The BRIT Awards

The BRIT Awards was instituted as the British Record Industry “Britannia Centenary” Awards in 1977.

Queen, Cliff Richard, George Martin, Julie Covington and Procul Harum made appearances at the first awards held at the Wembley Conference Centre in 1977. Simon & Garfunkel traveled from the US especially to receive their awards and sang together for the first time in seven years.

It was not until February 1982 that the next awards took place, renamed as The British Record Industry Awards and becoming an annual celebration. The title “The BRIT Awards” was introduced in 1989 but it is mostly known just as The Brits.