The Brit Awards, The British Phonographic Industry’s annual pop music awards, were held last night. The biggest winner was Duffy and her debut album Rockferry. During one of her acceptance speeches, Duffy cursed on live television, but it doesn’t look like the speech police from America have invaded Britain, so nothing will probably happen to her. Other notable awards went to Kayne West, Katy Perry and Kings of Leon. Here’s a list of the winners, provided by The Daily Telegraph:

:: Mastercard British Album – Duffy ‘Rockferry’
:: British Group – Elbow
:: British Single – Girls Aloud ‘The Promise’
:: British Male Solo Artist – Paul Weller
:: British Female Solo Artist – Duffy
:: British Breakthrough Act – Duffy
:: British Live Act – Iron Maiden
:: International Album – Kings of Leon ‘Only By The Night’
:: International Group – Kings of Leon
:: International Male Solo Artist – Kanye West
:: International Female Solo Artist – Katy Perry
:: Critics’ Choice Award – Florence & The Machine
:: British Producer of the Year – Bernard Butler
:: Outstanding Contribution to Music – Pet Shop Boys

From The Daily Telegraph

The biggest loser of the night was Chris Martin and Coldplay. The group had been nominated for a bunch of awards, but failed to win any – they lost to a bunch of girls. Coldplay’s latest album (Viva La Vida) is a commercial success, and they just won several Grammys last week – yet the British people seem to have mixed feelings about the album and about Coldplay. The Daily Telegraph has more:

Although the group bagged a handful of Grammys they failed to live up to their hype on this side of the Atlantic. Their latest album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends topped the global sales chart last year with 6.6 million copies. But it lost out to Duffy’s Rockferry while the title single also missed out to Girls Aloud’s The Promise.

While their commercial success is certain, Coldplay’s style has received mixed reviews and, while nominated for best album at the Brits, they were also up for the worst album gong at the NME Awards later this month.

It was Elbow who walked off with Best Band category, while veteran rockers Iron Maiden ended Coldplay’s final hope of an award by scooping Best Live Act.

In the international categories, the Kings of Leon won best album and best group, while rapper Kanye West took best male. Katy Perry was named best international female.
Reaching number one in more than 30 countries, Viva La Vida was seen as a shoe-in for Best Album.

Their previous three albums – X&Y, A Rush Of Blood To The Head and Parachutes – have sold more than 30 million copies.

The group are currently on a huge world tour, which began last year and culminates this September with two nights at Wembley Stadium.

It is nine years since the band first earned worldwide fame with the release of Yellow, which quickly became the summer’s anthem of 2000.

From The Daily Telegraph

Even though I don’t really care for Coldplay’s music, I think the Brits are being a little harsh. So the album isn’t their best? So what? They’ll make other albums, and maybe one of them will be better.

I really don’t get Katy Perry. I realize I’m an old fart when it comes to what’s hip in music (I still think it’s Britney Spears), but I saw Katy perform live on the Grammy’s, and the performance was, in a word, rough. She’s not a live act. She’s a one-hit wonder who probably won’t be around the music business much longer.

Shown at the Brit awards are Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry, Estelle, Girls Aloud, Duffy, Taylor Swift, The Ting Tings, Natalie Imbruglia, KT Tunstall, Lionel Richie, and Pixie Geldof (in the white giant shirt without a bra.) Credit: WENN