Brit Awards 1997

Brit Awards 1997 was the 17th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was organised by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 24 February 1997 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.

Brit Awards 1997
Date	24 February 1997
Venue	Earls Court
Hosted by	Ben Elton
Most awards	Manic Street Preachers and Spice Girls (2)
Most nominations	Spice Girls (5)
Television/radio coverage
Network	ITV
← 1996 · Brit Awards · 1998 →

Performances

Artist(s)	Song(s)
Bee Gees	"To Love Somebody" "Massachusetts" "Words" "How Deep Is Your Love" "Jive Talkin'" "Stayin' Alive" "You Should Be Dancing"
Diana Ross featuring Jamiroquai	"Upside Down"
The Fugees	"Killing Me Softly with His Song"
Manic Street Preachers	"A Design for Life"
Mark Morrison	"Return of the Mack"
Prince	"Emancipation"
Sheryl Crow	"Everyday Is a Winding Road"
Skunk Anansie	"Teenage Kicks"
Spice Girls	"Wannabe" "Who Do You Think You Are"

Winners and nominees

British Album of the Year (presented by Zoë Ball)	British Producer of the Year (presented by Sharleen Spiteri)
Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go Kula Shaker – K Lighthouse Family – Ocean Drive George Michael – Older Ocean Colour Scene – Moseley Shoals	John Leckie Absolute, Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe Hugh Jones Mike Hedges Tricky
British Single of the Year (presented by Caroline Aherne)	British Video of the Year (presented by Frank Skinner)
Spice Girls – "Wannabe" Babybird – "You're Gorgeous" Kula Shaker – "Tattva" Lighthouse Family – "Lifted" Manic Street Preachers – "A Design for Life" George Michael – "Fastlove" Mark Morrison – "Return of the Mack" Oasis – "Don't Look Back in Anger" The Prodigy – "Firestarter" Underworld – "Born Slippy"	Spice Girls – "Say You'll Be There" The Chemical Brothers – "Setting Sun" Dodgy – "Good Enough" Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" Manic Street Preachers – "A Design for Life" George Michael – "Fastlove" Orbital – "The Box" The Prodigy – "Breathe" The Prodigy – "Firestarter" Spice Girls – "Wannabe"
British Male Solo Artist (presented by Elton John)	British Female Solo Artist (presented by Naomi Campbell)
George Michael Mark Morrison Mick Hucknall Sting Tricky	Gabrielle Dina Carroll Donna Lewis Eddi Reader Louise
British Group (presented by Colin Jackson and Vinnie Jones)	British Breakthrough Act (presented by Jo Whiley)
Manic Street Preachers Kula Shaker Lightning Seeds Ocean Colour Scene Spice Girls	Kula Shaker Alisha's Attic Ash Babybird The Bluetones Lighthouse Family Longpigs Mansun Mark Morrison Skunk Anansie Space Spice Girls
British Dance Act (presented by Samantha Fox)	Soundtrack/Cast Recording (presented by Lenny Henry)
The Prodigy The Chemical Brothers Jamiroquai Mark Morrison Underworld	Trainspotting Dangerous Minds Evita La Passione Mission: Impossible
International Male Solo Artist (presented by Snoop Dogg)	International Female Solo Artist (presented by Eddie Izzard)
Beck Babyface Bryan Adams Prince Robert Miles	Sheryl Crow Celine Dion Joan Osborne Neneh Cherry Toni Braxton
International Group (presented by Lennox Lewis)	International Breakthrough Act (presented by Gary Barlow and Louise Redknapp)
The Fugees Boyzone The Presidents of the United States of America R.E.M. The Smashing Pumpkins	Robert Miles Fun Lovin Criminals Joan Osborne The Presidents of the United States of America The Tony Rich Project

Outstanding Contribution to Music

• Bee Gees

Multiple nominations and awards

The following artists received multiple awards and/or nominations.

Two-time winner Spice Girls as most nominations and awards

Artists that received multiple nominations

Nominations	Artist
5	Spice Girls
4 (5)	George Michael
	Kula Shaker
	Manic Street Preachers
	Mark Morrison
	The Prodigy
3	Lighthouse Family
2 (9)	Babybird
	The Chemical Brothers
	Jamiroquai
	Joan Osborne
	Ocean Colour Scene
	The Presidents of the United States of America
	Robert Miles
	Tricky
	Underworld

Artists that received multiple awards

Awards	Artist
2 (2)	Manic Street Preachers
	Spice Girls

Notable moments

Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress and wardrobe malfunction

Ginger Spice, Geri Halliwell, wore the Union Jack dress whilst performing onstage with the group.^[1] Spicemania was at its height in the UK and the Spice Girls had just cracked the US as well, reaching number 1 with their debut single and album. Geri Halliwell captured the zeitgeist and became pin-up girl for Cool Britannia.

Halliwell was originally going to wear an all-black dress, but she thought it was too boring so her sister sewed on a Union Jack tea-towel, with a 'peace' sign on the back, so as to not offend anyone. It was worn during the Spice Girls' performance of their number one song "Who Do You Think You Are". Later on she sold her dress in a charity auction to Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas for a record £41,320, giving Halliwell the Guinness World Record for the most expensive piece of pop star clothing ever sold.^[2] The performance won Most Memorable Performance Of 30 Years at the 2010 Brit Awards.

As well her famous Union Jack dress; Geri Halliwell wore a lengthy cut top red dress during the show. When walking up to the stage to collect their award; Geri Halliwell's right breast slipped out from her dress in front of cameras and host Ben Elton.^{[citation needed]}

Melanie C and Liam Gallagher

Before the ceremony, Oasis member Liam Gallagher told British media that he wasn't going to the Brit Awards because if he bumped into the Spice Girls, he would "smack them". During the group's acceptance speech for Best British Single, Sporty Spice Mel C responded to Gallagher, saying, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough".