Rita Ora, Lewis Capaldi and Ellie Goulding among artists to receive first ever BRIT Billion awards

Rita Ora, Lewis Capaldi and Ellie Goulding are just a few of the artists to receive the first-ever BRIT Billion awards.

The UK phonographic industry has introduced a new award to honor an artist who reaches a staggering one billion streams in the UK.

Data from the Official Charts Company includes “tracks on which an artist has appeared as a lead or featured artist.”

ABBA, AJ Tracey and Headie One are also among the winners, alongside Sam Smith, Mariah Carey, Anne-Marie and George Ezra.

For example, the Swedish pop legends have sold 400 million albums worldwide, had 17 No. 1 hits and more than 50 million weekly worldwide streams.

Their most streamed hits are: Dancing Queen, Gimme! Give me! Give me! (A man after midnight) and Mamma Mia.

As for Lewis, his mega hit Someone You Loved was the biggest single of the year 2019 and the most streamed song of all time in the UK with over 600 million streams.

He said, ‘I’m so excited to be one of the first artists ever to receive a ‘BRIT Billion’ award! Never in a million years would I have thought this sort of thing would happen, but now it is I gladly take any prize, you have my address x.’

Pop Diva Mariah’s 1994 festive classic All I Want For Christmas Is You is one of the most streamed songs in the UK, with over 370 million streams.

Mariah Carey said: ‘I am truly honored to be one of the recipients of the BRIT Billion Award. I am so grateful to my fans for their endless and lasting support. I love you UK dearly and can’t wait to come back to your side of the pond and create more magical moments together.”

RAYE, whose hit single Escapism went platinum, said: ‘Thank you so much to the BPI for this award.

“A billion streams is a very overwhelming number to really wrap myself around, I’m very grateful to everyone and anyone included in that number, thank you.”

Rapper AJ Tracey, whose 2019 hit Ladbroke Grove has amassed more than 250 million streams to date, said: ‘It’s a real honor to be awarded one of the first-ever BRIT Billion awards. I’m doing all this for you, so thanks for listening. New album on the way. Stay locked up!’

Wow! The UK Phonographic Industry has introduced a new award to honor an artist who reaches a whopping one billion streams in the UK (Lewis is pictured)

Talented: ABBA, AJ Tracey (pictured) and Headie One are also among the winners, alongside Sam Smith, Mariah Carey, Anne-Marie and George Ezra

Emotional: Representative of the Whitney Houston estate, Pat Houston, said, “Whitney would be very proud of this award, and the first thing she would say is, ‘Is this for me?'”

Talented: Data from the Official Charts Company includes “songs on which an artist has appeared as a lead artist or featured artist” (Headie One is pictured)

The late Whitney Houston – whose biggest hits include the 3x Platinum I Wanna Dance With Somebody, plus Saving All My Love For You, It’s Not Right (But It’s OK) and I Will Always Love You and My Love Is Your Love – has also earned a billion award.

Representative for the Whitney Houston estate, Pat Houston, said, “Whitney would be very proud of this award, and the first thing she would say is, ‘Is this for me?’

“Thank you so much to all of her worldwide fans, and on behalf of the Whitney Houston estate, I want to thank you, and that we are immensely grateful, and that we appreciate you.”

Each artist will receive a specially designed trophy from BPI by Gaudio Awards1, featuring the BRIT’s ‘B’ and an encapsulated BRIT’s figurine, featuring their name.

Sophie Jones, BPI Chief Strategy Officer and Interim Chief Executive, said: “For an artist there are few greater sources of pride than a platinum or gold disc on the wall, but in an age where success is measured in the hundreds of millions and even billions of streams, it was clear that we needed a new and complementary way to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievements in recorded music, and I’m sure having a BRIT Billion Award will be equally appreciated .’

Trophy: Each artist owns a specially designed trophy from BPI by Gaudio Awards1, featuring the BRIT’s ‘B’ and an encapsulated BRIT’s figurine, featuring their name

Happy: George Ezra looked elated as he beamed as he held his new award

Icon: The Swedish pop legends, for example, have sold 400 million albums worldwide, had 17 No. 1 hits and more than 50 million weekly worldwide streams (Björn Ulvaeus is pictured)