Lily Allen Slams Brit Awards, Says Skepta, Stormzy "Pose Direct Threat" to Music Industry

2015 was a massive year for UK grime yet the genre has been left off of this year's Brit Awards shortlists altogether. Lily Allen recently took to social media to slam the Brits for failing to recognize unsigned talent and grime in particular, asserting that artists like Skepta, JME and Stormzy receiving establishment recognition "poses a direct threat to 'music industry figures.'"

Allen, who has recently been rumored to be secretly dating UK grime artist MC Meridian Dan, reportedly took to Facebook in response to a Dan Hancox op-ed penned for The Guardian titled "No Grime at the Brits? No Change There." The article asserts: "The Brit awards' blindness to black British talent goes on, as incredible years for Skepta, Stormzy and Lady Leshurr are shunned for music Alan Partridge would approve of. Luckily, nobody's seeking approval from the suits."

In the Facebook post which has since been deleted, the English singer argued that "music industry figures don't necessarily care about music, they mostly care about themselves, they vote tactically for their labels artists to win or so that their competitors at other labels DONT," The Mirror reports.

Allen added: "Awards mean £££ and promotions. i don't think music industry figures (or people that work at major labels) even look at artists as artists when it comes to voting for these things, the artists represent their teams their a+r people, managers, mds, pluggers etc."

The singer, who has a new album coming out sometime this year, stressed that unsigned grime artists are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to the institution of music awards, MixMag reports: "who would gain from them winning anything? [...] Imagine if Skepta or Stormzy won, who would they thank in their speeches, who's ego would get massaged?"

Stormzy expressed his disappointment in the Brits shortlists on BBC Radio 1, asserting that after such a great year for the genre he "thought maybe this year it might get celebrated," NME reports. The MC, who dropped a number of chart-topping tracks this past year, explained that he remains optimistic regarding mainstream recognition: "It's just a matter of breaking the doors down and carrying on."

The "Shut Up" MC also called out the Brits on a new freestyle titled "One Take." Watch the video below: