Pop superstars Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift hailed front-line workers at the Brit Awards on Tuesday, in a ceremony at which female artists dominate the mixed categories.

Around 4,000 guests streamed into London's O2 Arena for the biggest night in British pop music. The ceremony welcomed guests for the first time in two years as part of the government's pilot scheme for easing coronavirus restrictions.

The Brit Awards was criticized in the past for male-heavy nominations, but this year almost all of the main prizes went to female artists.

READ MORE

A cure for range anxiety?

EU and India to restart trade talks

The top stories from China

In a history-making moment, Taylor Swift became the first female winner of the global icon award, for what organizers said was "her immense impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date."

Accepting the award, Swift paid tribute to key workers and the UK's National Health Service (NHS). 

"I'm really, really proud to be a part of this musical community, especially in a year when we all needed music so much, but what we needed, even more, was the help and support that we got from the NHS and the key workers who are here tonight. Thank you for everything that you've done for us."

Her sentiment was echoed by London-born Dua Lipa, who dedicated one of her awards to British nurse Elizabeth Anionwu. Lipa said: "There's a massive disparity between gratitude and respect for front-line workers because it's very good to clap for them, but we need to pay them.

"So I think what we should do is, we should all give a massive, massive round of applause and give Boris [Johnson, the British prime minister] a message that we all support a fair pay rise."

The audience, which was packed with key workers after organizers reserved 2,500 seats for them, gave her a standing ovation. 

Hundreds of key workers, be they in healthcare or other services deemed essential throughout the pandemic, have died from COVID-19. 

The annual event, which usually takes place in February, was postponed for three months because of coronavirus safety and logistical concerns.

Audience members neither observed social distancing nor wore face coverings once seated but needed to produce a negative coronavirus test result.

Video editor: Pedro Duarte