Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist

The Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist is an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom.^[1] The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, an annual celebration of British and international music.^[2] The winners and nominees are determined by the Brit Awards voting academy with over one-thousand members, which comprise record labels, publishers, managers, agents, media, and previous winners and nominees.^[3]

Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist
2021 Winner Billie Eilish
Awarded for	Achievement in Excellent International Female Solo Artist
Country	United Kingdom (UK)
Presented by	British Phonographic Industry (BPI)
First award	1989
Final award	2021
Currently held by	Billie Eilish (2021)
Most awards	Björk (4)
Most nominations	Björk (9)
Website	www.brits.co.uk

History

The award was first presented in 1989 as International Female Solo Artist. The accolade was not handed out at the 1990, 1992 and 1993 ceremonies, with the award for International Solo Artist (given to a male or female artist) being awarded instead.^[4][5] The award for International Female Solo Artist was reinstated in 1994, and has been given ever since.^[6]

Björk is the artist with the most wins and nominations in the category, with four awards won out of nine nominations. Artists from the United States have won the accolade eleven times, more than any other country.

Winners and nominees

Björk holds both records for most wins and nominations in the category.

Tracy Chapman was the first recipient of the award in 1989.

Two-time winner and eight-time nominee Kylie Minogue

Two-time winner and five-time nominee Madonna.

Rihanna is one of only two artists to win the award in consecutive years.

2013 recipient Lana Del Rey.

Two-time winner and six-time nominee Beyoncé

Two-time winner Lorde (2014,^[7] 2018^[8])

Four-time nominee and 2015 winner Taylor Swift

Billie Eilish was the last artist to win the award consecutively.

Year	Recipient	Nominees
1989	Tracy Chapman	Anita Baker Enya Whitney Houston Kylie Minogue
1990	Not Awarded
1991	Sinéad O'Connor	Mariah Carey Neneh Cherry Whitney Houston Janet Jackson Madonna Tina Turner
1992	Not Awarded
1993
1994	Björk	Mariah Carey Nanci Griffith Janet Jackson Tina Turner
1995	k.d. lang	Tori Amos Madonna Kylie Minogue Sinéad O'Connor
1996	Björk	Celine Dion Mariah Carey k.d. lang Alanis Morissette
1997	Sheryl Crow	Toni Braxton Neneh Cherry Celine Dion Joan Osborne
1998	Björk	Erykah Badu Meredith Brooks Celine Dion Janet Jackson
1999	Natalie Imbruglia	Sheryl Crow Lauryn Hill Madonna Alanis Morissette
2000	Macy Gray	Mary J. Blige Whitney Houston Jennifer Lopez Britney Spears
2001	Madonna	Kylie Minogue Pink Jill Scott Britney Spears
2002	Kylie Minogue	Anastacia Björk Nelly Furtado Alicia Keys
2003	Pink	Missy Elliott Norah Jones Alicia Keys Avril Lavigne
2004	Beyoncé	Missy Elliott Christina Aguilera Alicia Keys Kylie Minogue
2005	Gwen Stefani	Anastacia Kelis Alicia Keys Kylie Minogue
2006	Madonna	Björk Mariah Carey Kelly Clarkson Missy Elliott
2007	Nelly Furtado	Christina Aguilera Beyoncé Cat Power Pink
2008	Kylie Minogue	Björk Feist Alicia Keys Rihanna
2009	Katy Perry	Beyoncé Gabriella Cilmi Pink Santigold
2010	Lady Gaga	Norah Jones Ladyhawke Rihanna Shakira
2011	Rihanna	Alicia Keys Kylie Minogue Katy Perry Robyn
2012	Rihanna	Beyoncé Björk Feist Lady Gaga
2013	Lana Del Rey[9]	Cat Power Alicia Keys Rihanna Taylor Swift
2014	Lorde[10]	Lady Gaga Janelle Monáe Katy Perry Pink
2015	Taylor Swift[11]	Beyoncé Lana Del Rey Sia St. Vincent
2016	Björk[12]	Courtney Barnett Lana Del Rey Ariana Grande Meghan Trainor
2017	Beyoncé	Christine and the Queens Rihanna Sia Solange
2018	Lorde	Björk Alicia Keys Pink Taylor Swift
2019	Ariana Grande	Camila Cabello Cardi B Christine and the Queens Janelle Monáe
2020	Billie Eilish	Camila Cabello Lana Del Rey Ariana Grande Lizzo
2021	Billie Eilish	Cardi B Taylor Swift Ariana Grande Miley Cyrus

Artists with multiple wins

Artists that received multiple awards

Awards	Artist
4	Björk
2	Beyoncé
	Billie Eilish
	Kylie Minogue
	Lorde
	Madonna
	Rihanna

Artists with multiple nominations

9 nominations

• Björk

8 nominations

• Alicia Keys
• Kylie Minogue

6 nominations

• Beyoncé
• Pink
• Rihanna

5 nominations

• Madonna

4 nominations

• Mariah Carey
• Lana Del Rey
• Ariana Grande
• Taylor Swift

3 nominations

• Celine Dion
• Missy Elliott
• Whitney Houston
• Janet Jackson
• Lady Gaga
• Katy Perry

2 nominations

• Christina Aguilera
• Anastacia
• Camila Cabello
• Cat Power
• Neneh Cherry
• Christine and the Queens
• Sheryl Crow
• Billie Eilish
• Feist
• Nelly Furtado
• Norah Jones
• k.d. lang
• Lorde
• Janelle Monáe
• Alanis Morissette
• Sinéad O'Connor
• Sia
• Britney Spears
• Tina Turner

See also

• List of music awards honoring women

Notes

• Tracy Chapman (1989), Björk (1994), Natalie Imbruglia (1999), Macy Gray (2000), Lady Gaga (2010) also won Brit Award for International Breakthrough Act
• Billie Eilish (2022) also won Brit Award for International Solo Artist