JOSS Stone stole the show at The Brits with two surprise wins at the annual awards ceremony. The 17-year-old with the voice that has taken both sides of the Atlantic by storm beat names like Natasha Bedingfield, Jamelia and Amy Winehouse to the prestigious Best British Female award last night.
The biggest surprise of the night, hosted by former Big Breakfast presenter Chris Evans, was when the middle-class teenager from Devon was named as the winner of British Urban Act over the likes of Dizzee Rascal and The Streets. The winners of the 17 categories were all white.
The blonde teenager performed one of the highlights of the night - a duet of Angels with Robbie Williams, after he won Best Song of the Past 25 Years, a category introduced this year to mark The Brits' quarter-of-a-century anniversary.
Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand had been nominated for five awards and took home a respectable two for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act.
Disco queens the Scissor Sisters scooped a hat-trick of awards.
The outrageously camp New Yorkers won Best International Group, Best International Breakthrough Act and Best International Album.
And they kicked off the awards with a typically OTT performance, bursting out of giant glittery eggs and dancing with a 20ft high pink rooster.
Other performers on the night included duets between Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams, Jamelia and Lemar, and siblings Natasha and Daniel Bedingfield.
Robbie Williams got the shock of his life when host Chris Evans announced that his former Take That bandmates Gary Barlow and Howard Donald would present his award.
The pair duly walked onto the stage - and turned out to be Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas.
Walliams dressed as Donald, complete with dreadlocks, while Lucas impersonated Barlow.
Keane scored a double win with awards for Best British Breakthrough Act and Best British Album for Hopes and Fears.
The Streets' Mike Skinner won Best British Male, and put in a rare performance at the ceremony with Dry Your Eyes.
Gwen Stefani won Best International Female, and Eminem won Best International Male.
Muse were named Best British Live Act, and the award for Best Pop Act went to McFly.
Will Young won Best British Single with Your Game.
Sir Bob Geldof was honoured with an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Geldof said: "Thank you very much, Britain, for taking a lippy Irish boy and allowing him to make a living here."
The winners
British Male Solo Artist: The Streets
British Female Solo Artist: Joss Stone
British British Group: Franz Ferdinand
Mastercard British Album: Keane - Hopes and Fears
British Single: Will Young - Your Game
British Breakthrough Act: Keane
British Urban Act: Joss Stone
British Rock Act: Franz Ferdinand
British Live Act: Muse
Brits25 Best Song Award: Robbie Williams - Angels
Pop Act: McFly
International Male Solo Artist: Eminem
International Female Solo Artist: Gwen Stefani
International Group: Scissor Sisters
International Album: Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
International Breakthrough Act: Scissor Sisters
Outstanding Contribution to Music: Sir Bob Geldof
First published: February 10
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