The BRIT Awards 1998

“If,” said Chumbawamba, “John Prescott has the nerve to turn up at events like the BRIT Awards in a vain attempt to make Labour seem cool and trendy, then he deserves all we can throw at him.”

Indeed. For it was in 1998 that they put this unusually specific philosophy into practice by emptying a bucket of iced water over the Labour fatty.

But despite a bit of anarchy here and there, things remained pretty corporate. It was February 9th 1998, the venue was London Arena, and our host for the evening was Ben Elton out of comedy. Watch the opening here, and the introduction here.

Best International Male Solo Artist

Presented by Matthew Modine and Chaudia Schiffer. Nominees:

• Jon Bon Jovi
• Coolio
• DJ Shadow
• LL Cool J
• Sash!

“Why,” you may ask, “Did Jon Bon Jovi merit a solo award nomination?” No idea. Video here.

Winner: Jon Bon Jovi.

Best British Newcomer

Voted for by listeners of BBC Radio 1, and presented by Max Beesley and Jo Whiley. Nominees:

• All Saints
• Shola Ama
• Embrace
• Olive
• Beth Orton
• Finley Quaye
• Conner Reeves
• Roni Size/Reprazent
• Stereophonics
• Travis

Winner: Stereophonics.

Best International Female Solo Artist

Was to be presented by Dusty Springfield, but sadly she was too unwell to do so (and would pass away a year later), so it was presented by Alexander McQueen and Honor Fraser. Nominees:

• Erykah Badu
• Björk
• Meredith Brooks
• Celine Dion
• Janet Jackson

I am grateful grapefruit.

Winner: Björk.

Best British Female Solo Artist

Presented by Richard Branson. Nominees:

• Shola Ama
• Michelle Gayle
• Louise
• Beth Orton
• Lisa Stansfield

Winner: Shola Ama.

International Sales Award

A special award for the best selling international album.

Winner: Spice Girls.

Best British Video

Voted for by viewers of The Box, and presented in character by Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan). Nominees:

• All Saints – Never Ever
• Blur – Song 2
• David Bowie – Little Wonder
• Chemical Brothers – Block Rockin’ Beats
• Dario G – Sunchyme
• Oasis – D’You Know What I Mean?
• Republica – Drop Dead Gorgeous
• Spice Girls – Spice up Your Life
• Supergrass – Late in the Day
• The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony

Winner: All Saints.

Best British Male Solo Artist

Presented by Errol Brown and Natalie Imbruglia. Nominees:

• Gary Barlow
• Elton John
• Finley Quaye
• Paul Weller
• Robbie Williams

Winner: Finley Quaye.

Best International Group

Presented by Heather Small from M. People with unusually small hair and Jay Kay out of Jamiroquai. Nominees:

• Daft Punk
• Eels
• Hanson
• No Doubt
• U2

Although Ben Elton introduces Jamiroquai as a former BRIT winner, this is in fact not true – he’s never won one in the entire history of the awards.

Winner: U2.

The Freddie Mercury Award

A special award for Doing A Song About Princess Diana. Presented by Tony Blair out of Starting Illegal Wars, on video from Washington DC. Cringeworthy video here.

Winner: Elton John.

Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording

Presented using the medium of song by Cleopatra (comin’ atcha). Nominees:

• The Full Monty (various artists)
• Men in Black (various artists)
• Romeo + Juliet (various artists)
• Space Jam (various artists)
• Trainspotting 2 (various artists)

Winner: The Full Monty.

Best British Group

Presented by Frank Skinner and David Baddiel. Nominees:

• Oasis
• The Prodigy
• Radiohead
• Texas
• The Verve

Winner: The Verve.

Best Dance Act

Nominees:

• Brand New Heavies
• The Chemical Brothers
• Eternal
• Jamiroquai
• The Prodigy

Oh yes, the Dance Act award, which was sadly dropped in later years, and which inexplicably featured an annual nomination for not-very-dancey-and-frankly-pretty-lousy Jamiroquai.

Winner: The Prodigy.

Best British Single

Voted for by listeners of independent radio, and presented by Pam Grier and Samuel L. Jackson. Big up to the UK. Nominees:

• All Saints – Never Ever
• Blur – Song 2
• Chumbawumba – Tubthumping
• Eternal feat. Bebe Winans – I Wanna Be the Only One
• Elton John – Candle in the Wind
• Olive – You’re Not Alone
• Radiohead – Paranoid Android
• Texas – Say What You Want
• The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
• Robbie Williams – Old Before I Die

Singles, according to Ben Elton, had experienced a big revival in 1997. Of course, as we now know, the draconian chart rules introduced later in 1998 would kill them in a way that they could never recover.

Winner: All Saints.

Best International Newcomer

Nominees:

• Erykah Badu
• Daft Punk
• Eels
• Hanson
• No Doubt

Winner: Eels.

Best Producer

Nominees:

• Nigel Godrich / Radiohead
• Liam Howlett
• Roni Size
• Stephen Street
• The Verve / Chris Potter / Youth

Winner: The Verve / Chris Potter / Youth.

Mastercard British Album

Presented by Zoë Ball. Nominees:

• Oasis – Be Here Now
• The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land
• Radiohead – OK Computer
• Texas – White on Blonde
• The Verve – Urban Hymns

Winner: The Verve.

Outstanding Achievement

Presented by Sir George Martin.

Winner: Fleetwood Mac.

Performances

• All Saints – Never Ever
• Chumbawamba – Tubthumping
• Finlay Quaye – Sun is Shining
• Fleetwood Mac – The Chain and Don’t Stop
• Robbie Williams and Tom Jones – Come Up and See Me
• Shola Ama – You Might Need Somebody
• Spice Girls – Stop
• Texas featuring The Method Man – Say What You Want
• The Verve – Lucky Man

Further Reading / Viewing

• 1998 BRIT Awards on Wikipedia
• Nominees courtesy of BBC News
• The 1998 BRIT Awards – the album
• Audio coverage from The Net, BBC Radio 1

Edit: removed numerous videos that are no longer available (13 August 2017).