Manish Pandey

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By Manish Pandey and Megan LawtonNewsbeat reporters at the Brit Awards

It was a successful night at the Brits for Harry Styles , Wet Leg and Beyonce.

But much of the focus leading up to and at the awards was on gender representation - or the lack of it - in categories such as artist of the Year .

The Word on artists' lips when speaking to BBC Newsbeat on The Night was " conversation" and The Hope for change.

This Year saw no women up for best artist, following the decision to scrap best male and best female awards in favour of gender-neutral prizes.

Asked whether a lack of female nominees could " tarnish The Reputation of the Brit Awards" Rhian Teasdale from Wet Leg said: " Yes, of course. "

The Band won best group and new artist at the Brits, adding to their two Grammy Awards , and said it was disappointing for this to still be an issue in 2023.

" And it's not just about like women in bands. It's about all women in the industry, " Rhian adds.

" It's not that hard. There are so many women making really excellent music. So… it starts at The Top , doesn't it? "

For female rock duo Nova Twins , lessons need to be learnt for The Future .

" It's always positive to push things forward and make improvements, " says Georgia South.

" But it's also a night [to celebrate] The Amazing female and non-binary artists. "

Amy Love added: " The Conversation is important. Let's also celebrate the progress we're making along The Way . "

" We hope next Year there are more women, non-binary artists in the category. And The Conversation has been had for us to learn from. "

Mahalia says it's significant that the " conversation is had" around gender representation.

" I've watched it since I was A Kid , so I really respect the Brits. "

" If they aren't listening, then we'll have a different conversation next Year or the Year after. And I think at that point, if nothing changes over The Years , then it will become frustrating. "

The R& B singer feels the genre deserves its own category, which could be a way to give a greater platform to female artists.

" It just feels like there's less and less space for us to exist. And I think a lot of people are feeling like that. "

Harry Styles won The Best pop and R& B prize this Year - a category notable for only nominating pop artists, and completely overlooking R& B.

Kojey Radical , nominated for best new artist, is often praised for championing female artists and giving a platform. He told Newsbeat it's a very personal thing which motivates him.

" I've got Four Sisters , loads of nieces and lots of aunts. I grew up predominantly raised by women and mainly taught by women.

" Most of The People who've helped me along have been women, so it's a no brainer for me.

" Talent speaks for itself, regardless of gender, so if something's amazing, I vibe with it all day. "

He adds that the Brit Awards " holds a lot of power".

" They also hold a lot of responsibility in defining how we celebrate music in This Country . "

Ellie Goulding said she was " genuinely surprised" to see artist of the Year as an all-male category.

" Something went a bit wrong, so we have to correct it. And I think we will do that next Year . "

So What can be done to change things?

Rina Sawayama , who was nominated for best new artist, feels " The Conversation on gender always has to be progressive".

She thinks it was " a good idea to combine the categories" but a bad decision to reduce The Number of nominees.

" There will be some years where more commercially successful artists are men, and that happens. But to safeguard against an all-male category, it's important to have more nominees. "

She's not alone in thinking that could be a Solution - with Mahalia and Kojey Radical telling Newsbeat the same thing.

" It's pretty easy to do, " Rina adds.

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Source of news: bbc.com