R and B group Flo named 2023 Brit Awards Rising Star winner

R and B girl group Flo have been named the winner of the 2023 Brit Awards Rising Star award.

The London-based trio have become the first group to win the award since its inception in 2008.

The prestigious award, supported by BBC Radio 1, seeks to identify future stars of the UK music scene, and the winner is selected by a panel of music editors and critics from across the industry.

Past winners of the Rising Star award included Adele, Florence and the Machine, Sam Smith and Sam Fender.

Flo fended off competition from other up-and-coming talent Cat Burns and Nia Archives to claim the accolade.

The group said they were “shocked and grateful” to have made history with their win.

“From growing up watching the Brits, to finding each other and forming Flo, releasing our first body of work in 2022 and winning a Brit award in the same year. We are so shocked and grateful,” the group said.

“We are the first group to win the Brits Rising Star. We’ve just made history and couldn’t have done it without our wonderful fans and supportive families.

“It’s truly a dream come true. We feel so empowered creating the music we love and we hope others feel that too.”

Flo comprises 20-year-olds Renee, Jorja and Stella, who released their debut single Cardboard Box earlier in 2022, catapulting them into the collective consciousness and winning the approval of famous faces including SZA, Missy Elliott, and girl group royalty Kelly Rowland and the Sugababes.

They went on to perform the song on late night US TV show Jimmy Kimmel, the UK’s Later…with Jools Holland, and The Glamour Women of the Year Awards.

Flo released their debut EP The Lead at the height of summer 2022 to critical acclaim, and it has since amassed more than 70 million global streams.

The 2023 Brit Awards will take place on Saturday February 11, the first time the show will be held on a Saturday, and will broadcast live on ITV and ITVX from The O2 arena.