“Things are moving forward, but it’s obvious it’s not there yet. From seeing that [best artist] list, there is still a long way to go.

“It’s incredibly frustrating. “It feels like it should be easy to do.

“[The BRITs] just have to celebrate everyone because this is not just about artists getting awards. Awards are for kids watching on TV, thinking, ‘I can make music like this.’ When I was young, if I’d seen more queer people at these awards it would have lit my heart. Awards are there to inspire.”

The 30-year-old singer believes that many more female musicians should have been included on the shortlist rather than simply Harry Styles, Stormzy, George Ezra, Central Cee, and Fred Again, who are the only remaining contenders.

Asked which women should have been shortlisted, they said: “Cat Burns. Anne Marie. Florence Welch. There’s so much incredible female talent in the UK — they should be on that list.”

Meanwhile, while Sam believes their new album ‘Gloria’ is their most authentic record to date, they insisted they were never “inauthentic”, just not as at ease with themself.

Sam said: “I’ve always been authentic.

“I just think asking a 24 year old to be their 100 per cent self in front of 20,000 people was never going to happen. I showed 70 per cent of who I was then and a lot of that has to do with me being gay. As I got older, though, I realised there’s no shame. I wasn’t being inauthentic — you just keep some things to yourself until you’re ready.”

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