Shortly before singer david bowie passed away in January 2016, he released the album “Blackstar.” It is that album that won Album of the Year at the brit awards on Wednesday, along with the Best Male Solo Artist award for the singer himself.
Noel Gallagher presented the Album of the Year award to the late Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones, referring to his father as “the king,” while Jones spoke briefly about his family legacy during the acceptance speech. He said he lost his father last year, but also became a dad, and while he was recovering from the shock of his loss, he tried to work out what he would want his own son to know about his grandfather.
Jones – a filmmaker by trade – said it would be the same thing most of Bowie’s fans have taken away from him over the last 50 years. He said Bowie was always there for people who are a little weird or strange, a little different, adding that this BRIT award is now for all the kooks, and the “people who make the kooks.” According to the Mail Online, Jones later admitted that he forgot to mention the words “[expletive] cancer” during his acceptance speech.
Michael C. Hall and David Bowie
Michael C. Hall was at the event due to his performance in Bowie’s musical “Lazarus.” During his acceptance speech, Hall used humor, joking that if Bowie could be at the BRITS award, he probably wouldn’t be there.
Accepting the Best Male Solo Artist award on Bowie’s behalf, Hall said that David had inspired him to be a better man, accepting the award to a man who was beholden to nothing except his own boundless imagination and daring. He went on to describe Bowie’s ever-expanding artistic vitality and how the music both soothes us and astonishes us.
Hall then looked upwards, saying maybe Bowie was there with them that night.
Tribute to the late George Michael
As reported by Rolling Stone, during the BRIT awards there was also a tribute to the late George Michael, including a speech by Andrew Ridgeley, Michael’s partner in the duo Wham!, along with the backing singers, Pepsi and Shirlie. There was a musical tribute by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who played “A Different Corner,” with archival footage of George Michael showing in the background.
