Jack Whitehall opened the 2020 BRIT awards on Tuesday night by paying tribute to ‘kind’ and ‘infectious’ Caroline Flack following her tragic death on Saturday.
The comedian, 31, said in a heartfelt speech: ‘Over the weekend, we learned the news that Caroline Flack tragically passed away.
‘She was a kind person with an infectious personally and I speak for everyone here when I say our thoughts are with her friends and family.’
Tribute: Jack Whitehall opened the show by paying tribute to ‘kind’ and ‘infectious’ Caroline Flack following her tragic death
Caroline took her own life aged 40 after a worried friend who was staying with her went to the shops, leaving the ex-Love Island presenter alone at her London flat.
The tribute was followed by a fitting performance from Lewis Capaldi who performed his emotional hit track Someone You Loved.
Caroline had been a regular staple at the BRIT awards, attending the red carpet and event consecutively for the last nine years since 2011.
Tragic: The comedian, 31, said in a heartfelt speech: ‘Over the weekend, we learned the news that Caroline Flack tragically passed away.’ (Caroline pictured at the 2019 BRITs)
Emotional: The tribute was followed by a fitting performance from Lewis Capaldi who performed his emotional hit track Someone You Loved
More recently: Caroline pictured posing with a rose at the 2018 BRITs, left, and at the last February at the 2019 show, right
Lewis Capaldi, former One Direction heartthrob Harry Styles and grime star Stormzy are among the artists nominated in a male-dominated BRIT Awards shortlist.
Lewis, 23, has four nominations, while Stormzy, 26, and Harry, 25, have each been put forward for Male Solo Artist and Album of the Year.
Billie Eilish, 18, received a nod in the International Female Solo Artist category alongside the likes of Lizzo and Ariana Grande.
Despite Billie’s success, only four nominations out of a possible 25 in the categories which are not gender-specific feature women.
There are no female performers included in the shortlists for best group or album awards, although English singer Mabel, 23, has been nominated for three awards.
Someone You Loved hitmaker Lewis will go head to head with Funky Friday rapper Dave, 21, as they battle for Best Male Solo Artist.
The duo will also take on one another in the Mastercard Album of the Year category, with Lewis pitting his Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent work against Dave’s Psychodrama
They face stiff competition from Stormzy’s new release Heavy Is The Head, Michael Kiwanuka’s self-titled LP and Harry Styles’ album, Fine Line.
Dave is again nominated in the Song of the Year category for Location (ft. Burna Boy), going head to head with AJ Tracey’s Ladbroke Grove, Calvin Harris & Rag’N’Bone Man’s Giant, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s I Don’t Care and Lewis’s Someone You Loved.
Also nominated is Mark Ronson’s Nothing Breaks Like a Heart (ft. Miley Cyrus), Stormzy’s Vossi Bop, Sam Smith and Normani’s Dancing With a Stranger, Tom Walker’s Just You and I and Mabel’s Don’t Call Me Up.
Song of the Year is just one of three nods for Mabel, who is also nominated in the Best New Artist category alongside Aitch, Dave, Lewis Capaldi, and Sam Fender as well as Best Female Solo Artist alongside Charli XCX, FKA Twigs, Freya Ridings and Mahalia.
Bastille, Bring Me The Horizon, Coldplay, D-Block Europe and Foals will go head to head at the ceremony for Best Group.
Taking it international, Bruce Springsteen, Burna Boy, Tyler, The Creator, Dermot Kennedy and Post Malone have received nods for International Male Solo Artist.
No Tears Left to Cry singer Ariana Grande, 26, will fight it out against Billie and Lizzo, as well as Camila Cabello and Lana Del Rey to be named best International Female Solo Artist.
The lack of nominations in for female artists comes despite a major overhaul of the Brits’ voting academy in 2017 to make it more gender balanced and diverse, with hundreds of new members invited to join the pool.
The awards are voted for by around 1,500 people from across the UK music industry including journalists, record label employees and musicians.
The rising star winner was announced as Celeste late last year, while the producer of the year will be announced at a later date.
The international group and video categories have been axed by organisers this year.