– 71 (+29) Following the COVID-19 pandemic where close contact with others was greatly curtailed, the 2021 Brits were held with a limited live audience as part of a test by the UK government to trial the idea of crowds with no social distancing.

Dowden stated that "these test events will be crucial in finding ways to get fans and audiences back in safely without social distancing.

The other events that were part of the pilot scheme are: an event at a Liverpool Nightclub on 30 April and 1 May which hosted 3,000 people per night, a 5,000-capacity gig in Liverpool on 2 May, the Emirates FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Leicester City on 15 May which had 21,000 spectators just four days after The Brits and the Carabao Cup Final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on 25 April which had 4,000 spectators.

[14] The nominees for the other categories were announced on 31 March 2021 by BBC Radio 1's DJ Nick Grimshaw and 2021 Rising Star Award winner Griff.

[17] For the 2021 ceremony, the British Phonographic Industry amended the rules regarding eligible of artists for the BRIT Awards, as well as the Mercury Prize which the BPI also run.

The change was brought about by singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama who, despite living in the UK for twenty-six years was informed that she could not be nominated for either the Brits or the Mercury Prize because she was not a British citizen.

Sawayama met with representatives at the BPI to discuss the eligibility criteria and convinced them to expand it so that she and other artists like her could be nominated for the awards.