Singer Adele cries as she accepts the award for Global Success onstage at the Brit Awards 2016 at the 02 Arena in London
A tearful Adele was crowned queen of the British music scene — and banished memories of Grammy Awards sound glitches — with four prizes and a soulful performance at the Brit Awards yesterday [Macau time].
“Not bad for a girl from Tottenham that don’t like flying,” said the North London-born singer as she accepted the Global Success Award.
The world-conquering diva also took trophies for British female solo artist of the year; British single of the year, for lovelorn ballad “Hello”; and album of the year for 15 million copy-selling “25.”
Adele has seen “25” — her first album in almost five years — top charts around the world, though her performance at last week’s Grammy Awards was unsettled when a microphone fell into a piano during the tender song “All I Ask.”
There were no such glitches during her performance of “When We Were Young,” though the singer choked up as she accepted the Global Success award — presented by astronaut Tim Peake from the International Space Station.
“You’re getting… bored of me,” she quipped, accidentally slipping an expletive into the live telecast.
“I got really lost for a while — I didn’t know if I’d ever come back,” she added. “And for you all to be so kind to me…”
Later she apologized for losing her composure.
Adele also sent a message of public support to “Tik Tok” singer Kesha, who is fighting to get out of a contract with record producer Dr. Luke, who she says sexually assaulted her.
The Brits ceremony, performed to music-industry figures and thousands of fans at London’s O2 Arena, also featured performances from Coldplay, Justin Bieber and Rihanna — joined onstage by Drake for a sultry “Work.”
Singer-songwriter James Bay was named best British male solo artist, while Bieber was named best international male artist. The 21-year-old Canadian star, who has endured some wayward behavior and scrapes with the law, thanked his fans, saying “everybody has their own journey. Everybody has their ups and downs.”
The prize for best British group went to dependable crowd-pleasers Coldplay. Singer Chris Martin dedicated the award “to all the young men and women musicians in refugee camps around the world. We could be them and they could be us.”
The awards — which celebrate international as well as British acts — have been accused of failing to represent the industry’s ethnic diversity, in an echo of the debate raging around the Academy Awards. All the British nominees this year were white. AP
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