He beat up and coming names such as Jake Bugg, 19, and Tom Odell, who is 23.Ībsent from the ceremony, veteran artist Bowie nominated British supermodel Kate Moss to accept the prize on his behalf. The best British male solo artist award category was won by David Bowie, 67, thirty years after he last held the title. Her appearance was not confirmed ahead of the show but was widely leaked to the press. Wearing a sparkling green floor-length gown, pop queen Beyonce, also sung her track “XO”. He was counting on an attention-grabbing performance by Katy Perry, arriving in a chariot on stage and clad in a neon Cleopatra outfit, and Bruno Mars’s energetic routine, which included dancing saxophonists, to breathe new life into the show. Labelled by critics as sensible, sober and dull, even Christian Tattersfield, current chairman of the Brit Awards committee, admitted in a British newspaper recently that the 2013 event “lacked superstars”. With 17.8 million followers, dubbed “Directioners”, the band’s win never looked in doubt.Įxcitement was what the organisers of the event were targeting, after last year’s ceremony failed to impress. To particularly noisy screams and cheering at their every appearance, One Direction also walked away with the best British video award which was decided by Twitter votes cast during the evening. He said he was late because he had been off “having a wee” when the prize was announced. The group picked up the Brits global success award, being joined late on stage by a panting Harry Styles, one of its five members. One Direction did not walk away empty handed, however. Opening the event with their track “R U Mine”, in the shadow of giant versions of the letters “AM”, flaming and suspended in mid-air, Arctic Monkeys were performing at the Brits for the first time despite their multiple successes there over the last eight years. “There’s that fifteen quid we put on One Direction to win down the drain,” Turner joked as Arctic Monkeys picked up the award for best group. The best group prize at the London ceremony was the only head-to-head between Sheffield-born Arctic Monkeys and One Direction, the five-piece band formed in 2010 on the TV singing contest The X Factor. That rock-and-roll, it seems like it’s fading away sometimes, but it will never die,” Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner said as he received the band’s second gong of the night for the Mastercard British album of the year. “That rock-and-roll it just won’t go away. Indie quartet Arctic Monkeys picked up the coveted best album award and triumphed over boy band One Direction to be named best group, prompting their lead singer to claim a victory for rock-and-roll at the Brit Awards.

Arctic monkeys lead singer