BBC Music Awards Attracts 3.9m

The inaugural BBC Music Awards got off to a fairly impressive start for old Auntie, attracting a TV audience of 3.9m viewers last week.

The show that no-one is (yet) calling the BRIT killer was hailed as a “new annual fixture for music lovers” by BBC Music Director Bob Shennan, who added: “This was a World class event in the heart of the peak time BBC One schedules. It was a perfect mix of outstanding performance and the highest production values”.

Hosted by Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton, the BBC Music Awards took place in front of a live audience of 13,500 people at London’s Earls Court and was also broadcast on BBC One, Radio 1, Radio 2 and online.

Winners included Ed Sheeran for British Act of the Year and Pharrell Williams for best international artist and song of the year with ‘Happy’. Catfish and the Bottlemen played live, also walking away with a surprise BBC Introducing Award. The evening also featured performances from Calvin Harris, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, One Direction, Take That and George Ezra– proving that the line-up wasn’t simply a reflection of your average Radio One playlist throughout the year.

The Gen isn’t one to stir it up but last year’s BRITS pulled in 4.2m viewers: its lowest figures since 2006.