1Coldplay
Coldplay were the first band to take to the stage, as Chris Martin and co opened the show with their track ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’. Martin started by singing as he was bounding from the backstage area to the stage and, when he emerged, glowing wristbands handed out to the 13,500-strong audience – like those seen on the band’s last world tour – flashed in unison.
2Catfish & The Bottlemen
Catfish & The Bottlemen, meanwhile, were winners of the BBC Introducing Award. “It’s madness,” said frontman Van McCann. “Alright arena! It’ll go on my dad’s fridge that.” Asked how it was to win the award, he shouted out to 6Music DJ Steve Lamacq, saying, “It’s massive for us. Steve’s supported us since we were 14, so big up to him.”
3Ed Sheeran
Singer Ed Sheeran was one of the evening’s main winners, taking home the big prize for British Artist Of The Year.
4George Ezra
He looked a tad nervous on the night, but George Ezra was also on hand to perform his hit ‘Budapest’.
5Chris Evans
Presenting duties, meanwhile, were handled by BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans and his BBC Radio 1 counterpart Fearn Cotton: essentially, the British Music Awards’ answer to the Brits’ Ant and Dec.
6One Direction
Cue the crazed fans: boyband One Direction turned up to sing their track ‘Steal My Girl’. Before they took to the stage, a video clip showed that they had an unlikely admirer: Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, who said he’d seen them play the Hollywood Bowl and had been impressed. The group were also given a Billboard plaque for hitting Number One in the US with their first four albums.
7Take That
From the newest kids on the block to their more long-in-the-tooth predecessors, now, as Take That – with their matching white outfits – performed ‘These Days’ surrounded by dancers and neon lights.
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Here’s Ed again – who beat competition from a certain David Bowie to boot to land his award – and also gave a live rendition of his his 2014 single ‘Sing’.
9Calvin Harris
Scottish superstar DJ Calvin Harris, who performed with Ellie Goulding and John Newman at last night’s bash, said he was rather taken by the awards. “It’s not a whole drawn-out thing,” he said. “It’s more like a celebration.”
10Will.i.am
Will.i.am also performed with guest Cody Williams, although the night’s big winner wasn’t there: Pharrell won International Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for ‘Happy’, but accepted the prizes via video link from the set of the US version of The Voice, where they were handed to him by No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani.
11Tom Jones
Of course, the BBC had their own The Voice star to wheel out: step forward Tom Jones who concluded the show by singing ‘God Only Knows’ with Paloma Faith, backed by a 200-strong choir.