Dua Lipa said she likes to “add a little bit of danger” to her performances as she prepared to open the 2024 Brit Awards ceremony.
The British-Albanian singer and actress, 28, will perform first at the show, being held at London’s O2 Arena, while Australian pop royalty Kylie Minogue will also take to the stage to close the show.
Speaking on the red carpet, Dua Lipa said: “Well I love to add a little bit of danger to my performances and it’s all just about having fun and creating a spectacle and I mean what better place to do that than at home in London, at the Brits… I’m so happy to be here and I’m so excited to go and do my warm-up and get ready to go on stage.”
She also paid tribute to Minogue, who is being honoured with the Brit Awards global icon prize, saying: “I love Kylie, she’s a friend of mine, but also somebody that I look up to.”
The Houdini singer is nominated in three categories, namely pop act, artist of the year and song of the year, for Dance The Night, which is the soundtrack to the Barbie film.
British singer-songwriter Raye has already made Brit Awards history by receiving seven award nods – the most for an artist in one year – including the coveted album of the year prize for her studio debut, My 21st Century Blues.
The 26-year-old Londoner is also nominated for artist of the year, best new artist and landed two spots in the song of the year category, for her viral hit Escapism, featuring US rapper 070 Shake, and dance track Prada, with Casso and D-Block Europe.
The genre-spanning musician is also among those billed to perform at the star-studded ceremony, which is being hosted by Love Island presenter Maya Jama and radio stars Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp.
British saxophonist, composer and broadcaster YolanDa Brown – who is British Phonographic Industry (BPI) chairwoman and a Brits Committee member – said this year was the “year of great music”.
She told the PA news agency: “Yes, we want to see female representation, and I’m so glad that we’re seeing that, but women are amazing, women are powerful, and it might be the year of the woman for many more years to come… it’s the year of representation and how it should be.”
This year the award show has increased the number of nominations for the gender-neutral British artist gong from five to 10 after last year’s ceremony sparked criticism over a lack of female representation within the category.
Singer Tallia Storm, who was first discovered by Sir Elton John, wore a Union flag jacket on the Brit Awards red carpet, conjuring up memories of the dress worn by Spice Girl Geri Horner, then Halliwell, at the 1997 ceremony.
Other stars taking to the red carpet included Spice Girls’ Mel C, former X Factor stars Ella Henderson, Fleur East and Rebecca Ferguson, as well as Downton Abbey actress Joanne Froggatt.
Female US music titans are also set to go head-to-head in the international song of the year category, with Miley Cyrus’s viral hit Flowers, Doja Cat’s Paint The Town Red, Olivia Rodrigo’s Vampire and Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For? all within the mix.
Electronic duo Chase & Status have also already secured the producer of the year gong ahead of the show while indie pop/rock group The Last Dinner Party have picked up the rising star award.
The Brit Awards 2024 will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX from 8.30pm.
