Adele wins big again at hometown Brit Awards

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

AFP Photo

Just over a week after her spectacular sweep at the Grammys, British soul diva Adele triumphed on home soil last night at the annual Brit Awards in London.
 
The 23-year-old picked up two awards -- including the prestigious British album of the year -- to add to the six Grammys she won in Los Angeles, cementing her status as one of Britain's most successful pop exports in years.
 
Adele -- whose career was threatened last year by a throat illness -- claimed British female solo artist and best album for "21," which topped the charts in Britain and the United States.
 
Accepting the best album gong, she said: "Nothing makes me prouder than coming home with six Grammys and then coming home and winning British album of the year. "I'm so proud to be British and to be flying the flag." The singer also thanked her record company "for letting me be the kind of artist that I've always wanted to be," and her fans. "No one's ever made me feel like I have to be any different, so thank you very much," she added.
 
However, her global chart-topper "Rolling at the Deep" was beaten to best single by British boy band One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." The home-town winner sang her hit song in front of a packed 02 Arena, only her second performance since undergoing surgery to cure her throat condition.
 
Fans were shocked to read a post-Grammys interview in which the soul diva said she was taking five years off to "be in love and be happy." But the singer later laughed this off.
 
Writing in her personal blog shortly afterwards, she said: "I've a few days off now, and then it's the Brit Awards here at home and then I'm straight into the studio. BOYYAHH! 5 years? More like 5 days!" It was also a successful night for folk-inspired singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran, who won best British male and British breakthrough, and for Coldplay, who were named best British group for a record third time.
 
US singer Bruno Mars topped the best international male category, while compatriots Foo Fighters picked up the best international group.
 
Barbadian superstar Rihanna -- who was awarded best international female -- was among the performers along with former Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher and Coldplay.
 
Veteran four-piece Blur brought the ceremony to a close with breezy renditions of 1990s indie classics "Girls and Boys," "Song 2" and "Parklife."