Girl groups have been integral to British music history — but none of them had ever won the Brit Award for British Group. That changed on May 11, when Little Mix won the award at the 2021 Brits, over fellow nominees the 1975, Bicep, Biffy Clyro, and Young T & Busey. The new trio accepted hot off their remix of “Confetti” with Saweetie, along with news that both Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards are pregnant. “Two of us have baby brains, so we had to write it down,” Edwards said ahead of a prepared speech, after the girls got over the shock of their win. After a series of thank-yous, including to former member Jesy Nelson, Pinnock added, “It’s not easy being a female in the U.K. pop industry. We’ve seen the white male dominance, misogyny, sexism, and lack of diversity. We’re proud of how we’ve stuck together, stood for our group, surrounded ourselves with strong women, and are now using our voices more than ever.”
Jade Thirlwall ended by reflecting on the history of Little Mix’s win. “The fact that a girl band never has won this award really does speak volumes,” she said. “So this award isn’t just for us. It’s for the Spice Girls, Sugababes, All Saints, Girls Aloud — all of the incredible incredible female bands, this one’s for you.” Little Mix’s predecessors in the Spice Girls responded with congratulations for the band. “Doing it for the Girls!! ✌🏻,” the group tweeted. History corrected at last.
