BRIT Awards 2010: The full list of winners and nominees

Look back at 2010's biggest night for UK music.
lady-gaga-brits-1100-2010.jpg

As we said goodbye to the Noughties, the 2010 BRITs was also saying farewell to Earl's Court – the iconic venue was set to be bulldozed and the ceremony would move to the O2 Arena from the following year.

But the greatest and wildest of the music biz certainly saw the place off in style. Presented by comedian Peter Kay, BRITs 2010 was the 30th edition of the show, and included some special awards for British Album of 30 Years and, even more excitingly, Best Live Performance of 30 Years.

The show opened with Lily Allen descending from the sky on the back of a huge black rocket, performing her second Number 1 single The Fear. Along with Lady Gaga, Pixie Lott, JLS and Florence and the Machine, Lily had the most nominations with three nods – would she go home empty-handed as she did in 2007? (Spoiler: no.)


Lily had NO fear with her pink parachutists. Image: Richard Young/Shutterstock

Samantha Fox, who co-presented the anarchic 1989 ceremony that has gone down in TV folkore as a camp classic, presented the Spice Girls with the best live performance of the last 30 years for their showstopping, Union Flag dress-featuring routine to Who Do You Think You Are from 1997. Mel B and Geri represented the rest of the band.

Onto the male awards next, and British winner, presented by Andy Serkis, who at the time was starring in Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, went to Dizzee Rascal – the rapper had notched up three huge Number 1s in the last year, kicking off with the Calvin Harris collab Dance Wiv Me.

JLS performed Beat Again before Mel B was whisked back on stage to present the International Male to Jay-Z, who thanked the Spice Girls for inspiring him. Oh yes!

The award for British Album of 30 Years was next, with Slade frontman Noddy holder announcing Oasis's second album (What's The Story) Morning Glory as the winner. Only Liam Gallagher came to accept the award – the band had broken up the previous year after a series of rows, including one where Liam allegedly threw a plum at brother Noel.

British group nominees Kasabian took to the stage with Fire, followed by Geri Halliwell returning to hand JLS the award for British Breakthrough, beating La Roux and Florence and the Machine, and then… it was time for Mother Monster.

Lady Gaga was deeply affected by the death of her friend, the designer Alexander McQueen, and dedicated her emotional, raw, and fairly sparse performance of Telephone to him, before switching up a gear for Dance in the Dark, both songs taken from The Fame Monster.

Critics' Choice had already been announced, of course, as is custom, but winner Ellie Goulding's time to shine came when Courtney Love officially presented her with her statuette. Kasabian took the British group gong from Idris Elba, before Lady Gaga won her first award of the night for International Breakthrough.


Flo and Diz do the biz. Image: Andy Paradise/AP/Shutterstock

It's not the BRITs without a medley, and on mashup duties this year was Florence and the Machine with Dizzee rascal, who performed a new arrangement of their cover of The Source feat Candi Staton's classic You Got The Love and Dizzee's Dirtee Cash. Renamed You Got the Dirtee Love, it was a huge hit, peaking at number 2 the weeks after the show.

TV presenter and chat show don Jonathan Ross dressed up as a rapper (no one knows why) to present the award for International Female, which was claimed by Lady Gaga, her second award of the night, and British Female was presented by Dame Shirley Bassey went to Lily Allen, who by now was wearing a big orange wig. Well, why not? When you're a winner, you can do what you want!

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performed their showstopping collaboration Empire State of Mind, before Mika presented the International Album award to… yep, Lady Gaga, giving the star a 100% conversion rate from nomination to win – three nods, three statuettes!


Spoiling for a fight, it's Cheryl. Image: Andy Paradise/AP/Shutterstock

Former Girl Aloud Cheryl Cole (as she was then) made her solo BRITs debut with million-selling Fight For This Love, wowing the crowd with a costume change halfway through the performance. JLS then won the British Single Award for their debut track Beat Again, their second win of the night – it was emotional!


JLYes! The boys took home two statuettes that night. Image: David Fisher/Shutterstock

In the home strait now, and Florence and the Machine made up for earlier defeats by taking home the British Album award for Lungs, presented to them by designer Tom Ford who was in the UK promoting his directorial debut A Single Man.

The show closed with a medley to end all medleys, from Outstanding Contribution winner Robbie Williams, who rattled through 13 of his greatest hits and fan faves, including Millennium, Angels, and Rock DJ, before ending on cult fave Rudebox.

And that was a wrap!

Look back at BRIT Awards winners from years gone by: 2017201620152014201320122011200920082007.

The full list of winners and nominees for the 2010 BRIT Awards:

CATEGORY ARTIST SONG/ALBUM
British Breakthrough Act Florence & The Machine  
British Breakthrough Act Friendly Fires  
British Breakthrough Act JLS (WINNER)  
British Breakthrough Act La Roux  
British Breakthrough Act Pixie Lott  
British Female Solo Artist Bat For Lashes  
British Female Solo Artist Florence & The Machine  
British Female Solo Artist Leona Lewis  
British Female Solo Artist Lily Allen (WINNER)  
British Female Solo Artist Pixie Lott  
British Group Doves  
British Group Friendly Fires  
British Group JLS  
British Group Kasabian (WINNER)  
British Group Muse  
British Male Solo Artist Calvin Harris  
British Male Solo Artist Dizzee Rascal (WINNER)  
British Male Solo Artist Mika  
British Male Solo Artist Paolo Nutini  
British Male Solo Artist Robbie Williams  
British Producer of the Year Ethan Jones  
British Producer of the Year Jim Abbiss  
British Producer of the Year Paul Epworth (WINNER)  
British Producer of the Year Steve Lillywhite  
British Single Alesha Dixon Breathe Slow
British Single Alexandra Burke ft. Flo Rida Bad Boys
British Single Cheryl Cole Fight For This Love
British Single JLS (WINNER) Beat Again
British Single Joe McElderry The Climb
British Single La Roux In For The Kill
British Single Lily Allen The Fear
British Single Pixie Lott Mama Do
British Single Taio Cruz Break Your Heart
British Single Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz Number 1
BRITs Album of 30 Years Coldplay A Rush Of Blood To The Head
BRITs Album of 30 Years Dido No Angel
BRITs Album of 30 Years Dire Straits Brothers In Arms
BRITs Album of 30 Years Duffy Rockferry
BRITs Album of 30 Years Keane Hopes & Fears
BRITs Album of 30 Years Oasis (WINNER) (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
BRITs Album of 30 Years Phil Collins No Jacket Required
BRITs Album of 30 Years Sade Diamond Life
BRITs Album of 30 Years The Verve Urban Hymns
BRITs Album of 30 Years Travis The Man Who
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Bee Gees Stayin' Alive/How Deep Is Your Love (1997)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Bros I Owe You Nothing (1989)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Coldplay Clocks (2003)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Eurythmics & Stevie Wonder Angel (1999)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Girls Aloud The Promise (2009)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Kanye West Gold Digger (2006)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Kylie Minogue Can't Get You Out Of My Head (2002)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Michael Jackson Earth Song (1996)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Paul McCartney Live & Let Die (2008)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Pet Shop Boys Go West (1994)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Robbie Williams & Tom Jones The Full Monty Medley (1998)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Scissor Sisters Take Your Mama (2005)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Spice Girls (WINNER) Who Do You Think You Are (1997)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years Take That Beatles Medley I Wanna Hold Your Hand/Hard Day's Night/She Loves Me (1994)
BRITs Performance of 30 Years The Who Who Are You (1988)
Critics' Choice Delphic  
Critics' Choice Ellie Goulding (WINNER)  
Critics' Choice Marina & The Diamonds  
International Album Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion
International Album Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D.
International Album Empire Of The Sun Walking On A Dream
International Album Jay-Z The Blueprint 3
International Album Lady Gaga (WINNER) The Fame
International Breakthrough Act Animal Collective  
International Breakthrough Act Daniel Merriweather  
International Breakthrough Act Empire Of The Sun  
International Breakthrough Act Lady Gaga (WINNER)  
International Breakthrough Act Taylor Swift  
International Female Solo Artist Lady Gaga (WINNER)  
International Female Solo Artist Ladyhawke  
International Female Solo Artist Norah Jones  
International Female Solo Artist Rihanna  
International Female Solo Artist Shakira  
International Male Solo Artist Bruce Springsteen  
International Male Solo Artist Eminem  
International Male Solo Artist Jay-Z (WINNER)  
International Male Solo Artist Michael Bublé  
International Male Solo Artist Seasick Steve  
MasterCard British Album of the Year Dizzee Rascal Tongue n Cheek
MasterCard British Album of the Year Florence & The Machine (WINNER) Lungs
MasterCard British Album of the Year Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
MasterCard British Album of the Year Lily Allen It's Not Me, It's You
MasterCard British Album of the Year Paolo Nutini Sunny Side Up

Article image: Rex/Shutterstock

Related artists

Join the conversation by joining the Official Charts community and dropping comment.

Already registered?

Log in

No account?

Register