Brit Awards 1999

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Brit Awards 1999 was the 19th edition of the ceremony, held on 16 February 1999 at the London Arena in London. Johnny Vaughan hosted, and it was the first time MasterCard sponsored the awards. Robbie Williams had the most success, winning three awards and receiving six nominations. Belle & Sebastian won Best British Newcomers, beating other nominees such as Steps, who were also popular at the time. The Best British Newcomers award was sponsored by Radio 1 and voted online by listeners. After the ceremony, a press story claimed Belle & Sebastian had rigged the vote by encouraging students from two universities to vote online, but supporters said the band’s student following and Isobel Campbell’s attendance at one of the universities should be considered as a matter of artistic merit. Whitney Houston performed “It’s Not Right But It’s OK” and stunned audiences, even though she did not win a solo BRIT trophy.