CityLife

Elbow scoop Best British Group at Brits

WHAT A YEAR!: Elbow with their gong 1 / 5 images

IN what is surely one of the most surreal moments of their long career to date, Elbow were handed the Brit Award for Best British Group by none other than David Hasselhoff.

The veteran Bury quintet beat off all-comers to bag the gong including Coldplay, Take That and Girls Aloud.

On receiving the prize from the Knight Rider legend, a clearly stunned Elbow frontman Guy Garvey quipped: “You will not believe how long it has taken to get this close to the Hoff - but it’s worth it.”

After a decade and a half of relative obscurity, the five-piece band scooped the 2008 Mercury Prize with their album, The Seldom Seen Kid, and haven't looked back.

Later Garvey added: “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.”

Elbow did lose out to Duffy in the Best British Album category though, the Welsh songstress was the star of the 29th awards - scooping three gongs (Best Female and Best Breakthrough completed the hat-trick).

Elsewhere our local acts fared less well with The Ting Tings, Take That and Ian Brown all leaving empty handed.

The Ting Tings did combine riotiously though with soul star Estelle for a mash-up of Shut Up And Let Me Go, American Boy and That's Not My Name.

The live performance award on the night surely went to Take That though, who descended into the Earls Court arena on a spaceship to perform hit single, Greatest Day.

Veteran dance duo Pet Shop Boys rounded off the night with a medley of hits featuring a collaboration with Lady GaGa.

The full list of winners:

MasterCard British Album:  Duffy - Rockferry
British Group - Elbow
British Single (chosen by live public vote): Girls Aloud - The Promise
British Male Solo Artist - Paul Weller
British Female Solo Artist - Duffy
British Breakthrough Act (Winner chosen by BBC Radio One listeners) - Duffy
British Live Act (Winner chosen by BBC Radio Two listeners) - 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 (Chosen by the Music Producers’ Guild) - Bernard Butler
Outstanding Contribution to Music - Pet Shop Boys.

What did you think of the awards? Have your say.