Expert opinion - The BRITs arrival in Manchester is long overdue

“Music is incredibly important to us as a region. It is one of our greatest exports. 

“We have a huge variety of venues, from the intimate, well-trodden rooms of our bustling pubs like Gullivers and The Eagle where our grassroots musicians cut their teeth to Bridgewater Hall for orchestral and contemporary music, to arts complexes such as Aviva Studios. 

“Now with Co-op Live, we are adding to the legacy and history of our iconic venues, and bringing the BRITs here seems highly appropriate.

“It feels like it is a moment that is perhaps overdue, and more importantly, the start of a potentially very different era for this annual gala. 

“Staging the awards in Manchester, the first time outside of London in its 49-year history, on a two-year deal, so we get the 50th anniversary as well, is an acknowledgement of our musical pedigree, both past and present. 

“Indeed, the most successful winner of the awards is Robbie Williams, whose solo career stands on the shoulders of his Manchester band Take That, who contributed to five of his 18 awards. 

“For many, the iconic era of the BRITs will be in the mid-90s, when the awards aligned with the era of Britpop. Public rivalries between Blur and Oasis came to the fore, and this was no different than at the BRITs. 

“Locating the awards in the region will be a benefit to the north in general, as it gives rise for other cities to host in the future, following the example set by the BBC moving Eurovision to six different cities and towns across its near-70 years. 

“Manchester is central to the UK, and while there’s no debate that transport links to London are fairly robust around the country, being more central will give wider access to events like this for many. 

“From a music education view, I can only see the BRITs presence being of benefit to all the region’s music institutions and the fringe events and one-off concerts will focus on the grassroots scene, giving opportunity to put our music acts in a wider national spotlight once again.

“The current generation of students of Salford are the children of those who were their age during the BRITs of notoriety in the mid-90s, and stories of their antics are of legend. 

“As the BRITs enters its new regional era, will Manchester once again be the vanguard of these new horizons, taking on the risk with a Mancunian swagger, pride and our heads held high?”