UK’s biggest and most prestigious awards ceremony — The BRIT Awards 2008 with MasterCard.

The ‘Critics Choice’ Award will focus on new British acts the critics are tipping to break through in 2008. The shortlist and eventual winner will be chosen by a team of experts made up of music critics from national newspapers, major music magazines and music websites as well as heads of music at major radio and TV stations. The ‘Critics Choice’ Award will be open to artists signed to a label who are set to release their debut albums in 2008.

Ged Doherty, Chairman of The BRITs Committee commented, “The BRITs continue their support for up and coming British talent by creating this new award. It’s a fabulous idea and I can’t wait to see who our panel of experts deem to be their choice for 2008.

BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor added: “The BRITs is a great platform to profile the pick of the past year’s established and new artists to a wider domestic and international audience. This new category allows us to use the UK’s premier music event to profile even more emerging UK talent.

The results for this award will be revealed exclusively on the new BRITs website (at www.brits.co.uk), when it goes live on 10th December 2007.

Here, the BRIT Critics’ tips for tomorrow will be unveiled, listing the top three artists or bands the critics are backing to break through in 2008 – as well as the overall winner – the BRIT Critics’ Choice for 2008.

The Critics Choice Winner will collect their award at The BRITs main show, February 20 — live on ITV1 as well as perform live at the BRITs Nominations Launch Party. This year, the first hot ticket of the year, the BRITs Nominations Party, will be staged at London’s Roundhouse in Camden on Monday, January 14 and broadcast on ITV2 at 8pm that same night.