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The Brit Award for Song of the Year 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] The award was first known as Brit Award for British Single, from the inaugural 1977 Brit Awards[4] through to the 2019 Brit Awards,[5] was first renamed as Song of the Year in 2020,[6] returned to the name British Single in 2021,[7] then returned to Song of the Year in 2022.[8]
| Brit Award for Song of the Year | |
|---|---|
_(53120568405)_(cropped).jpg) 2024 winner Raye | |
| Awarded for | Achievement in excellent song |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | British Phonographic Industry (BPI) |
| First awarded | 1977 |
| Currently held by | Raye featuring 070 Shake – "Escapism" |
| Most awards | Take That (5) |
| Most nominations | Calvin Harris (8) |
| Website | www |
In 1984 and 1991, the category was non-competitive, with the award given directly to the highest-selling single of the year.
The inaugural recipients in this category were Queen and Procol Harum, who both won in 1977. The current holder of the award is Raye, who won in 2024 for "Escapism" featuring 070 Shake.
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Robbie Williams is the biggest winner in this category with six, including three as a member of Take That, who have five wins, the most of any group. They are followed by three-time winner Adele, and Harry Styles, who won twice as a solo artist and once as a member of One Direction. Queen are the only other act to win more than once, with two. Williams leads all performers with twelve nominations, followed by Calvin Harris, who has nine. Take That has the most nominations as a group, with seven. Dua Lipa has the most nominations among female artists, with five each. Ed Sheeran holds the record for most nominations without a win, with eight.
Take That were the first act to win British Single in two consecutive years: in 1993 ("Could It Be Magic") and 1994 ("Pray"), and they repeated this feat, winning in 2007 with "Patience" and 2008 with "Shine". That record was overtaken by Robbie Williams, a former member of the band, when he had three wins in a row with "Angels" (1999), "She's the One" (2000), and "Rock DJ" (2001).
The first female act to win the award was Spice Girls in 1997, for "Wannabe". Dido became the first female solo performer to win in 2004, for "White Flag". Adele is the first female artist to win the award twice, winning for "Skyfall" in 2013 and "Hello" in 2016 and then became the first woman to win three times with 2022's "Easy on Me".
The first and only tie in this category in Brits history happened at the inaugural ceremony in 1977, when both "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen and "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum won the award.
Unlike other categories, international artists are eligible for British Single/Song of the Year if the primary artist is British. The first foreign artist to win this award is Bruno Mars in 2015 as a featured artist on Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk".
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1970s
| Year | Single | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 (1st) | ||
| "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Queen | |
| "A Whiter Shade of Pale" | Procol Harum | |
| "I'm Not in Love" | 10cc | |
| "She Loves You" | The Beatles | |
1980s
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1990s
2000s
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2010s
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2020s
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| Awards | Artist |
|---|---|
| 6 | Robbie Williams[a] |
| 5 | Take That |
| 3 | Adele |
| Harry Styles[b] | |
| 2 | Queen |
- 12 nominations
- 9 nominations
- 8 nominations
- 7 nominations
- 5 nominations
- 4 nominations
- 3 nominations
- 2 nominations
- 220 Kid
- Adam and the Ants
- Aitch
- All Saints
- Alesha Dixon[e]
- Atomic Kitten
- David Guetta
- Demi Lovato
- Ella Henderson
- Elton John
- Emeli Sande
- Fatboy Slim
- Florence and the Machine
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
- Geri Halliwell[f]
- Headie One
- J Hus
- Jamelia
- James Arthur
- James Blunt
- Jax Jones
- Jessie J
- JLS
- Joel Corry
- John Newman
- Jonas Blue
- Labrinth
- Lily Allen
- Mark Ronson
- Moloko
- One Direction
- Pet Shop Boys
- Pixie Lott
- Queen
- Rachel Stevens[g]
- Radiohead
- Rag'n'Bone Man
- Rihanna
- Rita Ora
- Rizzle Kicks
- Siobhan Fahey[h]
- Taio Cruz
- Tom Jones
- Tom Walker
- Zara Larsson
Notes
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- "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1990, 2005) Double Nominated
- "Pray" (1994), "Parklife" (1995), "Never Ever" (1998), "She's the One" (2000), "Rock DJ" (2001) also won Brit Award for British Video of the Year
- "Angels" (2005) also won Brit Award for British Song of Twenty Five Year
- "Wannabe" (2010) also won Brit Award for Live Performance of Thirty Year
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