| Brit Awards 1996 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 19 February 1996 | |||
| Venue | Earls Court | |||
| Hosted by | Chris Evans | |||
| Television/radio coverage | ||||
| Network | ITV | |||
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Brit Awards 1996 was the 16th edition of theBrit Awards, an annualpop music awards ceremony in theUnited Kingdom. It was organised by theBritish Phonographic Industry and took place on 19 February 1996 atEarls Court Exhibition Centre inLondon.
Michael Jackson was given a special Artist of a Generation award. At the ceremony he accompanied his single "Earth Song" with a stage show, culminating with Jackson as a 'Christ-like figure' surrounded by children.Pulp frontmanJarvis Cocker mounted the stage in what he would later claim as protest at this portion of the performance. Cocker ran across the stage, lifting his shirt and pointing his (clothed) bottom in Jackson's direction. Cocker was subsequently questioned by the police on suspicion of causing injury towards three of the children in Jackson's performance, who were now on stage. No criminal proceedings followed. It was later alleged that someone in Jackson's entourage hurt the children.[1]
1996 saw the height of a well-documented feud betweenBritpop rivalsOasis andBlur. The differing styles of the bands, coupled with their prominence within the Britpop movement, led the British media to seize upon the rivalry between the bands. Both factions played along, with the Gallaghers taunting Blur at the ceremony by singing a vulgar rendition of "Parklife" when they collected their "Best British Band" award.
INXS frontmanMichael Hutchence presented the British video award toOasis, whose guitaristNoel Gallagher mocked Hutchence upon receiving the award, by sneering, ″Hasbeens shouldn't give awards to gonnabes″,[2] which according to musician and producerDanny Saber upset Hutchence.[3] This inspired Hutchence to add the lyrics ″I'm better than Oasis″ to INXS' singleElegantly Wasted, released the following year. Hutchence committedsuicide later that year.