1996 Brit Awards

16th Brit Awards
Date	19 February 1996
Venue	Earls Court
Host	Chris Evans

The 1996 Brit Awards were the 16th edition of the biggest annual pop music awards in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 19 February 1996 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London.

Live performers

• Alanis Morissette – "Hand in My Pocket"
• David Bowie and Pet Shop Boys – "Hallo Spaceboy"
• Michael Jackson – "Earth Song"
• Pulp – "Sorted for E's & Wizz"
• Simply Red – "Fairground"
• Take That – "How Deep Is Your Love"

The awards

Mastercard British Album	Best British Single
Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Blur – The Great Escape Pulp – Different Class Radiohead – The Bends Paul Weller – Stanley Road	Take That – "Back for Good" Oasis – "Wonderwall" Annie Lennox – "No More I Love You's" Blur – "Country House" Edwyn Collins – "A Girl Like You" Everything but the Girl – "Missing" Oasis – "Roll with It" Pulp – "Disco 2000" Simply Red – "Fairground" Supergrass – "Alright"
Best British Video	Best Soundtrack
Oasis – "Wonderwall" Blur – "Country House" Blur – "The Universal" Massive Attack – "Protection" Pulp – "Common People" Radiohead – "Just" The Rolling Stones – "Like a Rolling Stone" Simply Red – "Fairground" Supergrass – "Alright" Take That – "Back for Good"	Batman Forever Braveheart Muriel's Wedding Natural Born Killers Waiting to Exhale
Best British Male	Best British Female
Paul Weller Edwyn Collins Jimmy Nail Tricky Van Morrison	Annie Lennox Joan Armatrading PJ Harvey Shara Nelson Vanessa Mae
Best British Group	Best British Breakthrough Act
Oasis Blur Lightning Seeds Pulp Radiohead	Supergrass Black Grape Cast Elastica Tricky
Best British Dance Act	Best British Producer
Massive Attack Eternal Leftfield M People Tricky	Brian Eno John Leckie Nellee Hooper Owen Morris & Noel Gallagher Stephen Street
Best International Male	Best International Female
Prince Coolio Lenny Kravitz Meat Loaf Neil Young	Björk Alanis Morissette Celine Dion k.d. lang Mariah Carey
Best International Group	Best International Breakthrough Act
Bon Jovi Foo Fighters Garbage Green Day TLC	Alanis Morissette Boyzone Foo Fighters Garbage Tina Arena

Outstanding Contribution to Music

• David Bowie

Freddie Mercury Award

• The Help Album

Artist of a Generation

• Michael Jackson

Notable moments

Michael Jackson and Jarvis Cocker

Michael Jackson was given a special Artist of a Generation award. At the ceremony he accompanied his single "Earth Song" with a stage show, culminating with Jackson as a 'Christ-like figure' surrounded by children. Jarvis Cocker, of the band Pulp, mounted the stage in what he would later claim as protest at this portion of the performance. Cocker ran across the stage, lifting his shirt and pointing his (clothed) bottom in Jackson's direction. Cocker was subsequently questioned by the police on suspicion of causing injury towards three of the children in Jackson's performance, who were now on stage. No criminal proceedings followed. This was Jackson's penultimate performance in the UK before his death in 2009 - the final performance being at Wembley Stadium in 1997.^[1]

Oasis and Blur

1996 saw the height of a well-documented feud between Britpop rivals, Oasis and Blur. The differing styles of the bands, coupled with their prominence within the Britpop movement, led the British media to seize upon the rivalry between the bands. Both factions played along, with the Gallaghers taunting Blur at the ceremony by singing a rendition of "Parklife" when they collected their "Best British Band" award (with Liam changing the lyrics to "Shite-life").^[2]

References

1. "Cocker's stage invasion strikes chord in Michael Jackson row". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
2. Oasis Parklife BRIT Awards 1996. YouTube. 5 January 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2015.