Brit Awards change rules thanks to pop star Rina Sawayama
Getty ImagesA pop star who was told she was "not British enough" to enter The Brits and the Mercury Prize has won a reversal in the awards' eligibility rules.Rina Sawayama was told she could not compete for the prizes last year, because she was not a British citizen.The singer, who has lived in the UK for 26 years, has now won the right to compete, after meeting award bosses.Under new rules, artists who have been resident in the UK for more than five years qualify for the main prizes.Sawayama holds indefinite leave to remain in the UK, but retains a Japanese passport to maintain ties with her family, including her father, who live in her country of birth.As Japan does not allow dual citizenship, she cannot have a British passport. That led to her critically-acclaimed debut album, also call...
