The Brit Awards 2012 (From The Northern Echo)

The Brit Awards 2012

4:46pm Tuesday 21st February 2012 in Entertainment

WHEN Adele took to the O2 stage at last year’s Brits and sang Someone Like You, it left host James Corden on the verge of tears, and millions of viewers around the world were in a similar state in the days that followed.

That one appearance helped boost sales of her second album, 21, and also helped turn it into one of the most lucrative of the decade, with 17 million global sales by January 2012 alone.

21 should do well at The Brit Awards 2012 (ITV1, 8pm) – once more hosted by Corden from the O2 – where it’s up for Best British Album of the Year.

However, it faces stiff competition from Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto, Ed Sheeran’s +, Florence and the Machine’s Ceremonials and PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake.

Adele – who won six awards at the recent 54th annual Grammy Awards – is also in the running for Best British Female Solo Artist, in contention with Kate Bush, Laura Marling, Florence and The Machine and Jessie J.

There’s a good chance Jessie J will be clinching the British Breakthrough Act, though strong competition comes from Anna Calvi, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande and The Vaccines, while the melodic yet maudlin tones of Lana Del Rey could land her a gong for International Breakthrough Act.

Years after they stormed the charts with one of the best songs of the early part of this century, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Arctic Monkeys are still going strong.

They’re up for Best British Group, alongside Chase and Status, Coldplay, Elbow, Kasabian and Archetypal.

There has been no shortage of great singles over the year, and there will be a fine sense of Brits continuity if Adele wins with Someone Like You.

However, Ed Sheeran’s The A Team; Example’s Changed The Way You Kissed Me; Jessie J’s Price Tag; JLS’s She Makes Me Wanna; Military Wives and Gareth Malone’s Wherever You Are and Olly Murs Ft Rizzle Kicks’ Heart Skips A Beat are all in with a chance.

One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful, Pixie Lott’s All About Tonight, and The Wanted’s Glad You Came are also in the running.

One certain winner is Damon Albarn, who, along with members of Blur, are set to pick up a gong for Outstanding Contribution to Music.