Todays Futon

Long a staple of the British music industry, the BRIT Awards has received its fair share of praise and controversy over the years. It also has been host to some of the most memorable moments in music, some having been shocking enough to cause the event to be pre-recorded instead of broadcast live for most of its life. But this year saw the successful reinvention of this British music institution.Moving from its former residence of London’s Earl’s Court to the now popular O2 Arena, this year’s event was planned to be the biggest and glitziest event the BRIT awards has ever seen, and it didn’t disappoint.Celebrity gossip sources rumoured that this year’s controversy queen, Rihanna, was to put on the most provocative performance live on stage, along with Plan B and Tinie Tempah showcasing their talent guitar strap locks s to the music community, all being touted as the flagship performances at this year’s relaunch. It also saw the withdrawal of the Lifetime Achievement Award, with the Best Album award being prominently focussed as the key award of the evening.Another major change to the ceremony saw the inclusion of influential singers and songwriters being allowed to cast their vote to say which nominees should win their respective awards, as previously this was exclusively by members of the BRIT Academy.The evening opened with Take That performing their forthcoming single, Kidz dressed in riot gear surrounded by police with shields emblazoned with their logo. Rihanna, as predicted, performed a racy performance of her controversial song, S&M (retitled Come On in the UK) along with a medley of her recent hits.