The BRIT Awards 1990

The annual British music industry bash had been growing in every way for a number of years. In 1988, it decided to improve itself by stopping being quite so corporate. In 1989, it changed its name to the BRIT Awards and nearly destroyed itself. After the unmitigated disaster of the 1989 ceremony, the 1990 awards switched to a different venue and was altogether a little more self-conscious.

The ceremony would sadly see the last public appearance of Freddie Mercury, but on a lighter note would also see Fine Young Cannibals justifiably return their awards in reaction to a video of Margaret Thatcher choosing her favourite pop song (How Much is That Little Doggie in the Window? although it sadly didn’t win any awards in 1990).

For now, though, it’s February 18th 1990, we’re at the Dominion Theatre in London, and Cathy McGowan out of The 1960s is your host for the evening.

There’s also an introduction video here.

Best British Newcomer

Presented by Tina Turner. Nominees:

• Lisa Stansfield
• Shakespears Sister
• Soul II Soul
• The Beautiful South
• The Stone Roses

Longer video here.

Winner: Lisa Stansfield.

Best British Producer

Presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Nominees:

• Coldcut
• Dave Stewart
• Kate Bush
• Peter Gabriel
• Steve Lillywhite
• Stock Aitken Waterman

Winner: Dave Stewart.

Best Classical Recording

Nominees:

• Jeffrey Tate – Piano Concerto 24 & 25
• John Elliot Gardner – St Matthews Passion – Bach
• Nigel Kennedy – Four Seasons – Vivaldi
• Ricardo Chailly – Walton – Façade – Stravinsky
• Simon Rattle – Porgy & Bess – Gershwin

Winner: Simon Rattle.

Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording

Presented by Sinitta, who gets carried on on a stretcher. Nominees:

• Aspects of Love (Original Cast Recording)
• Batman (Prince)
• Beaches (various artists)
• Henry V (Simon Rattle)
• The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (Michael Nyman)

Winner: Batman.

Best British Group

Presented by Iron Maiden. Nominees:

• Erasure
• Eurythmics
• Fine Young Cannibals
• Simply Red
• Soul II Soul
• Tears for Fears

Video here.

Winner: Fine Young Cannibals.

Best Music Video

Presented by Bobby Brown. Nominees:

• Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start The Fire
• De La Soul – Eye Know
• Eurythmics – Don’t Ask Me Why
• Farley Jackmaster Funk – Free At Last
• Four Tops – Loco in Acapulco
• Guns ‘n’ Roses – Paradise City
• Holly Johnson – Love Train
• Janet Jackson – Miss You Much
• Kaoma – Lambada
• Lisa Stansfield – All Around the World
• M – Pop Muzik
• Neneh Cherry – Manchild
• Paul McCartney – My Brave Face
• Prince – Batdance
• Queen – Invisible Man
• Salif Keita – Nous Pas Bouger
• Simply Red – If You Don’t Know Me by Now
• Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds
• The Alarm – A New South Wales
• The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever
• The Cure – Lullaby
• Tina Turner – Simply the Best

Fortunately nobody had to read out that full list of nominees! Video here.

Winner: The Cure.

Best International Group

Presented by Ray Davis, a little too keen to remind us that The Kinks still exist. Nominees:

• Bon Jovi
• De La Soul
• Guns ‘n’ Roses
• Gipsy Kings
• Milli Vanilli
• U2

Video here.

Winner: U2.

Best International Newcomer

Presented by Gary Glitter, back in the days before we knew what we know now. Ugh. Nominees:

• Bobby Brown
• De La Soul
• Guns ‘n’ Roses
• Neneh Cherry
• Paula Abdul

Video here.

Winner: Neneh Cherry.

Best International Solo Artist

Presented by Adam Ant. Nominees:

• Bobby Brown
• Gloria Estefan
• Neneh Cherry
• Prince
• Tina Turner

Video here.

Winner: Neneh Cherry.

Best British Female

Nominees:

• Annie Lennox
• Kate Bush
• Lisa Stansfield
• Mica Paris
• Yazz

Winner: Annie Lennox.

Best British Male

Nominees:

• Chris Rea
• Cliff Richard
• Phil Collins
• Roland Gift
• Van Morrison

Winner: Phil Collins.

Best British Album

Nominees:

• Eurythmics – We Too Are One
• Fine Young Cannibals – The Raw and The Cooked
• Simply Red – A New Flame
• Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol 1
• Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love

Winner: Fine Young Cannibals.

Best British Single

Voted for by the listeners of the Simon Mayo Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 1, and presented by Simon Mayo. Nominees:

• Band Aid II – Do They Know it’s Christmas
• Jason Donovan – Sealed With a Kiss
• Jason Donovan – Too Many Broken Hearts
• Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers – Swing the Mood
• Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers – That’s What I Like
• Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers – Lets Party
• Lisa Stansfield – All Around the World
• Marc Almond & Gene Pitney – Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart
• Phil Collins – Another Day in Paradise
• Simple Minds – Belfast Child
• Sonia – You’ll Never Stop Me
• Soul II Soul – Back to Life
• Various Artists – Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey

An astonishing number of nominations, three of which were for Jive Bunny, but fortunately they didn’t manage to win. Unfortunately, um… well, watch the video here.

Winner: Phil Collins.

Outstanding Contribution

Winner: Queen.

Performances

• Lisa Stansfield -Been Around the World
• Neneh Cherry – Manchild
• Nigel Kennedy – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
• Phil Collins – Another Day in Paradise
• Soul II Soul – What is Soul II Soul

Further Reading / Viewing

• 1990 entry on brits.co.uk
• Compilation of the best of British music
• The BRITs 1990 Dance Medley
• Maggie Thatcher at her most charming