| Brit Awards 1997 | |
|---|---|
| Date | 24 February 1997 |
| Venue | Earls Court |
| Hosted by | Ben Elton |
| Most awards | Manic Street Preachers and Spice Girls (2) |
| Most nominations | Spice Girls (5) |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | ITV |
Brit Awards 1997 was the 17th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 24 February 1997 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.
| British Album of the Year (presented by Zoë Ball) | British Producer of the Year (presented by Sharleen Spiteri) |
|---|---|
| |
| British Single of the Year (presented by Caroline Aherne) | British Video of the Year (presented by Frank Skinner) |
| |
| British Male Solo Artist (presented by Elton John) | British Female Solo Artist (presented by Naomi Campbell) |
| British Group (presented by Colin Jackson and Vinnie Jones) | British Breakthrough Act (presented by Jo Whiley) |
| British Dance Act (presented by Samantha Fox) | Soundtrack/Cast Recording (presented by Lenny Henry) |
| International Male Solo Artist (presented by Snoop Dogg) | International Female Solo Artist (presented by Eddie Izzard) |
| International Group (presented by Lennox Lewis) | International Breakthrough Act (presented by Gary Barlow and Louise Redknapp) |
The following artists received multiple awards and/or nominations.
| Nominations | Artist |
|---|---|
| 5 | Spice Girls |
| 4 (5) | George Michael |
| Kula Shaker | |
| Manic Street Preachers | |
| Mark Morrison | |
| The Prodigy | |
| 3 | Lighthouse Family |
| 2 (9) | Babybird |
| The Chemical Brothers | |
| Jamiroquai | |
| Joan Osborne | |
| Ocean Colour Scene | |
| The Presidents of the United States of America | |
| Robert Miles | |
| Tricky | |
| Underworld |
| Awards | Artist |
|---|---|
| 2 (2) | Manic Street Preachers |
| Spice Girls |
Ginger Spice, Geri Halliwell, wore the Union Jack dress whilst performing onstage with the group. [1] Spicemania was at its height in the UK and the Spice Girls had just cracked the US as well, reaching number 1 with their debut single and album. Geri Halliwell captured the zeitgeist and became pin-up girl for Cool Britannia.
Halliwell was originally going to wear an all-black dress, but she thought it was too boring so her sister sewed on a Union Jack tea-towel, with a 'peace' sign on the back, so as to not offend anyone. It was worn during the Spice Girls' performance of their number one song "Who Do You Think You Are". Later on she sold her dress in a charity auction to Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas for a record £41,320, giving Halliwell the Guinness World Record for the most expensive piece of pop star clothing ever sold. [2] The performance won Most Memorable Performance Of 30 Years at the 2010 Brit Awards.
As well her famous Union Jack dress; Geri Halliwell wore a lengthy cut top red dress during the show. When walking up to the stage to collect their award; Geri Halliwell's right breast slipped out from her dress in front of cameras and host Ben Elton.[ citation needed ]
Prior to the ceremony, Oasis member Liam Gallagher stated in the British media that he wasn't going to the Brit Awards because if he bumped into the Spice Girls, he would "smack them". In response to this, as the Spice Girls received the award for Best British Single, during their acceptance speech, Sporty Spice Mel C challenged Gallagher by saying "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough".
The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown ; Melanie Chisholm ; Emma Bunton ; Geri Halliwell ; and Victoria Beckham. With their "girl power" mantra, they redefined the girl-group concept by targeting a young female fanbase. They led the teen pop resurgence of the 1990s, were a major part of the Cool Britannia era, and became pop culture icons of the decade.
Geraldine Estelle Halliwell-Horner is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, author, and actress. She was a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Ginger Spice. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all time. Their slogan "girl power" was most closely associated with Halliwell and her Union Jack dress from the 1997 Brit Awards also became an enduring symbol. Halliwell left the Spice Girls in 1998, citing exhaustion and creative differences, but rejoined when they reunited in 2007.
The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trusts Show. In addition, an equivalent awards ceremony for classical music, called the Classic BRIT Awards, is held in May. The awards were first held in 1977 and originated as an annual event in 1982 under the auspices of the British record industry's trade association, the BPI. In 1989, they were renamed The BRIT Awards. Mastercard has been the long-term sponsor of the event.
"Viva Forever" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, Spiceworld (1997). The song was co-written by the group with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, while production was handled by the latter two. It is a pop ballad with Spanish-style elements. The song's theme is about a summer romance during a holiday vacation, as the lyrics discuss recent experiences and memories. It was released as the album's fourth and final single on 20 July 1998 by Virgin Records.
"Who Do You Think You Are" is a song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s dance-pop, and has a nu-disco-style beat that resembles the music of the late 1970s. Its lyrics are about the superstar life, and how someone can get trapped in the world of fame.
"Wannabe" is the debut single by the English girl group the Spice Girls, released on 26 June 1996. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album, Spice, released in November 1996. "Wannabe" is a dance-pop song that features Mel B and Geri Halliwell rapping. The lyrics, which address the value of female friendship over heterosexual relationships, became a symbol of female empowerment and the most emblematic song of the group's Girl power philosophy. It was written and recorded quickly. The result was considered lacklustre by their label and was sent to be mixed by Dave Way. The Spice Girls were not pleased with the result, and the recording was mixed again, by Mark "Spike" Stent.
Schizophonic is the debut studio album by British pop singer Geri Halliwell. The album was released after her split from popular girl group the Spice Girls. The term schizophonic is a portmanteau of the Greek words schizo and phonic ("sound"), and also seemingly a play on the word "schizophrenic" and the musical term "schizophonia". This was the first solo album released by a Spice Girl.
Scream If You Wanna Go Faster is the second studio album by British singer Geri Halliwell, released on 14 May 2001 by EMI Records. Following the commercial success of her solo debut album Schizophonic two years before, the singer began working on its follow-up with producers such as Gregg Alexander, Rick Nowels, Stephen Lipson, as well as previous collaborators, the duo Absolute. The album's artwork depicting Halliwell on roller skates, holding onto the back of a car, was criticised by road safety organisations, who said the singer was setting a wrong example to children.
"Goodbye" is a song recorded by British girl group Spice Girls. It was written by the group, Richard Stannard, and Matt Rowe, while it was produced by the latter two. The song became the group's first song without the vocals of Geri Halliwell. It was released by Virgin Records on 14 December 1998 and was later included on their third studio album Forever (2000). "Goodbye" is a pop ballad that lyrically consists of the group's farewell to a friend, specifically Halliwell. The lyrics were also seen, by the media and fans alike, as the group's end, although the idea was dismissed by the members.
Cool Britannia was a name for the period of increased pride in the culture of the United Kingdom throughout the mid and second half of the 1990s, inspired by Swinging London from 1960s pop culture. This loosely coincided with John Major's conservative government and the 1997 United Kingdom general election where Tony Blair's New Labour government won in a landslide. The success of Britpop and musical acts such as the Spice Girls, Blur, and Oasis reflected a renewed feeling of optimism in the United Kingdom following the tumultuous years of the 1970s and 1980s. The name is a pun on the title of the British patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!"
"Mama" is a song by the British girl group the Spice Girls. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. "Mama" is a pop ballad that features instrumentation from keyboards, a rhythm guitar, a cello, and a violin, and its lyrics deal with the difficulties in relationships between mothers and daughters that appear during their childhood.
"Look at Me" is the debut solo single by British singer Geri Halliwell from her debut solo studio album, Schizophonic (1999). It was written by Halliwell in collaboration with Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson, members of the Absolute production duo, who also produced the track. The song was released on 10 May 1999 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records as the lead single from Schizophonic. Musically, "Look at Me" is a jazz-pop song featuring a nine-piece brass section, while the autobiographical lyrics depict Halliwell demanding the attention of everyone around her.
"Mi Chico Latino", is a song by English singer Geri Halliwell for her debut solo album Schizophonic (1999). It was written by Halliwell, Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson, whilst produced by the latter two, who are known collectively as Absolute. "Mi Chico Latino" was released as the album's second single on 16 August 1999 by EMI Records. It is a Latin pop song that is centred on a lost love theme. The song was written by Halliwell in order to pay homage to her mother, who has Spanish background, whilst it also has a number of Spanish lyrics.
"Bag It Up" is a song recorded by British singer and songwriter Geri Halliwell for her debut solo album Schizophonic (1999). It was written by Halliwell, Andy Watkins, Paul Wilson and produced by Absolute. It was released as the fourth and final single from Schizophonic on 13 March 2000, by EMI Records, and topped the UK Singles Chart, becoming Halliwell's third consecutive number-one single in the UK.
The Spiceworld Tour was the debut concert tour by English girl group the Spice Girls. It was launched in support of their first two studio albums, Spice (1996) and Spiceworld (1997). The sell-out European/North American tour ran from February to August 1998, after which it returned to the UK in September 1998 for a series of stadium shows. The final concert at London's Wembley Stadium was filmed and broadcast live on pay-per-view, for later VHS release in 1998 and eventual DVD release in 2008.
Absolute are a British music production team responsible for a number of hits in the 1990s and the 2000s.
The Return of the Spice Girls Tour was the third concert tour by English girl group the Spice Girls, running from December 2007 to February 2008. It was the group's first tour since Christmas in Spiceworld in 1999, and their first with all five members since the Spiceworld Tour in May 1998. Across 45 shows (out of 47), the tour sold 581,066 tickets for a box-office gross of $70.1 million, and earned an additional $100 million from merchandising. Overall, the tour was the eighth-highest-grossing concert tour of 2008. The 17-night sellout stand at London's O2 Arena was the highest-grossing engagement of the year, taking in $33.8 million and drawing an audience of 256,647, winning the 2008 Billboard Touring Award for Top Boxscore. This was the last tour to feature Victoria Beckham.
Brit Awards 2000 was the 20th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 3 March 2000 at Earls Court in London.
The Union Jack dress is an item of clothing worn by singer Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls at the 1997 Brit Awards. The mini dress featured a flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack, on the front, and a white CND symbol emblazoned on the black-coloured back of the dress. The next day the images of the dress made the front page of various newspapers around the world, and is now remembered as one of the most iconic pop moments of the 1990s and Brit Awards history. The dress has become synonymous with the Spice Girls, Halliwell and the notions of Girl Power, and Cool Britannia.
English pop girl group the Spice Girls have starred in one feature film, as well as several television specials, documentaries and commercials. They made their film debut in 1997, starring in their feature film Spice World. The film was a commercial success, but was widely panned by critics, earning the group the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress.