Island’s Jack Garratt Wins 2016 Critics’ Choice BRIT Award
Fresh from a sellout UK tour and with his debut album Phase due for release on 19 February, 2016 by Island, artist-producer-multi-instrumentalist Jack Garratt has been announced today as the winner of the 2016 Critics’ Choice Award by the BRIT Awards with MasterCard.
Garratt has triumphed ahead of Izzy Bizu and Frances, who were also named in the shortlist of three contenders for the prestigious title, previous winners of which have included Adele, Florence + the Machine, Sam Smith and James Bay.
“I am so humbled to have received this year’s BRITs Critics’ Choice Award,” says Garratt. “To have been nominated alongside Frances and Izzy Bizu was already a huge honour and a testament to the calibre of new UK music. To have been given this award is truly mind-blowing, considering I am one name in a hugely exciting time for music in this country. Thank you to everyone who voted, it means so much to me.”
The electronica-soul artist is supporting Mumford & Sons on their arena tour of the UK this month, and will be presented with his trophy (which as you can above, he has already had his hands on) at the nominations show on 14 January, to be filmed at ITV Studios and broadcast on ITV the same evening. Garratt will perform, as will Jess Glynne and Years & Years.
The BRITs Critics’ Choice Award is chosen by a panel of music industry experts and tastemakers. These include music editors of national newspapers, magazines and websites, and key figures in TV and radio, Artists are eligible for the title if they’re signed to a record label and are set to release their debut album in 2016. The BRIT Awards 2016 with MasterCard will take place on 24 February at the 02 Arena in London.