Ayesha Hazarika: Let’s enjoy the Brit awards and show the world what we do best

The Brit Awards are the biggest night of the year for British music and the fans. Tonight’s event will be a star-studded show with performances from Skepta, Little Mix, The 1975, Emeli Sandé, Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry. The world’s eyes and ears will be on the Brits — a dazzling sign that London is open for business.

The Brits celebrate commercial success, and British artists are riding high in major markets across the world. One in every six albums bought globally is by a British performer, and seven out of the UK’s top 10 albums last year came from home-grown talent.

Since last year’s Brits there were discussions across the industry about diversity. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), organiser of the awards, took this seriously and we’re proud of this work, which will continue. We refreshed the voting academy — it’s now 48 per cent female and 21 per cent BAME, and 45 per cent of this year’s nominations are BAME artists or feature a BAME artist in the line-up. As well as celebrating great pop, this year’s show will reflect grime, which is fast becoming a commercial force to match its cultural influence.

It’s been a fresh, exciting year for the UK record industry, which is now a leading digital business. Consumption is up recently, hitting a billion audio streams a week, and the vinyl revival continues.

British music is a powerful global calling card, especially in the light of Brexit. All our business sectors need to focus on overseas trade, and music is a powerful way to showcase the UK’s creativity. We are skilled at producing culture the world loves and wants to buy.

We are the second-biggest exporter of music after America. The BPI runs important trade missions to emerging markets such as China, South Korea and India and supports new talent touring overseas through the Government’s Music Export Growth Scheme. We are optimistic about our future.

The Brit awards also raise money for the Brit School of Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon, which turns 25 this year and has received more than £10 million from the record industry through the Brit Trust.

The school provides a top-class, free education to 14- to 19-year-olds who want to pursue a career in the creative industries either as performers or technical experts. Former students account for around 125 million global music sales.

It also gives students who want to work behind the scenes excellent technical training — almost all Brit students go on to higher education or get jobs in the industry. The school also opens up opportunities beyond family background — half the students are from BAME backgrounds and nearly a fifth qualify for free school meals.

Arts and culture in schools help every child become the best person they can be. It’s also vital for our country’s future: the creative industries generate almost £10 million an hour. All our children must have access to a quality arts education and musical instruments if we are to make the most of our talent from all communities and walks of life.

Tonight’s Brit Awards will be a stunning reminder that talent is everywhere. Let’s make sure the opportunities are too, so we can continue to see British music rock the planet and make us proud.

Ayesha Hazarika is an adviser to the BPI.