Peter Andre slams gender-neutral categories at the Brit Awards despite never actually being nominated for one
Singer Peter Andre (L) has hit out against the alleged move towards gender-neutral categories at the BRIT Awards, following Sam Smith coming out as non-binary. (Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/Steve Granitz/WireImage
TV personality Peter Andre has slammed the idea of ditching male and female categories at the Brit Awards in favour of non-binary-inclusive ones.
The 46-year-old singer, who has never been nominated for a Brit, lashed out against the alleged move saying people get “offended way too easily nowadays”.
Andre’s comments come after reports emerged that the Brit Awards is considering making the major change for 2021, after three-time winner and eleven-time nominee Sam Smith came out as non-binary.
“I think it’s all going way too far now.”
Andre wrote in his new! magazine column: “I’m fine with Sam and other people identifying themselves however they like, but I don’t agree with getting rid of best male and female categories.
“I think it’s all going way too far now.
Peter Andre performs at O2 Guildhall. (Harry Herd/Redferns)
“By all means add a brand new gender-neutral category, but what’s wrong with celebrating the exceptional people in the music industry who identify as men and women? I don’t get it.
“The problem is people get offended way too easily nowadays.”
This is despite advocates of the move noting that men, women and non-binary people would all be celebrated in the inclusive categories.
Moreover, the merged category move would award honours in genres, record of the year, album of the year, song of the year and the best artist categories.
Peter Andre sides with Pier Morgan on inclusive Brit Awards debate.
In effect, Andre has sided with Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan over the debate.
Morgan vented at the alleged news, brandishing Smith as responsible for “wrecking” the Brit Awards.
But the host missed an extremely obvious point – that the Brit Awards are one of the only major award ceremonies in the music industry that have not shelved gendered categories.
The Grammy Awards abolished its gendered categories in 2012, while the MTV Video Music Awards ditched segregated male and female categories in 2017.
Far from taking awards away from women, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande dominated the 2019 VMAs, with three awards apiece, and Grande taking home the non-gendered Artist of the Year award.
