Brits 2015: Royal Blood and Foo Fighters take awards as Kasabian's 'conspiracy to shut out rock' proved wrong
The Brighton-based duo and Dave Grohl's band received gongs at tonight's 02 Arena ceremony
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Your support makes all the difference.Kasabian frontman Sergio Pizzorno might recently have cited his band’s failure to win a Brits nomination as evidence of a “conspiracy” by the awards to “shut out rock’n’roll”.
But tonight’s surprise win of best group for Royal Blood as well as Foo Fighters taking best international group for a third time, appeared to prove otherwise.
In fact the declaration at last year’s Brits by Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner that “rock 'n' roll will never die” appears more on the money than Pizzorno’s statement.
Brighton band Royal Blood’s chart-topping self-titled album and Led Zeppelin-style riffs have made them hot property for this summer’s festivals despite the fact that drummer Ben Thatcher and bassist/singer Mike Kerr only began performing as a duo in 2013.
Foo Fighters, fronted by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, won best international group and album Brits in 2008 as well as a best international gong in 2012.
Kasabian, which won a best group Brit award in 2010, were critical of the awards when they failed to make the list of nominees in January.
Pizzorno, 34, said: "It's a conspiracy. They're trying to shut rock'n'roll out. What sort of message does that send to working class rock'n'roll bands which the industry is in dire need of?"
Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith took the top prizes at tonight’s music industry showcase.
Smith, the Grammy-winning soul singer who took the Brits Critics’ Choice winner a year ago, confirmed his stunning rise, winning the Breakthrough prize and a special Global Success award given to the British act with the greatest international sales.
His debut album, In The Lonely Hour, has sold 5 million copies worldwide and his hit single Stay With Me has racked up a similar number of download sales.
Suffolk strummer Sheeran took the British Male and Best Album awards for X which is poised to break the 2 million album sales barrier in the UK.
A late addition to the bill, Kanye West, notorious for interrupting other people’s award ceremony speeches, unveiled a track from his new album and Taylor Swift celebrated her Best International Female win, entertained the industry guests.
Tonight’s ceremony at London’s 02 was hosted by Geordie duo Ant and Dec who have taken over from James Corden after five consecutive years of the Gavin & Stacey star.
The twosome, who usually front ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… are seen as a safe pair hands being no strangers to live television. Bosses will be hoping they don’t cause controversy after 2007’s event hosted by Russell Brand provoked nearly 400 complaints.
The Brit Awards, which started in 1977, was watched by an average of 4.6 million on TV last year - significantly down from 9.86 million who watched in 1999..
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