Adele was the big winner at the 42nd annual Brit Awards, held at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday, winning honors for Best British Song for ‘Easy on Me’, Artist of the Year and album of the year for 30. During the presentation of this last prize, during the presentation of the last category of the evening, the singer thanked her 9-year-old son, Angelo, as well as her ex-husband and father of Angelo, Simon Konecki.
“I would like to dedicate this award to my son, and to Simon, to his father,” a visibly choked Adele said during her acceptance speech, explaining that 30 – a classic divorce album written during what she described in a vogue interview as his “Year of Anxiety” – talks about “all of our trip, not just mine. She also pointed out, “My son has been so gracious – so gracious, kind and patient with me over the past two years – and that’s for him.”
Konecki and Adele separated in April 2019 and their divorce was finalized in March 2021. A particularly devastating piece on 30, “My Little Love,” features actual recordings of heartbreaking conversations Adele had with Angelo about the split. During her third UK speech, Adele said: “I’m very proud to stick to my guns and release an album that is about something so personal because not many people do stuff like that. “
Her current boyfriend, US super-sports agent Rich Paul, was not mentioned in any of Adele’s acceptance speeches, nor present at the Brits ceremony. However, Adele wore a huge diamond on her left ring finger throughout the evening, quickly sparking engagement rumours.
Adele and Paul’s relationship was further rumored recently, when various tabloid articles claimed that the real reason she canceled her Las Vegas gig residency at the last minute was that the relatively new couple was going through a difficult time. Adele appeared to respond to that gossip in a smiley Instagram post last week teasing her Brit Awards appearance, which she signed off with the cheeky message, “Oh, and Rich sends love.”
Adele’s UK performance of the 30 The ballad “I Drink Wine” marked not only her first in-person appearance at the Brit Awards since 2016, but also her first public appearance since pulling the plug on her Vegas residency the day before her scheduled premiere at Caesars Palace. As of this writing, Adele hasn’t posted anything about Tuesday’s Brit Awards; its representatives did not immediately respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment on the diamond ring.
Below is the full list of Brit Awards 2022 winners:
Album of the Year: Adele, 30
Artist of the Year: Adele
Best Rock/Alternative Artist: Sam Fender
Best Dance Artist: Becky Hill
Best Group: Wolf Alice
Best Hip-Hop/Rap/Grime Artist: Dave
Best International Artist: Billie Eilish
Best International Band: Silk Sonic
Best New Artist: Little Simz
Best Pop/R&B Artist: Dua Lipa
British Rising Star: Holly Humberstone
International Song of the Year: Olivia Rodrigo, “Good 4 U”
Producer of the Year: Inflo
Song of the Year: Adele, “Easy on Me”
Songwriter of the Year: Ed Sheeran
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