Olivia Rodrigo Becomes Youngest Artist to Receive BRIT Billion Award Recognizing 1 Billion U.K. Streams
Written by djfrosty on August 18, 2023
At 20, Olivia Rodrigo has become the youngest artist receive a BRIT Billion Award by the BPI. The award celebrates artists who have reached one billion career U.K. streams, as calculated by the Official Charts Company. RAYE, 25, had been the youngest artist to receive the honor.
Rodrigo was presented the award while in London promoting her latest single, “Bad Idea Right?,” as fans await her second album GUTS, due for release on Sept. 8.
Rodrigo won best international song at the BRIT Awards in February 2022 with “Good 4 U.” She was also nominated for international artist of the year, but lost to Billie Eilish. Rodrigo gave her first live TV performance of her breakthrough smash “Drivers License” at the Brits in May 2021.
Rodrigo is the 19th artist to receive a BRIT Billion Award. The first batch of 13 artists to receive award — which was launched on May 4 — consisted of global icons ABBA, Coldplay, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston; pioneering rap and hip-hop artists AJ Tracey and Headie One; and contemporary pop stars Anne-Marie, Ellie Goulding, George Ezra, Lewis Capaldi, RAYE, Rita Ora and Sam Smith.
The award has subsequently been presented to Lana Del Rey, who received the award backstage at her BST Hyde Park headline show; James Arthur, who was presented with his award live on BBC’s The One Show; Queen, Wizkid and Becky Hill.
The BRIT Billion award reflects the extent to which streaming has transformed the music landscape over the past decade. More than 85% of the UK’s recorded music consumption now takes place through streaming. In 2022 there were a record 160 billion audio streams in the UK.