The Kanneh-Masons awarded Best Classical Artist in the Global Awards 2021

3 May 2021, 06:00 | Updated: 3 May 2021, 09:46

The winners of the fourth Global Awards have been announced.

The Kanneh Masons have been awarded Best Classical Artist in the Global Awards 2021.

The musical family – pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and their violin, cello and piano-playing siblings Braimah, Konya, Jeneba, Aminata and Mariatu – are among the winners of the Global Awards 2021, announced today.

Now in its fourth year, the Global Awards brings together Global’s radio stations, Classic FM, LBC, Smooth, Gold, Radio X, Capital, Heart and Capital XTRA, to honour the biggest stars of music, news and entertainment. With the glittering awards ceremony unable to take place this year, Global today revealed the 2021 winners on air, online and on Global Player to fans.

“Thank you so much, on behalf of the Kanneh-Masons, for this Best Classical Award,” violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason said. “We’re so grateful to receive it. It was a real pleasure for us to perform for so many of you over lockdown, through the Facebook Lives and also through the album Carnival of the Animals, which we had so much fun recording.”

His brother, Sheku, added: “Thank you so much for listening to, and supporting, this album. It was such a wonderful opportunity for us to share music as a family, and to you around the world. The support has meant such a lot to all of us.”

The Kanneh-Masons: The Global Awards 2021 Winner

British singer Dua Lipa is a big winner in this year’s awards, picking up three awards.

Following the phenomenal success of Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa was named Best Female and Best British Artist at the Global Awards 2021, and her huge hit ‘Don’t Start Now’ was the Most Played Song across Global’s radio stations in 2020.

Little Mix were honoured with the Best Group prize – an accolade they won at the inaugural Global Awards in 2018 and again in 2019. Their win sees them join Dua Lipa as the most celebrated artists in Global Awards history, with both acts receiving six trophies over four years.

Also celebrating wins are Harry Styles, who was named Best Male, Cardi B who was awarded Best Hip Hop or R&B and Nothing But Thieves who won Best Indie.

Joel Corry was named Rising Star, following in the footsteps of previous winners Mabel, Aitch and Halsey, in recognition of his breakthrough success in 2020.

John Sweeney’s widely acclaimed Hunting Ghislaine was named Best Podcast.

Upon learning of her triple Global Award win, Dua Lipa said: “I want to say thank you so much to my fans, I want to say thank you to my team, I want to say thank you to Ashley and everyone at Global. This is so exciting. Obviously I would have loved to have come and party with you guys, but we’ll have to do that again next year. Thank you, thank you so much! Now to jazz up my living room with these!”

The Global Awards 2021 – full list of winners

BEST FEMALE
Dua Lipa

BEST MALE
Harry Styles

BEST GROUP
Little Mix

BEST BRITISH ACT
Dua Lipa

BEST CLASSICAL ARTIST
The Kanneh-Masons

BEST HIP HOP OR R&B
Cardi B

BEST INDIE ACT
Nothing But Thieves

RISING STAR
Joel Corry

BEST PODCAST
Hunting Ghislaine

MOST PLAYED SONG - recognising the Most Played Song on Global’s radio stations in 2020
Dua Lipa – ‘Don’t Start Now’

Hear more from The Global Awards 2021 winners on Global Player. Global Player is Global’s entertainment hub, which allows listeners to enjoy all of Global’s radio brands, award-winning podcasts and expertly curated playlists all together and all for free, available on Global Player on your smart speaker, iOS or Android device and online.