| Performance Title | The Brit Awards 1989 (British Phonographic Industry Awards) |
| Performance Date | 13 February 1989 |
| Performance Day | Monday |
| Performance Time | 19:15 |
| Main Performers | Gloria Estefan,
Yazz - vocals,
Tanita Tikaram - guitar, vocal,
Mark Knopfler,
Alan Price - speakers |
| Secondary Performers | Phil Collins,
Michael Hutchence and John Farris (INXS),
Carol Decker (T'Pau),
Mark Rutherford,
Ronnie Wood and Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones),
Kevin Godley and Lol Creme (10CC),
Annie Lennox and David A Stewart (Eurythmics),
Courtney Pine,
Mica Paris,
Justin Hayward and John Lodge (The Moody Blues),
Belinda Carlisle,
Jools Holland,
Ken Russell,
Joan Armatrading,
Joe Elliott (Def Leppard),
Tina Turner,
Boy George,
Peter Jamieson (BPI Chairman) - award presenters |
| Orchestra or Band | Fairground Attraction (Eddi Reader, Mark E. Nevin, Simon Edwards, Roy Dodds)
Miami Sound Machine
Def Leppard (Joe Elliott - lead vocal, Rick Savage - bass guitar, Rick Allen - drums, Phil Collen, Steve Clark - guitars),
Yazz's Band
Bros (Matt Goss, Luke Goss, Craig Logan)
BPI Awards Supergroup (Mark Knopfler - guita, vocal, Randy Newman - piano, vocal, Yazz - tambourine, vocal, Carol Decker, Def Leppard, The Moody Blues, The Four Tops, Bill Wyman - guitar, vocal, Phil Collins - percussion vocal, Fairground Attraction, Tanita Tikaram, Bros, Tina Turner, Jools Holland - keyboard, Yazz's backing singers) |
| Set List | 'Rhythm is Gonna Get You' (Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine),
Best British Single Award - 'Perfect' - Fairground Attraction (Phil Collins),
Best British Group Award - Erasure (Boy George),
Best International Male Solo Artist Award - Michael Jackson (Boy George),
'Perfect' (Fairground Attraction),
Best International Female Solo Artist Award - Tracy Chapman (Michael Hutchence, John Farris),
Best British Album Award - 'The First of a Million Kisses' Fairground Attraction (Carol Decker, Mike Rutherford),
Best International Group Award - U2 (Kevin Godley, Lol Creme),
'Got to Share' (Yazz and Band),
Best British Newcomer Award - Bros (Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman),
Best International Newcomer Award - Tracy Chapman (David A Stewart, Annie Lennox),
'Pour Some Sugar On Me' (Def Leppard),
Best Classical Recording Award - Trevor Pinnock (Courtney Pine, Mica Paris),
Best Soundtrack / Cast Recording Award - 'Buster' (Justin Hayward, Belinda Carlisle, John Lodge),
'Good Tradition' (Tanita Tikaram),
Best Music Video Award (voted for by viewers of BBC1 Going Live) - Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Jools Holland, Ken Russell),
Best British Male Artist Award - Phil Collins (Joan Armatrading, Joe Elliott),
Best British Female Artist Award - Annie Lennox (Tina Turner),
'I Owe You Nothing' (Bros),
Outstanding Contribution Winner - Cliff Richard (Peter Jamieson),
BPI Supergroup with Mark Knopfler and Randy Newman |
| Performance Notes | This infamous ceremony was broadcast live on television. The inexperience of the hosts, an ineffective autocue and little preparation combined to create an unprofessional show that was poorly received. The hosts continually got their lines mixed up, Womack and Womack were excluded by security who said their children were too young to be let in, a pre-recorded message from Michael Jackson was never transmitted and several star guests arrived late on-stage or at the wrong time, such as Boy George in place of The Four Tops. he show proved to be the single most important event in BPI / Brit Awards history. It was perceived to be so disastrous that the British public's interest was revived and the BRITs became associated with risky live TV.
Guests at the event included Aswad (band), The Four Tops (band), Cliff Richard, Trevor Pinnock, Phil Collins.
"IT WAS NOT ALL RIGHT ON THE NIGHT.
The grisly spectacle of the shambolic The Brits 89 award ceremony staged by the record industry at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday night must bring closer the day when such exercises in professional narcissism are treated by the pubic and media alike with the contempt they so richly deserve.
...Yesterday's tabloids recited a chapter of disasters under such headlines as 'What A Rock-Up' and 'Top of the Flops'.
...The nadir was reached when teenagers, let in free to the £115-a-ticket award ceremony, booed Kenneth Baker, the Education Secretary, and gave the veteran entertainer Cliff Richard a hard time when he told them to 'grow up', in an ad-lib at the end of his acceptance speech."
(The Daily Telegraph, 25 February 1989) |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1989/11),
Video (RAHE/5/1989/4) |
| URL | http://www.mirrorpix.com/id/00189349 |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/pwpj1pB2EwC |
| Code | Name of Performer(s) |
| DS/UK/9 | Kennedy; Nigel (28 December 1956); British violinist and violist |
| DS/UK/4937 | Lennox; Annie (25 December 1954); OBE; Scottish singer songwriter, political activist and philanthropist |
| DS/UK/16476 | Fleetwood; Michael 'Mick' (1947-); British musician and actor |
| DS/UK/13976 | Fox; Samantha 'Sam' (1966-); English dance-pop singer, actress, and former glamour model |
| DS/UK/16477 | Fairground Attraction (1987-1990) |
| DS/UK/8420 | Estefan; Gloria (1957-); American singer-songwriter, actress, entrepreneur |
| DS/UK/21044 | Yazz (1960-); English pop singer |
| DS/UK/19413 | Tikaram; Tanita (1969-); German-born British pop/folk singer-songwriter |
| DS/UK/61 | Knopfler; Mark (12 August 1949); OBE; British songwriter, guitarist and producer |
| DS/UK/9437 | Price; Alan (1942-); British singer-songwriter |
| DS/UK/12204 | Collins; Phil (30 January 1951); LVO; English drummer, singer songwriter, record producer and actor |
| DS/UK/68 | INXS (1977-) |
| DS/UK/613 | Wood; Ronnie (1947-); English rock guitarist, bassist |
| DS/UK/127 | Wyman; Bill (24 October 1936-); English musician |
| DS/UK/15750 | Stewart; David Allan 'Dave' (1952-); English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics |
| DS/UK/14607 | Pine; Courtney (1964-); CBE; English jazz musician |
| DS/UK/821 | Paris; Mica (1969-); English soul singer |
| DS/UK/6108 | Hayward; Justin (1946-); English musician, singer-songwriter |
| DS/UK/5 | Holland; Jools (24 January 1958); OBE DL; English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and presenter |
| DS/UK/2855 | Armatrading; Joan (9 December 1950); CBE; British singer songwriter and guitarist |
| DS/UK/21739 | Def Leppard (1977-) |
| DS/UK/697 | Turner; Tina (26 November 1939-24 May 2023); American-Swiss singer and actress |
| DS/UK/816 | George; Boy (14 June 1961); English singer songwriter, DJ and fashion designer |
| DS/UK/21046 | Bros (1986-1992, 2017-) |