Brit Awards unveil 'refreshed' voting panel after #BritsSoWhite diversity row
The Brit Awards have invited hundreds more women and ethnic minority music experts to help pick their nominees and winners in a major overhaul following the #BritsSoWhite diversity controversy this year.
Organisers admitted they needed to make changes after they were widely criticised for failing to include any black or ethnic minority artists in the main prize categories this year.
Now they have unveiled a "refreshed" Voting Academy panel aimed at ensuring the awards better reflect the diversity of the UK's music scene.
More than half of the invites to take part in the 1,200-strong judging panel which selects the nominees - and ultimately many of the award winners - will go to people who have never before taken the role.
It means that 48 per cent of those invited to take part this year are women - up from 30 per cent from the last awards.
The percentage of black and minority invitees to the judging panel inched up to 17 per cent, as compared to 15 per cent previously.
Ged Doherty, the chairman of the organisation BPI which runs the awards, said he was proud of the changes.
The list of the nominees for the 2017 Brit awards will be announced on 14 January in a live broadcast on ITV.
The awards will take place on 22 February at the O2 arena in London.