Mahalia calls on BRIT Awards to give R&B its own category: "How many times do we have to scream at you?"

13 January 2023, 10:50 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(News)

(Mahalia)

Mahalia has called on the BRIT Awards to give R&B its own category after all the 2023 Best Pop/R&B Act nominees were revealed to be pop artists.

Back in November 2021 it was announced that the 2022 BRITs would be dropping the gendered categories for four new genre-based categories including Alternative/Rock Act, Pop/R&B Act, Dance Act and Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act. That year, Mahalia was one of many people who called out the BRITs for not giving R&B its own category, after Adele, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Joy Crookes and Griff made up the entire Pop/R&B Act category.

Yesterday (12 January) the 2023 BRITs nominations were revealed, and once again the Best Pop/R&B Act category was dominated by just pop acts. Cat Burns, Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles and Sam Smith are up for the 2023 Award, and Mahalia has once again called out the BRITs for not giving R&B a separate category.

While responding to the 2023 nominees list yesterday (12 January), Mahalia wrote, "Desperately searching for the R&B act."

"I’m sorry but UK R&B right now is THRIVING," Mahalia wrote in another tweet. "Forget putting us in this category. Give us our own!!!!! How many times do we have to scream at you?"

"Winning awards isn’t the reason why we make and release music," Mahalia added. "We do this shit out of love. But, at this point, it’s nothing short of disrespectful."

Desperately searching for the R&B act @BRITs https://t.co/clqzdJ4tWS pic.twitter.com/UPhQLYxPzc
— mahalia (@mahalia) January 12, 2023

I’m sorry but UK R&B right now is THRIVING
— mahalia (@mahalia) January 12, 2023

Forget putting us in this category. Give us our own!!!!! How many times do we have to scream at you? @BRITs
— mahalia (@mahalia) January 12, 2023

Winning awards isn’t the reason why we make and release music. We do this shit out of love. But, at this point, it’s nothing short of disrespectful.
— mahalia (@mahalia) January 12, 2023

Tiana Major9, MNEK, Bellah and more also called out the BRITs for the lack of R&B acts in this year's category.

Are you purposely trying to antagonise R&B artists? https://t.co/0PLT1PuI5a
— Tiana Major9 (@TianaMajor9) January 12, 2023

OK this is silly now. We get it. UK industry doesn’t know what to do with R&B. But there’s enough R&B/hiphop artists to have their own category at LEAST. Bellah, Tiana Major 9, Jack James, FLO, None of these artists (ESPECIALLY @catburns) is making R&B music. https://t.co/L52eFXFv2Y
— MNEK (@MNEK) January 13, 2023