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Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith rule 2015 BRIT Awards

Written by . Published: February 26 2015

Pop stars Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith were the big winners at the 2015 MasterCard BRIT Awards in London on Wednesday night (25Feb15) after picking up two trophies each.


Sheeran won the first award of the night, collecting the British Male Solo Artist prize at the O2 Arena and returned to the stage at the end of the show to claim the ceremony's top prize, MasterCard British Album, for X.


After he was handed his trophy by movie star Russell Crowe, Sheeran told the crowd, "Thank you so much for this... I didn't expect this... It's been a very, very good year for British music... It's a night to celebrate the whole thing... Keep making music."


Sheeran's pal Taylor Swift opened the show with a performance of her hit Blank Space, and she went on to win her first ever BRIT Award, for International Female Solo Artist.


Other winners included Foo Fighters (International Group), Royal Blood (British Group) and Pharrell Williams (International Male Solo Artist), while Mark Ronson landed British Single for his Bruno Mars collaboration Uptown Funk!, and One Direction took home their fifth BRIT after winning British Artist Video of the Year for You And I.


Kim Kardashian presented Sam Smith with the Global Success Award of 2015, before introducing her husband Kanye West to the stage for a performance, and as Smith collected his second award of the night, for British Breakthrough, he dedicated the prize to his longtime collaborator, singer/songwriter Jimmy Napes, whose pregnant wife is due to give birth imminently,


He said, "(Thanks to) Jimmy Napes, whose wife is at home about to pop - so this is for you Tilda."


Madonna returned to the BRIT Awards stage for the first time in 20 years for a performance of Living For Love, but her big moment was marred by a nasty fall as she walked on. The singer appeared to trip on her long black cloak as she hit the stage and she fell back down the steps onto the floor before picking herself up and carrying on with her performance.


Other performers at the event included Sheeran, Royal Blood, Take That and Paloma Faith, who performed her hit track Only Love Can Hurt Like This in a man made rain storm onstage.


The main list of winners is as follows:


British Male Solo Artist: Ed Sheeran


British Group: Royal Blood


International Female Solo Artist: Taylor Swift


British Female Solo Artist: Paloma Faith


International Male Solo Artist: Pharrell Williams


British Single: Uptown Funk! by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars


International Group: Foo Fighters


British Breakthrough: Sam Smith


British Artist Video of the Year: You and I by One Direction


MasterCard British Album: X by Ed Sheeran

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