Judy Murray: Female acts finally recognised at The Brits as Little Mix win top accolade

Little Mix made history at the Brit Awards last week as the first female band to be named best British group, which is truly astonishing.

Not only is it unbelievable that the organisers haven’t seen fit to recognise an all-female group in more than four decades, it’s even more incredible when you think about some of the acts who have been overlooked.

The Spice Girls, for example, were one of the biggest groups on the planet, such positive role models for young people thanks to their “girl power” message. I can only assume it’s yet another instance of male-dominated decision-making panels.

It’s so hard for women to break through and reach the top, no matter the industry, which Little Mix member Leigh-Anne Pinnock highlighted in her acceptance speech.

She said: “It’s not easy being a female in the UK pop industry. We have seen white male dominance, misogyny, sexism and lack of diversity. We are proud of how we have stuck together, stood our ground and surrounded ourselves with strong women.”

Good for you, ladies – let’s hope you’ve mixed things up in a big way and that the award is the first of many for female bands.