Kaisers Pull Off BRITs Hat-Trick

Kaiser Chiefs have emerged as the big winners at this years BRIT Awards, picking up three gongs on the night.

The Leeds band, who opened the show with I Predict A Riot, took home Best Group, Best Rock Act and Best Live Act, and oh my god they couldnt believe it. This is our first BRITs, we werent supposed to win, said frontman Ricky Wilson. This means the world.

Meanwhile, the MTV Base-supported British Urban Act went to Lemar, who thanked Base viewers and looked buff in his posh suit jacket.

James Blunt picked up two awards, British Male and Best Pop Act. "Now I've won Best British Male, said Blunty, maybe that will remind me I should sing more like a man in future. I promise to do so."

Coldplay also won two awards, Best Single (Speed Of Sound) and the coveted Best Album (X & Y), and in accepting their second gong Chris Martin suggested that theyre not going to be around for a while: You wont see us at one of these for many years, said Martin, so this is our last chance. He added: We wont see you for a long time, goodbye,. Where are you going, Coldplay?

The other winners were KT Tunstall (British Female), Arctic Monkeys (British Breakthrough Act), Madonna (International Female), Green Day (International Group and International Album), Jack Johnson (International Breakthrough), Paul Weller (Outstanding Contribution to Music) and Kanye West (International Male) " who gave thanks during his acceptance speech to none other than MTV Newss Tim Kash, who has been there from day one. Big up to Tim.

As for performances, the two show stealers were Kanye - who stomped through a medley of Diamonds From Sierra Leone, Touch The Sky and Gold Digger with a little help from a few dozen nearly naked, gold-spray painted models with pert bum-cheeks " and the mighty Prince - who marked his return to the UK stage with a medley that included Lets Go Crazy and a face-melting rendition of his classic Purple Rain.

Like Kanye, Prince surrounded himself with beautiful women " his entire band of amazing musicians were all fit honeys.

Other talking points included brief stage invasions during two of the Kaiser Chiefs acceptance speeches " one from some drunk random who shouted into the mic then ran away, the other from Vic Reeves - and the less than orgasmic kiss on the cheek that Guy Ritchie planted on his wife Madonna as she went to collect her International Female prize. Maybe hes just shy.

And catch Backstage at The BRITs on MTV, Friday (Feb 17) at 10pm.

DL