More than 65m albums sold globally by former BRIT School students including Adele, Leona Lewis, Katie Melua and The Feeling, new Official Charts Company figures reveal.
Two decades of incredible BRIT School success were today toasted by Sir George Martin CBE, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP and Lord Kenneth Baker of Dorking at a major event to celebrate the official 20th Anniversary of the school in Croydon, South London.
A staggering 65 million albums have been sold worldwide by former BRIT School music students, new Official Chart Company and Music Week research revealed today – including top sellers from Adele, Leona Lewis, Katie Melua, Jessie J, The Kooks, Katy B and the late Amy Winehouse.
In just the UK alone, BRIT School alumni have accounted for sales of more than 21 million albums and 19.8 million singles. The first Top 10 hit achieved by students was the self-titled Eurovision Song contest entry Love City Groove, which reached No.7 in April 1995.
Reflecting on her time at The BRIT School, Leona Lewis recalled:
“My time there was invaluable. Being in a creative environment all day, every day fuelled my passion to have a creative career. The school helped me learn my craft as a songwriter and musician, not just from the lessons but from my fellow class mates who inspired me too. Happy 20th birthday BRIT School!”
Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey MP, applauded the success of The BRIT School and its contribution to the UK’s creative sector, saying:
“Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said:
“The BRIT school has been a fantastic success since it was set up 20 years ago. It has an incredible legacy with millions of people across the world enjoying the talent the school has helped to nurture. Current and future students can look to the success of performers like Adele, Leona Lewis and Katie Melua to see what the BRIT School has achieved.
“The UK’s creative industries continue to enjoy major success on the international stage and the BRIT School has certainly played its part in that. The School’s staff and supporters can be proud of what they have achieved. I look forward to seeing the talent they help to develop over the next 20 years.”
To mark 20 years of success, the School will today unveil a new extension - ‘The Deacon Wing’ – named after John Deacon CBE, Chair of Governors at The BRIT School and former BPI Director General. The building allows for a further expansion of the School's digital specialism and will also house music, technical theatre and a dance studio.
Sir George Martin CBE also attended the ceremony to witness the official naming of an upgraded, state-of-the-art recording studio named after the “fifth Beatle”. Adding his praise, he said:
“I was invited to be a Governor in 1991. Looking back, I can say that the ten years in which I carried out the role were not just a privilege but also a real joy. There is something deeply rewarding about watching young people flourish and fulfil their creative potential. The school continues to be a beacon of excellence. Full marks should go to Nick and the staff as well as those politicians who had the vision to see it through, often in difficult times, 20 years ago.”
Since opening its doors in 1991, the School has more than tripled its intake from 300 to 1,000 full-time students who study the national curriculum whilst specialising in a chosen artistic field. In 2010/2011, the School continued its recent examination successes - maintaining its position amongst the top 1% of State schools in the UK. There are now more than 7,000 alumni of the school employed and contributing to the creative industries.
Reflecting on the School’s success and evolution, Nick Williams, Principal of The BRIT School, said:
"The School is indebted to executives and artists in the British Record Industry, who have supported our development over the last 20 years as an artistic centre of excellence. It has been an astonishing two decades that is worthy of celebration.
“But as we look back, we also look forward to another era of success with the introduction of new courses this coming academic year that reflect the rapidly changing technological and artistic requirements of the age, a Foundation Degree with Bournemouth University, and partnerships with The Crescent Primary School and the Birmingham Ormiston Academy in the West Midlands. The celebration today truly marks our remarkable progress to date and our continuing ambition."
John Deacon CBE expressed his thanks to all those who were pivotal in supporting the School in its early days:
"The BRIT School provided the industry with an important platform for working with government which has subsequently flourished into a long and positive relationship.
“I would like to thank the generosity of the artists who gave of their time for the Knebworth Concert in June 1990 – including Eric Clapton CBE, Dire Straits, Sir Elton John CBE, Sir Paul McCartney MBE and Pink Floyd - and invaluable contributions from both major and independent record companies which allowed the school to finally open its doors in September 1991. Without the enormous support of Kenneth Baker and Sir Cyril Taylor the Chairman of the CTC Trust, we would not be celebrating 20 momentous years of The BRIT School.”
The BRIT School has been the beneficiary of more than £7m from the British Record industry, with a substantial annual contribution from the proceeds of the BRIT Awards, administered via the record industry’s charity, The BRIT Trust. Industry executives gathered at the School to show their continued support.
Speaking on behalf of the record industry, BPI Chief Executive, Geoff Taylor, said:
“Few British industries can claim to have supported education with anything like the success of The BRIT School. The music industry can be proud of the huge amounts of money and time it has invested in talented young people from all backgrounds, who dream of working in the performing arts.
“We are proud of the school's outstanding academic record and the rounded education it provides across the creative arts. For every Adele, Amy and Leona, there are dozens of students who have found success in media, art, design, stagecraft, marketing and other fields.”
A number of former students expressed their thanks and support for The BRIT School:
Singer/songwriter, Katy B
“Massive congratulations to the BRIT School, I met the most amazing people there and had a great time. Good luck to all your future students!”
Singer/songwriter, Jack McManus
“Congratulations to the BRIT School on its 20th Anniversary. The School gave me the perfect grounding to develop my craft and I'm indebted to the staff and students who helped me along the way.”
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
For further information, please contact:
· Maria Barham, Dawbell, 07957 637636
· Arthur Boulton, BRIT School, 020 7665 5242
BRIT SCHOOL ALUMNI – UK TOP 10 BEST-SELLING ALBUMS
Source: The Official Charts Company
|
Position
|
Artist
|
Title
|
|
1.
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Amy Winehouse
|
Back To Black
|
|
2.
|
Leona Lewis
|
Spirit
|
|
3.
|
Adele
|
21
|
|
4.
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Katie Melua
|
Call Off The Search
|
|
5.
|
Adele
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19
|
|
6.
|
The Kooks
|
Inside In / Inside Out
|
|
7.
|
Katie Melua
|
Piece By Piece
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|
8.
|
Amy Winehouse
|
Frank
|
|
9.
|
The Feeling
|
Twelve Stops & Home
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|
10.
|
Leona Lewis
|
Echo
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BRIT SCHOOL ALUMNI – UK TOP 10 BEST-SELLING SINGLES
|
Position
|
Artist
|
Title
|
|
1.
|
Adele
|
Someone Like You
|
|
2.
|
Leona Lewis
|
Bleeding Love
|
|
3.
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Jessie J ft. BOB
|
Price Tag
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|
4.
|
Leona Lewis
|
A Moment Like This
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|
5.
|
Adele
|
Rolling In The Deep
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|
6.
|
Leona Lewis
|
Run
|
|
7.
|
Adele
|
Make You Feel My Love
|
|
8.
|
Mark Ronson Ft. Amy Winehouse
|
Valerie
|
|
9.
|
Jessie J
|
Do It Like A Dude
|
|
10.
|
Another Level
|
Freak Me
|
About The BRIT School
The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology is a non-fee paying performing arts and technology school in the UK based in Selhurst, Croydon. Jointly funded by The BRIT Trust and the Department for Education, it offers nearly 1,000 places to talented 14 to 19 year-old students with a complete learning experience; juxtaposing excellent academic standards with strong vocational training in the fields of broadcast media, digital arts, technical theatre and performing arts.
http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk.
About BRIT School Alumni
The School’s former music students include: Adele, Jessie J, Leona Lewis, Kate Nash, Katie Melua, Katy B, Rizzle Kicks, Marsha Ambrosius, Jamie Woon, The Kooks, The Feeling, Noisettes, Imogen Heap, Adelaide McKenzie, Joel Pott of Athlete, Polly Scattergood, Tawiah, Charlene Soraia, Bashy MC, Dockers MC, Jack McManus, Troy Hudson (Ruff Diamondz), Cherry Blackstone and Andre Carol.
Ex-Theatre students have appeared in: The In-Betweeners (The Movie) (Blake Harrison, Theo Barklem Biggs, Cush Jumbo, Emily Head), Appropriate Adult (ITV) (Selin Hizli), Truth and Reconciliation at the Royal Court (Ivanno Jeremiah), and As You Like It at the Manchester Royal Exchange (Cush Jumbo).
Ex-Musical Theatre students have appeared in: Sister Act, the tour (Grace Gardner), Sound of Music, the tour (Carly Thoms), Chichester Festival’s She Loves Me (Louis Maskell and Josh Lay), Flashdance and We Will Rock You (Hannah Levane), Sweeney Todd and Lord of the Flies (James McConville).
Those building up a successful dance career include: Nathan Goodman (Richard Alston Dance Company); Femi Oyewole performing on Broadway in Blue Man Group, Scott Jennings who has toured internationally in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake and choreographed a piece of Resolution, Jay Revell who is a choreographer and dancer for Alexandra Burke, Tosh Wanogho-Maud who is with Sony Records and in Five Guys Named Mo, Renne Harriott who was in Thriller, Brooke Milliner Dance Captain and a choreographer for Plague, and Keely Dann who is a dancer on Rihanna's Loud Tour 2011.
About The BRIT Trust
The British Record Industry Trust is the charitable arm of the British record industry and derives a large part of its income from proceeds of The BRIT Awards. Other sources of income are from The Classic BRIT Awards and The Music Industry Trusts’ Dinner. Since its inception in 1989, the Trust has distributed over £14 million. Its principal beneficiaries are The BRIT School for Performing Arts based in Croydon and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy.