PinkPantheress is the first woman ever to win the BRIT Award for “Producer of the Year” – self-taught, self-produced. What’s behind their historic victory.
PinkPantheress was named Producer of the Year at the upcoming BRIT Awards on Monday, February 23, becoming the youngest winner in the awards history and the first woman to win in the Producer of the Year category.
Although the ceremony won’t take place until Saturday, February 28, four awards have already been handed out – Mark Ronson for Outstanding Contribution to Music, Jason Alon the Critics Choice Award and Noel Gallagher for Best Songwriter.
New talent
PinkPantheress is currently considered one of the most successful emerging artists in the pop genre. Their song “The Boys a Liar” spent 28 weeks at the top of the UK singles chart; other songs like “Illegal” and the feature “Stateside” with Zara Larsson have conquered the internet in recent months. Stacey Tang, co-chair of RCA Records and chair of the BRIT Awards committee, describes PinkPantheress as “an inventive and visceral voice in British pop. As a producer, she is precise and playful, creating bold, boundary-pushing sounds that transcend the UK.”
First winner in the category
In the “Producer of the Year” category, PinkPantheress’ victory is particularly significant. She is following in the footsteps of famous male producers such as Calvin Harris or last year’s winner AG Cook – as the first woman to achieve this since the awards were introduced in 1977. In doing so, she is setting an example for female artists in the producer scene.
She expressed her gratitude for the award on Instagram, expressing mixed emotions: “I’m thrilled to be the first woman to win this award and I’m grateful for this recognition. My music production is what I’m most proud of and I’ve worked really hard on it. I hope this inspires others to pursue their passion.” She took the opportunity to mention her role models – especially female producers – but also emphasized that she would not see this award as an individual victory, but rather as a door opener for women in music production.
PinkPantheress didn’t learn producing professionally, but developed her skills with limited resources in her bedroom and with tutorials from the internet. This year she is nominated for two more awards – in the Artist of the Year and Dance Act categories.
Who else will be there?
The event on Saturday, February 28th will also feature important new voices from the music world. Olivia Dean, Sombr and Alex Warren, all of whom were nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist, have already been announced for live performances. Well-known artists such as ROSALÍA, Harry Styles, Wolf Alice and Mark Ronson will also perform.
