BRIT WINS FROM MUSIC NIGHT OF THE YEAR
A night that celebrates the best of the British music industry was complete with performances from the Arctic Monkeys, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, Ellie Goulding, Disclosure, Lorde, AlunaGeorge, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Rudimental and Bastille.
Arctic Monkeys picked up the biggest Award of the BRITs 2014 with AM being named MasterCard British Album of the Year.
It’s the third time the Sheffield band have won the prize, seeing off strong competition from four fellow No. 1 albums by Bastille, David Bowie, Disclosure and Rudimental.
AM is their fifth studio album, selling 500,000 copies in the UK last year and spending 16 weeks in the Top 40. Turner will now perhaps be remembered for his unnecessary speech about Rock n Roll where he remarked how the Brits should send him an invoice for the microphone before dropping it on the floor.
BEYONCE PERFORMS XO
LORDE
She collected the prize ahead of Janelle Monáe, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and P!nk.
It is her first ever BRIT Award after performing an awesome version of Royals with Disclosure earlier on in the night.
Last year saw the release of Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine which went to Gold in the UK, which featured the huge worldwide smash.
DAVID BOWIE
David Bowie has taken the title of British Male Solo Artist, 30 years after winning it for the first time. Bowie was awarded the honour ahead of Jake Bugg, James Blake, John Newman and Tom Odell. Bowie became the oldest Brit award winner at age 67.
David Bowie made his comeback in 2013 , releasing his first solo material for a decade.
David Bowie’s stellar career in the British music industry was also recognised in 1996 when he won the Outstanding Contribution Award. Bowie was stylishly unable to collect his award and sent model Kate Moss to collect it for him albeit wearing an old ” Japanese rabbit who live on the moonensemble.”
HARRY STYLES IN THE TOILET?
DAFT PUNK
Daft Punk have been handed the title of International Group for the first time in their career.
They beat stiff competition from Arcade Fire, Haim, Kings of Leon and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
Daft Punk were first nominated in 1988 for International Newcomer and have had four nominations since.
The masked French duo released their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories, in May 2013.
It went to No. 1 in the UK Album Chart and featured guest appearances from Julian Casablancas, of The Strokes, and BRITs 2014 performers Pharrell and Nile Rodgers.
RUDIMENTAL
After Feel the Love missed out last year, Rudimental have won British Single for Waiting All Night with this year’s Critics’ Choice runner up Ella Eyre.
The track went to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart after shifting 660,000 copies in 2014.
It spent 17 weeks in the Top 40 and was part of their MasterCard Album of the Year nominated Home, which topped the album charts. The band name comes from a piano book that one of the boys used to use as a child.
ARCTIC MONKEYS
Arctic Monkeys have won the battle of the bands and secured the title of British Group at the BRITs 2014.
Chosen ahead of fellow nominees Bastille, Disclosure, One Direction and Rudimental, this is the third time they’ve won this Award – the first being seven years ago in 2007.
Their fifth studio album AM was released in September 2013 to wide critical acclaim.
Their performance of R U Mine opened the BRIT Awards 2014.
BASTILLE
Bastille have topped off a whirlwind 12 months by winning British Breakthrough Act at the BRITs 2014.
They fought off competition from Disclosure, Laura Mvula, London Grammar and Tom Odell due to the success of their debut album, Bad Blood, which went to No. 1 in the UK.
Their brand of euphoric pop has seen singles Of The Night and Pompeii rise to the top of the charts – the latter being nominated for British Single, selling 700,000 copies in Britain alone.
They were also nominated for British Group and MasterCard British Album of the Year at the BRITs 2014.
BRUNO MARS
For the second time in his career Bruno Mars has won the BRIT Award for International Male Solo Artist. He beat tough competition from fellow North Americans Drake, Eminem, John Grant and Justin Timberlake.
The When I Was Your Man singer had two Top 20 singles in the UK Chart last year and toured internationally with his second album Unorthodox Jukebox.
Tonight was also the second time he has performed on the BRITs stage. In 2012, the same year he won his first BRIT Award, Bruno Mars performed his hit single Just the Way You Are.
ELLIE GOULDING
Ellie Goulding has beaten off competition from Birdy, Jessie J, Laura Marling and Laura Mvula to win British Female Solo Artist.
The 2010 Critics’ Choice winner has had a spectacularly successful year with worldwide smash hits Burn and I Need Your Love with Calvin Harris.
Her second album Halcyon Days is currently the biggest selling record of the year despite being released in August last year.
Ellie Goulding still has a busy night with a performance to come and four more nominations.
