Brit Awards 2014: One Direction and Arctic Monkeys triumph but Beyonce steals the show

The Brit Awards were a star-studded event, kicked off by the Arctic Monkeys who literally set the presenters podium on fire.
21 February 2014
The Weekender

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Beyoncé stole the show at the Brit Awards 2014 with her first ever live performance of XO.

Putting on an understated but stunning show, the singer received a standing ovation and set the standard for the other performers on the night.

It was a star-studded event, kicked off by the Arctic Monkeys who literally set the presenters podium on fire with a massive ‘AM’ overlooked by a 50 foot Brit Award.

Katy Perry treated the audience to a futuristic Egyptian laser light show riding in on a chariot like the Queen of Sheba while Bruno Mars gave it his all for Treasure.

Noel Gallagher presented the award for the Best British Male Solo Artist, which went to David Bowie again, 30 years after he won the prize in 1984. Although he chose not to attend, Kate Moss picked up the award on his behalf.

Arctic Monkeys set a record for winning the British Group and MasterCard Album of the Year in the same year for the third time (the last two being: 2007 and 2008). They beat the previous record holders, the Manic Street Preachers, who have won both awards in the same year twice (once in 1997 and again in 1999).

This year’s ceremony also featured the most collaborations on stage to date with dual winners Bastille (British Breakthrough) and Rudimental (British Single) playing their two biggest hits together - Pompeii and Waiting All Night with Ella Eyre.

Disclosure sang with Best International Female Solo Artist winner Lorde and Pharrell took to the stage with Nile Rodgers to close the show for a mash-up of Get Lucky Chic’s Good Times and the recent No.1 global smash hit single Happy.

Brit Awards 2014: best and worst dressed

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This year also included the introduction of the first ever live social vote for an award on a televised awards show. Viewers were able to cast their vote for the British Video Award as the show transmitted live. One Direction were crowned the winners for their video Best Song Ever (directed by Ben Winston). There were more than two million Tweets about the social vote during the live broadcast.

BRIT AWARDS 2014 WINNERS - IN FULL

Best British Male Solo Artist – David Bowie (presented by Noel Gallagher – collected by Kate Moss)

Best British Female Solo Artist - Ellie Goulding (Presented by Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL)

British Group – Arctic Monkeys (presented by Lily Allen)

British Breakthrough Act – Bastille (presented Fearne Cotton and Tinie Tempah)

Critics' Choice – Sam Smith (Already presented by Tom Odell at BRITs launch)

British Global Success Award – One Direction (Presented by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley)

British Single – Rudimental featuring Ella Eyre, Waiting All Night (presented by Katy Perry)

MasterCard British Album of The Year – Arctic Monkeys, AM (presented by Emeli Sandé)

British Producer Of The Year – Flood (Mark Ellis) & Alan Moulder (presented previously at Producers Guild)

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British Video Award - One Direction - Best Song Ever (Social Vote through Twitter on the night) (Presented by Jimmy Carr)

International Male Solo Artist – Bruno Mars (presented by Kylie Minogue and Pharrell Williams)

International Female Solo Artist – Lorde (presented by Nick Grimshaw)

International Group – Daft Punk (presented by Cesc Fabregas and Nicole Scherzinger)

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