Girl power! Little Mix became the first female band to win the award for British group at the 2021 Brit Awards on Tuesday (May 11). The trio of Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall took the opportunity to call out some injustices and recognize their fellow female performers in their acceptance speech.
After the women briefly celebrated 10 years together — including a shoutout to former member Jesy Nelson — and their history-making win, Pinnock got real. “It’s not easy being a female in the U.K. pop industry,” she began. “We’ve seen white male dominance, misogyny, sexism and lack of diversity. We’re proud of how we’ve stuck together, stood our ground, surrounded ourselves with strong women, and are now using our voices more than ever.”
Added Thirlwall: “The fact that a girl band has never won this award really does speak volumes, so this award isn’t just for us, it’s for the Spice Girls, Sugababes, All Saints, Girls Aloud, all of the incredible female bands. This one’s for you!”
Little Mix won in the category against Bicep, Biffy Clyro, The 1975 and Young T & Bugsey.
The Brit Awards aired live from London’s O2 arena and were hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. A live audience of about 4,000 essential workers were in attendance. The event was billed as “the first major indoor music event to welcome back a live audience — a pivotal moment in the return of live music at scale.”
Watch Little Mix’s acceptance speech below:
