BRIT Awards 2021: Billy Porter dons in lacy gown, wide-brimmed hat and towering platform boots

In recent years, he’s been lauded by countless fashion critics for his choice of bold red carpet looks, which have blurred the lines of tradition.

And Billy Porter stayed true to form on Tuesday evening, when he stepped out in eye-catching style for the 2021 Brit Awards, held at The O2 in London.

The Pose star, 51, exuded glamour in a black satin gown, which boasted a high neckline and lacy long-sleeved arms and was teamed with a wide-brimmed hat.

With the lace feature also descending to his legs, the Pennsylvania native left the real statement for his footwear: a pair of towering platform black leather boots.

As well as turning heads with their height, the boots featured clear perspex heels, while the toes were capped with angular sheets of metal.

Complementing his metallic boots with an embellished silver handbag, the actor accessorised with a selection of sparkling jewellery, while black and silver eyeshadow further jazzed up his look.

American Horror Story star Billy was seen posing up a storm as he stepped out of a chauffeur-driven Audi to take to the red carpet at the event. 

The 2021 Brit Awards  hosted by Jack Whitehall, will mark the first major indoor music event in over a year as bosses released 2,500 free tickets to key workers. 

The Brit Awards are taking place in front of a live audience of 4,000 people at London’s The O2,  six days before the next phase of lockdown lifts. 

The ceremony, which will be broadcast live on ITV, will celebrate the return to live music and nominee Dua Lipa has promised those attending that it will ‘be a night to remember’.  

The indoor ceremony and live show will form part of the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme, and it will use enhanced testing approaches to examine how events can take place without the need for social distancing after all restrictions are lifted on June 21. 

Working closely with the Government to adhere to safety guidelines, this means The BRITs, will be the first live music show at The O2 in over a year, with 4,000 tickets being up for grabs- just one fifth of the venue’s 20,000 capacity. 

The BRITs will play an important role in paving the way for the return of live music at scale as the UK emerges from the past year’s restrictions. 

Audience members will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the arena, but they will be required to follow existing Government guidance when travelling to the venue and adhere to rules set out by the event organisers.

Among the rules, attendees must have proof of a negative lateral flow test result to enter the venue. 

As part of the wider scientific research on the trial events, attendees will also be asked to take a test after the event to gather further evidence on the safety of indoor settings, reduced social distancing and the removal of non-pharmaceutical interventions like face coverings.  

The show is set to award Taylor Swift – who will make history as the first ever female to be given BRITs Global Icon Award at the ceremony. 

The 11-time Grammy Award winner, 31, will join former winners Elton John, Robbie Williams and David Bowie in being given with the award in recognition of her impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date. 

In numbers provided by Official Charts Company, Taylor is the UK’s biggest selling artist of the year to date in 2021 and has sold over 114m albums worldwide with total global audio + video streams reaching 78b. 

Taylor is the only artist in history to have four consecutive albums – Speak Now, RED, 1989 and reputation – sell over one million copies in their week of release.   

She is also the only artist to have nine albums each sell at least half a million copies in a single week, with Fearless, Speak Now, RED, 1989, reputation, Lover, folklore, evermore, Fearless (Taylor’s Version).

Taylor is nominated for a second BRIT award this year for International Female Solo Artist, her sixth BRIT nomination to date.  

The Icon gong is the highest accolade given and is reserved for truly exceptional artists – following on from Elton, Robbie and David. 

Nominations were unveiled in March, with Celeste, Dua Lipa, Joel Corry and Young T & Bugsey joining Arlo Parks in receiving three nominations each, and Jessie Ware, J Hus, Bicep, AJ Tracey up for two awards as with Headie One.

Confirmed to perform on the show are: Arlo Parks, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Griff – this year’s Rising Star award winner – Headie One, Olivia Rodrigo, and Rag’n’Bone Man & P!nk with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir. 

BRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS 2021

FEMALE SOLO ARTIST 

ARLO PARKS

CELESTE 

DUA LIPA 

JESSIE WARE 

 LIANNE LA HAVAS

MALE SOLO ARTIST 

AJ TRACEY

HEADIE ONE 

J HUS 

JOEL CORRY 

YUNGBLUD

BRITISH GROUP 

BICEP

BIFFY CLYRO 

LITTLE MIX 

THE 1975 

YOUNG T & BUGSEY

BRITs RISING STAR 

GRIFF WARNER – WINNER

PA SALIEU

RINA SAWAYAMA 

MASTERCARD ALBUM 

ARLO PARKS COLLAPSED IN SUNBEAMS 

CELESTE NOT YOUR MUSE 

DUA LIPA FUTURE NOSTALGIA 

J HUS BIG CONSPIRACY

JESSIE WARE WHAT’S YOUR PLEASURE? 

INTERNATIONAL GROUP

BTS 

D.C. PARTISAN 

FOO FIGHTERS 

HAIM POLYDOR,

RUN THE JEWELS

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST 

ARLO PARKS 

BICEP 

CELESTE 

JOEL CORRY 

YOUNG T & BUGSEY

BRITISH SINGLE

220 KID & GRACEY DON’T NEED LOVE

AITCH & AJ TRACEY FT TAY KEITH RAIN 

DUA LIPA PHYSICAL

HARRY STYLES WATERMELON SUGAR 

HEADIE ONE FT AJ TRACEY & STORMZY AIN’T IT DIFFERENT 

JOEL CORRY FT MNEK HEAD & HEART

NATHAN DAWE FT KSI LIGHTER

REGARD & RAYE SECRETS 

S1MBA FT DTG ROVER PARLOPHONE 

YOUNG T & BUGSEY FT HEADIE ONE DON’T RUSH

INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST 

ARIANA GRANDE

BILLIE EILISH 

CARDI B

MILEY CYRUS 

TAYLOR SWIFT 

INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST 

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN  

BURNA BOY 

CHILDISH GAMBINO 

TAME IMPALA FICTION

THE WEEKND

GLOBAL ICON

Taylor Swift