Adele thanks ex-husband Simon Konecki, sparks Rich Paul engagement rumors at 2022 Brit Awards

Adele was the big winner at the 42nd annual Brit Awards, held Tuesday at London’s O2 Arena, taking home the honors for Best British Song for “Easy on Me,” Artist of the Year, and Album of Year for 30. When accepting the latter award, in the final category presentation of the evening, the singer thanked her 9-year-old son, Angelo, as well as her ex-husband and Angelo’s father, Simon Konecki.

“I’d like to dedicate this award to my son, and to Simon, to his dad,” a noticeably choked-up Adele said during her acceptance speech, explaining that 30 — a classic divorce album written during what she described in a Vogue interview as her “Year of Anxiety” — is about “all of our journey, not just mine.” She also stressed, “My son has been so gracious — so gracious and kind and patient with me over the past couple of years — and it’s for him.”

Konecki and Adele separated in April 2019, and their divorce was finalized in March 2021. One particularly devastating track on 30, “My Little Love,” features real-life recordings of heartbreaking conversations that Adele had with Angelo about the split. During her third Brits speech, Adele declared, “I’m very proud of myself for sticking to my guns and putting out an album that was about something so personal, because not many people do stuff like that anymore.”

Not mentioned in any of Adele’s acceptance speeches, nor present at the Brits ceremony, was her current boyfriend, American sports super-agent Rich Paul. However, Adele was sporting a massive diamond on her left-hand ring finger throughout the evening, quickly sparking engagement rumors.

Adele walks the Brit Awards red carpet on Feb. 8, 2022. (Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

Adele and Paul’s relationship was the focus of other rumors recently, when various tabloid articles claimed that the real reason for her canceling her Las Vegas concert residency at the last minute was because the relatively new power couple was going through a rough patch. Adele seemed to address that gossip in a smiling Instagram post last week teasing her Brit Awards appearance, which she signed off with the cheeky message, “Oh, and Rich sends his love.”

Adele’s Brits performance of the 30 ballad “I Drink Wine” marked not only her first in-person appearance at the Brit Awards since 2016, but also her first public appearance since she pulled the plug on her Vegas residency the day before its scheduled premiere at Caesars Palace. As of this writing, Adele has not posted anything about Tuesday’s Brit Awards; her representatives did not immediately respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment about that diamond ring.