21:12 The Hoff is on stage to present Best British Band. Hasselhoff says he
grew up listening to the Rolling Stones, The Who and the Beatles: "all
of which led the world. Nothing changes". And the award goes to...
Mancunian rockers Elbow. A great result for them, though probably not
Coldplay, even though Chris Martin is on his feet applauding and doesn't
look too bothered. Must have been taking acting lessons from the missus.
Elbow have been going at least a decade, so this prize is richly deserved.
Lead singer Garvey says the band are relieved they had not worn elaborate
costumes. "We are just really glad we didn't do the spaceship or the
feather boas. This is really special. We love where we live and we love
making music. To be involved in these celebrations is a really big thing."
21:08 Best British Live Act, chosen by listeners of BBC Radio 2, goes to heavy
metal veterans Iron Maiden who are otherwise occupied with Eddie.
21:02 Biggest cheer of the night so far for Take That, who sing Greatest Day
perched in a Close Encounters of the Third Kind-esque UFO spaceship style
gantry suspended from the ceiling. Quite an entrance. Eventually they "land"
in the middle of the mosh pit, sing a few more verses before beaming back up
to heavens. Wow!
20:57 Corden and Horne are attempting to star a fight with undefeated boxing
champ Joe Calzaghe who's on stage to present Best International Album. He
declines, while pointing Corden in the direction of the gym. And it's a
second award of the night for Kings of Leon for Only By The Night. Their
guitarist takes to the stage clutching a glass or red wine. You really don't
get much more rock and roll than that do ya? What next, a cheeseboard? "We
have to give this to England. If it weren't for England Kings of Leon
wouldn't be a band right now. You created us". Guess they didn't sell
any records in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales then? C'mon guys, this is
the Brits...
20:47 Now a performance that presenter Horne strangely suggests will make you
want to "put your fist in your Mum's mouth". Of course (who else
after that intro?) it's Duffy, singing Baby You Hurt Me in a divine red
dress. She's backed by a 25-piece band, so it's no surprise the soul
songstress delivers one of the strongest performances of the night. She
really is a bit of a star ain't she?
20:44 The Two Jamies (Cullen and Oliver) are on stage to present Best British
Male Artist. They clearly go to the same hairdresser. And the winner is...
Paul Weller. Who can't be with us tonight. We cut to a pub, where Adele,
after four or five attempts, presents The Modfather with his award.
20:41 Kylie is back on stage already, flirting with Matthew Horne, who
introduces his "back-up plan" Natalie Imbruglia, to present the
Brit for Best International Group. Imbruglia tells Horne to "calm down".
Please don't Matthew. We need some excitement. And the winner is... Kings of
Leon. They're the self styled: "cheesy band that thanks the Brits
Academy. Thank you god, thank you Mum, thank you UK, without you we'd be
nothing." How sweet.
20:30 Host James Corden asks the crowd to "scream until your nipples ache"
for next act, Coldplay, who have a completely new wardrobe for this
performance. Oh, no, actually they're wearing the same "designer"
military outfits they've been strutting out in for most of the past year.
Still, least their dry cleaning bills are cheap. They deliver a very solid
Viva La Vida (up for Best Single later).
20:26 And we're back. Blur's Alex James is here to present Best British
Breakthrough Act after a stunning year for acts in this category. And, after
a very long pause, James announces that the winner is... Duffy. Her second
award of the night. "I'm starting to recognise your faces" she
tells the crowd. "I don't mean to be greedy and take another one home
but thank you so much." Such a polite lass. It's all very squeaky clean
so far. Where's Amy Winehouse when you need her?
20:19 Backstage Duffy's first award seems to have been confiscated already.
Does this mean she needs to keep her hands empty for more?
20:16 Next to exercise their tonsils are Cheryl Cole and Friends, aka Girls
Aloud, singing their huge smash hit Promise - in the running for Best Single
later. It's all gold staircases, dapper gents in white top hats and feather
pink boas. And yes chaps, the girls are wearing dresses. Just not very big
ones. A stunning perfomance, beautifully staged.
20:12 Perhaps overwhelmed by the sheer quality of the shortlist for the
preceding entry - Duffy beat Adele, Beth Rowley, Estelle and M.I.A. - Lionel
Ritchie is on stage tumbling over the teleprompter to present Best
International Female Artist... to Katie Perry. Aaaargh, noooooo! What an
oufit. Katie is "so sick right now". She definitely has a very
sore throat. And she's a bit rude to start with too.
20:09 Simon Pegg is on stage to present Best British Female. And the winner
is... Duffy. The second biggest selling act in the world act strides up to
collect her first ever Brit Award. She's nominated four times tonight. Welsh
crooner Duffy seems rather confused by the category: "British female. I
don't know what that means. I guess it's just as well my Mum didn't have a
boy".
20:06 Now it's our host, the perfectly formed Kylie Minogue. Kylie launches
into a quick Can't Get You Out of My Head, with Gavin & Stacey starring
co-hosts and backing singers Mathew Horne and James Corden who are dressed
in red satin dresses and black knee high boots. Mathew Horne's is first with
a dig, promising "some of the biggest acts in the world... and The Ting
Tings."
20:00 And we're off. U2 are on the stage, playing in front of a giant video
wall to a Land of Hope and Glory backing track... which quickly heads off
into a storming Get Into Your Boots. The Edge is wearing a beanie hat, Bono
is wearing sunglasses: yes Earls Court really does have its own
microclimate.
19:59 The cream of the music world are in London for the Brit Awards, with
Kings of Leon, Duffy, Girls Aloud and U2 all performing. Thanks for joining
us.
19:47 Gok Wan: "I'd like to lick Kanye West's face, actually I'd like to
lick him all over". Gok is carrying the world's biggest man bag - maybe
he's planning to abduct Kylie?
19:36 Kate Perry: "I'm wearing a custom piece by The Blondes, a design
group from Manhattan". Looks like she's wearing a giant magnet there's
so much metal attached.
19:30 U2 are kicking off tonight's show. The Edge is on the red carpet: "we're
really hungry, we haven't played in front of it for ages"
Duffy: "I haven't even got one acceptance speech ready, if you plan it,
it all goes wrong, so I'm just going to see what happens. I used to watch
the Brits at home with my sisters, it's the surrealist thing I've done so far"
