Adele and Sheeran win Brit Awards

Feb 21 2012

Record-breaking star Adele has won two awards at the Brit Awards as she landed both the the best female artist prize as well as best album for 21.

The 23-year-old looked delighted by her success as she picked up the first award of the night for best female and shrieked: "Oh my Gawd." She beat stars such as Jessie J and Kate Bush to pick up the prize at London's O2 Arena.

Collecting the award from Kylie Minogue, she joked: "I feel like a drag queen next to you. It's been an amazing year. Thank you. I'd like to thank my record company for letting me be the kind of artist I want to be."

Ed Sheeran beat acts such as Noel Gallagher, James Morrison and Professor Green to the title of best British male. The red-haired singer - who played his hit Lego House at the ceremony - said: "I honestly didn't think I'd get this one, so I'd just like to say thanks to my family, my friends, my fans, every single promoter that's ever booked me, every single radio DJ that's every played me and my label. I'm really bad at this."

Coldplay took the best group title for the third time, following wins in 2001 and 2003. It was their seventh Brit in total. Collecting the prize, Chris Martin said it was "humbling" to win. And he praised the awards themselves: "We've been doing the Brits since before most of you were born. It was terrible then and it's amazing now."

One Direction pulled off a surprise by landing the best British single for What Makes You Beautiful, ahead of Adele's Someone Like You - the track which relaunched her career at last year's Brits.

The X Factor heartthrobs - who came third in the ITV1 contest - landed the prize in a public vote. The group dedicated the award to their fans, with singer Harry Styles adding: "Everything we do is for you, and this is yours."

Rihanna - wearing an elegant gold dress with a plunging neckline - took the best international female title for the second year running. US singer Bruno Mars won the Brit for best international male solo artist.

The Brit Awards often throw up memorable collaborations and this year Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joined Noel Gallagher's band High Flying Birds. Martin joined his pal by playing piano on the track AKA What A Life.

Show host James Corden asked guests to take a moment to remember "the great, the unique" Whitney Houston, who died earlier this month.