Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Michael Ball & Alfie Boe win big at Classic BRIT Awards
13 June 2018, 22:28 | Updated: 22 June 2018, 16:57
The cellist at the Royal Wedding Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the much-loved duo of Michael Ball and Alfie Boe each scooped two awards at the returning Classic BRIT Awards ceremony.
Kanneh-Mason took home the Male Artist of the Year and the Critics’ Choice award, while Ball & Boe won the Classic FM Album of the Year and the Best Group category.
There were also wins for Renée Fleming, Tokio Myers and the young saxophonist Jess Gillam, who was the winner of the first ever Sound of Classical poll.
See all the highlights from a star-studded night at the Royal Albert Hall >
A handful of special awards were also given out – Andrea Bocelli received Classic BRITs Icon, while Andrew Lloyd Webber was given the Special Recognition Award for Musical Theatre & Education.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dame Vera Lynn who, aged 101, was unable to attend the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall. “It’s humbling to receive accolades and I’m delighted that people still enjoy my music all these years later.”
Soundtrack of the Year went to Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s songs and music for The Greatest Showman.
Full list of winners:
Female Artist of the Year
Renée Fleming
Male Artist of the Year
Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Group of the Year
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe
Soundtrack of the Year
The Greatest Showman OST (Benj Pasek & Justin Paul)
Critics’ Choice in association with Apple Music
Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Classic FM Album of the Year
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe
Classic BRITs Icon
Andrea Bocelli
Sound of Classical 2018
Jess Gillam
PPL Classic BRITs Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Tokio Myers
Special Recognition Award for Musical Theatre & Education
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dame Vera Lynn
Speaking to Classic FM's Sam Pittis after the ceremony, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason said: "It's an amazing feeling to even be at the event, so to have one an award is amazing."
Saxophonist Jess Gillam, who won the Sound of Classical 2018 Award, said: "It's a real honour to have won – although it was really odd being up on the stage and not playing!
"But it's such an important award to encourage and inspire young talent. And it's so important at the moment, with all the cuts happening, to expose classical music to young people."
Performing at the glitzy London ceremony were Katherine Jenkins, Michael Ball & Alfie Boe, Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Alexis Ffrench, Beatrice Rana and Pretty Yende.
The ceremony will be broadcast on ITV1 at 10:30pm on Sunday 17 June.
