Sam Smith, Stormzy, Dua Lipa and Music Week Artist Of The Year Ed Sheeran are to perform at the BRIT Awards 2018 with Mastercard.
The first live acts were unveiled today for the awards ceremony on February 21 at The O2 in London, hosted by Jack Whitehall.
The four UK acts include three of this year’s big-selling No.1 album artists, as well as debut BRITs performer and 2017 breakthrough star Dua Lipa.
BRITs chairman and chairman & CEO of Sony Music UK & Ireland, Jason Iley, said: “I’m very excited to confirm such a strong British line-up as our first four live acts for the main show in 2018: Ed Sheeran has had an exceptional year, across the world and we are thrilled to have him back on the show. Then we have previous Critics’ Choice winner Sam Smith returning to our stage following the incredible success of yet another No.1 album this year. Stormzy has had a phenomenal 2017, putting grime firmly on the map with his No. 1 album Gang Signs and Prayer and Dua Lipa has been the biggest British female breakthrough story of the year.”
Sheeran has won three BRIT Awards to date - British Breakthrough Act, British Male Solo Artist and MasterCard British Album of the Year. Smith, whose album is battling Sheeran to be No.1 this week, will be returning to the BRIT Awards stage for the first time since 2015, when he won British Breakthrough Artist and the Global Success Award. Stormzy returns to the BRITs for his first solo performance following his appearance with Sheeran last year.
The 2018 BRITs nominations will be announced live on ITV on January 13 in a Saturday primetime slot featuring performances from Paloma Faith, Clean Bandit, J Hus, Liam Payne and BRITs Critics' Choice Winner Jorja Smith.
Read the full story on Ed Sheeran's amazing year in the latest issue of Music Week.
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