Brit Awards

The Brit Awards is an annual award show presented by the British Phonographic Industry, and the British equivalent of the American Grammy Awards for excellence in music. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trusts Show. The BRIT Awards were broadcast live until 1989, recorded and broadcast the following night from 1990 to 2006, and returned to live broadcast in 2007 on ITV. The awards began in 1977 as part of the commemoration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee and as an annual event in 1982 under the auspices of the British record industry's trade association, the BPI. In 1989 they were renamed the Brit Awards. MasterCard has been the long-time sponsor of the event.