*Ramped up BRITs digital strategy is set to deliver ultimate worldwide audience experience!

* Britain’s most prestigious music event is to be broadcast worldwide outside the UK on The BRITs YouTube channel –http://www.youtube.com/thebritawards *

* First ever BRITs Social Vote Award to reveal nominees for Best British Video in the week leading up to the show via YouTube and Twitter *

* More behind the scenes content available than ever before with Dan & Phil, Zane Lowe, Fleur de Force and Georgia LA confirmed as official BRIT YouTube presenters * 

* Audio downloads from performances exclusive to iTunes with proceeds going to War Child and BRIT Trust *

With a matter of weeks now until the biggest date in the UK’s music calendar The BRITs announce a number of exciting digital initiatives that will turn the awards into an even bigger global event.

In a BRITs first, outside of the UK fans will be able to watch all the BRIT action, including special performances by Arctic Monkeys, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Bastille, Rudimental, Ellie Goulding, Lorde, Disclosure and Pharrell Williams live on YouTube. This exciting initiative is the first time ever an Award show of this scale has been globally broadcast by YouTube. The BRITs constantly review new initiatives to reach as wide an audience as possible and streaming the show live on YouTube will mean that the achievements and successes in British music over the last year can be celebrated around the world.

Not only will The BRITs be enjoyed simultaneously across the world but the global audience will also have an impact on the show itself with the BRITs first Social Vote Award for British Video. Viewers in the UK and internationally can vote live during the broadcast via Twitter and the winner will be announced toward the end of the show. 
The nominees for the Social Vote Award will be gradually revealed throughout the day on the 10th of February on The BRITs YouTube. The shortlist of nominees will be based on official YouTube views.

BRITs Chairman Christian Tattersfield said:  “Britain has always been a world leader when it comes to producing and championing great artists so it's fitting that our biggest annual celebration of outstanding music will reach such a huge global audience. By adding the first ever Social Vote and YouTube live stream we are taking the BRITs to a whole new level, offering a dynamic, engaging and fully interactive experience for fans everywhere."

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI and BRIT Awards Ltd, comments:"The BRITs make an impact around the world, so we are very excited that music fans in all five continents will be able to watch spectacular performances from British and global music stars live on YouTube and find out, as it happens, who is going home with a coveted BRIT Award. The live vote on Twitter means that viewers world-wide will decide on the night who made the best British music video.  Given the phenomenal success of British music overseas and the huge importance of social media to our artists, it's right that the BRITs should become a truly global, digital event."

Tony Wadsworth CBE, Chairman BPI and BRIT Awards Ltd, comments:“British music excels on the world  stage, so it's a logical step for our biggest awards event to go global, and this initiative takes the BRITs’ international profile to the next level.” 

Candice Morrisey, Head of YouTube Music Partnerships across Europe, Middle East and Africa remarked:“We’re delighted to partner with The BRIT Awards to engage with a global audience.  Music lovers outside the UK can now celebrate the best of British talent live for the first time on the BRITs YouTube channel across all devices.”

The BRITs are working with content creation agency Somethin’ Else on the newly enhanced digital strategy, which will offer more exclusive content than ever before.  With behind the scenes news, exclusive red carpet access and artist interviews The BRITs digital platforms will offer a truly unique and unrivalled experience, taking viewers closer to the action than ever before.

The BRITs have pulled in an A-list team of presenters for their YouTube channel. YouTube superstars and Radio 1 presenters Dan & Phil will be there to capture all the backstage news. Fleur de Force (who has close to one million subscribers on her own YouTube channel) will be covering all the fashion news as well as running Get The Look tutorials in the run up to the main show. Music expert and broadcaster Zane Lowe will be talking to artists backstage whilst presenter, journalist and fashionista Georgia LA will be interviewing artists and guests on the red carpet as they arrive.

The BRITs digital strategy will run alongside the exclusive main live broadcast on ITV as well as ITV’s extra coverage including ITV2’s Red Carpet show (7-8pm) and BRITs Backstage (10-11pm), which will also be available on their catch-up services.

Live performances will be made available on the night exclusively to iTunes with the first 30 days proceeds going to War Child and the BRIT Trust. 

The BRIT Awards 2014 will be held at The O2 in London on Wednesday 19th February and will be broadcast live on ITV. 
http://www.youtube.com/thebritawardshttp://www.brits.co.uk

@BRITAwards  #BRITs2014 

For further information on The BRITs, please contact:

Press / Online - DawBell

Stuart Bell / Richard Dawes – 020 3327 7111Richard.dawes@dawbell.com Stuart.bell@dawbell.com 

Online

Holly Appleton / Amelia O'Shea

Holly.appleton@dawbell.comAmelia.oshea@dawbell.com

Notes to editors:

BRIT - British Record Industry Trust

The BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) Awards is organised by the BPI – the British recorded music industry association - which has over 400 record company members large and small who between them account for in excess of 90% of UK recorded music sales.

The BRIT Awards 2014 with MasterCard will be the 34th BRIT Awards, which has raised more than £14.5m for The BRIT Trust charity, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology www.brit.croydon.sch.uk, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.

Over 8,000 young people have been given free education and the opportunity to enter the BRIT School since its opening in 1991 and more than 10,000 children and adults have been helped by the extraordinary music therapy work carried out by Nordoff-Robbins.

ITV

ITV is the largest commercial television network in the UK. It is the home of popular television from the biggest entertainment events, to original drama, major sport, landmark factual series and independent news. It operates a family of channels including ITV, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 and CITV which are broadcast free-to-air. ITV is also focused on delivering its programming across multiple platforms including itv.com, video on demand on cable television and other ‘closed’ platforms, mobile devices and games consoles. ITV Studios produces and sells programmes and formats in the UK and worldwide, and IT comprised of ITV’s UK and international production operations, international distribution, home entertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing.

MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Pioneers Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.