Mahalia showed her support for the R&B genre at this year’s BRIT Awards, showing up in a jacket emblazoned with “Long Live R&B”.
For the ceremony – held last night (February 12) – the Leicester-born singer sported a Burberry coat featuring artwork by Nigerian artist Olaolu Slawn. Her message at the event was clear, telling the BBC: “[R&B is] a genre I feel very passionate about and I don’t think it’s talked about enough.
“There’s an idea that American R&B artists can be commercially successful, and we [UK artists] can’t. That conversation needs to become more positive. I just think it would be really powerful for R&B artists to have their own moment to shine.”
Best Pop/R&B has been a combined category for the past two years (after the BRITs replaced gendered categories), and pop acts dominated this year’s nominations. Cat Burns, Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles and Sam Smith were all announced in the category, with Styles taking home the win.
It’s not the first time Mahalia has criticised the event for its lack of R&B representation. Taking to social media last month, she tweeted that she was “desperately searching for the R&B act at the BRITs” alongside a GIF of someone using their hands as binoculars.
“I’m sorry but UK R&B right now is THRIVING,” she said in a follow-up tweet, adding: “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. We do this shit out of love. But, at this point, it’s nothing short of disrespectful.”
The BRITs 2021 decision to combine the R&B and Pop categories was met with criticism, as no R&B artists were announced as nominees despite it being a joint award. Mahalia was also vocal about her position on the move then, when Ed Sheeran, Adele, Dua Lipa, Griff and Joy Crookes were unveiled as nominees for the 2022 BRITs.
“Putting pop and R&B in the same category is really nuts to me. And proves that the powers that be once again just do not get it,” she tweeted. “I love the Brits. I have since I was a kid. But as an R&B singer/songwriter, this feels completely unprogressive to the whole UK R&B scene.”