Olivia Rodrigo Becomes Youngest Artist To Receive BRIT Billion Award
At 20, Rodrigo is five years younger than RAYE, who received the prestigious UK streaming award aged 25.
Olivia Rodrigo is the latest recipient of the BRIT Billion Award, given out by the BPI. The prestigious award celebrates artists who have reached one billion streams in the UK and, in receiving the honor, 20-year-old Rodrigo becomes the youngest artist to receive the award to date – a title previously held by RAYE, aged 25.
Rodrigo was presented with her BRIT Billion while in London promoting her latest single, “Bad Idea Right?” as fans await her second album GUTS, due for release on September 8.
The young singer-songwriter won best international song at the BRIT Awards in February 2022 with “Good 4 U.” She was also nominated for international artist of the year, but lost to Billie Eilish. Rodrigo gave her first live TV performance of her breakthrough smash “Drivers License” at the Brits in May 2021.
Rodrigo is the 19th artist to date to receive a BRIT Billion Award. The first batch of 13 recipients consisted of global icons ABBA, Coldplay, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston; pioneering rap and hip-hop artists AJ Tracey and Headie One; and contemporary pop stars Anne-Marie, Ellie Goulding, George Ezra, Lewis Capaldi, RAYE, Rita Ora and Sam Smith.
The award has subsequently been presented to Lana Del Rey, who received her BRIT Billion backstage at her BST Hyde Park headline show; James Arthur – who was presented with his award live on BBC’s The One Show – Queen, Wizkid and Becky Hill.
Rodrigo’s new album GUTS will arrive on September 8 via Geffen Records. Her recent single “vampire” also debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, becoming the latest track in her bloodline of hit singles.
Amassing over 100 million global streams since its June 30 release, “vampire” marks the 20-year-old singer’s biggest debut on Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, and radio. With the track’s swift ascent, Rodrigo has become the youngest artist in Hot 100 history to debut three No.1 hits, following “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U” in 2021.
