BRIT Awards announce category changes for 2020

2020 marks the 40th annual BRIT Awards, and instead of dishing out 13 awards, the list will be reduced to nine.

One of the major changes is the BRITs Critics' Choice Award, which will be renamed as Rising Star Award, and will see the winner perform at the ceremony for the first time in 2020.

Another change for next year's event includes giving artists full creative direction with their performances.

The 2020 BRITs will also see the return of the classic Lady Britannia BRIT statuette, which has been modified by guest designers since 2011.

Other category changes include Best Breakthrough Act, which will be named Best New Artist for 2020, and the Best British Single award will be renamed as Song of the Year.

Next year's BRITs will also see a change in the voting process. The 2020 winners will be decided by the 2020 Official Voting Academy, which consists of around 1200 individuals including artists, retailers, promoters, agents, publishers, labels, producers, and more.

The remaining categories include Male Solo Artist, Female Solo Artist, Best Group, Mastercard Album Of The Year, International Male Solo Artist, and International Female Solo Artist.

David Joseph, chairman of The Brits Committee for 2020, says of the changes for next year, "We have had a fresh look at the BRIT Awards this year. Most importantly we will be putting creativity, British culture and exceptional performances at the heart of the show to make BRITs night a world class celebration. The awards should be a global platform for the artists of the year to create moments that live beyond the night itself. We are looking at everything to put on the best possible show."

In September it was reported that the BRITs are in talks to alter their gender categories by 2021.