Some pop superstars have had to make room on their trophy shelves for a brand new British award.
It’s called the BRIT Billion Award, and it celebrates artists who’ve racked up 1 billion U.K. streams throughout their career, as calculated by the Official Charts Company. It takes into account all the tracks the artist has appeared on as either the main performer or as a featured artist.
Among the first recipients of the award are ABBA, Mariah Carey, Sam Smith, Lewis Capaldi, Coldplay, Ellie Goulding, Anne-Marie, Rita Ora, RAYE and the late Whitney Houston.
In a statement, Mariah said, “I’m really honored to be one of the recipients of the BRIT Billion Award. I’m so grateful to my fans for their endless and enduring support. I love you, U.K. lambily, and cannot wait to come back to your side of the pond and create more magical moments together.”
“Escapism” star RAYE added, “Thank you so much…for this award. One billion streams is a very overwhelming number to truly wrap my head around, I’m very grateful to everyone and anyone who is included in that number, thank you.”
The new award was created to reflect the impact of streaming, which now makes up more than 85% of the U.K.’s recorded music consumption.
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