News The Critics Choice Vs. BBC Sound

The Critics’ Choice is the one Brit Award where the winner is announced well before the evening of the ceremony. Therefore, it comes as absolutely no surprise when the winner takes to the stage to claim their prize, gush thorough their acceptance speech, and also gain a coveted performance slot at the ceremony. Now in its fourth year, the Critics’ Choice Award has seen previous winners Adele, Florence & The Machine and Ellie Goulding reach dizzying levels of success in the UK.

Once again, this year’s winner is another female fronted act in the form of Jessie J, who beat both The Vaccines and James Blake to the award. Jessie J, the singer behind ‘Do It Like A Dude’, also won the BBC Sound of 2011 award earlier this year, again placing higher than James Blake and The Vaccines, as well as other shortlisted acts such as Claire Maguire, Esben & The Witch and Jamie Woon.

Yet Jessie J isn’t the first artist to win both awards in the same year, as Ellie Goulding and Adele can testify. In fact the only exception in the award’s four year history is 2009, where Florence & The Machine won the Brit Award, after coming third in the BBC Sound poll behind Little Boots and White Lies. When you take the musical soundscape of 2009 into consideration two years later, it is clear to see that it was not Little Boots but Florence Welch who dominated the charts and radiowaves with a plethora of Brit, Q and MTV awards for her debut album ‘Lungs’ and Lady Gaga, who, after coming sixth in the poll, has gone on to become one of the most globally recognised and successful recording musicians in the world.

When Jessie J was announced as the winner of the BBC Sound 2011 award earlier last month the backlash against the Essex-born singer and her music was huge. Now with her career set to peak further with this additional award to add to her growing collection, Jessie J has a lot to prove when she performs at The Brits tonight. With her unique, Gaga-esque penchant for extravagant stage wear, a performance of her current number one single and the rumour that she is planning on singing her acceptance speech, whatever happens later tonight Jessie J is sure to make a lasting impression.