THE BRIT AWARDS are set to get rid of all gender-based prizes in a bid to accommodate non-binary and gender-fluid individuals.
While organisers confirmed that no rational changes would be put in place for the 2020 awards in February, they admitted that the 'best male' and 'best female' categories would be under review for the following year's ceremony.
Since the first Brits in 1977, it has had separate gongs for male and female solo artists, but that all looks about to change.
"Bosses are listening to changes happening in the industry. The categories will evolve in the coming years," a source told the Sunday Times .
"The male and female categories will still be in place next February but changes are being planned for the following year.
"Organisers will be consulting labels and artists alike to work out what is best for the future of the Brits ceremony."
The decision to try and avoid defining people by their sex comes a week after pop star Sam Smith came out as non-binary.
The 27-year-old singer revealed that they now wanted to be called by the pronouns 'them/they' as opposed to 'he/him'.
"After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out," they wrote on Instagram.
The BRITs aren't the first awards ceremony to get rid of gender-based categories. The National Television Awards (NTAs) and the MTV Movie Awards have both made the decision to merge their male/female awards.
But not everyone has reacted so warmly to the news.
Piers Morgan rejected the 'progressive' aspect of the alleged move, saying on Good Morning Britain that "it's a load of nonsense."
"I'll tell you what will happen, it'll be like women's sport decimating," he said.
"The whole point of having the gender categories is to make it fair and equal, now we're going the other way and that apparently is progress. I think it's a load of nonsense."
