Bowie and the Brits

Bowie's back at the Brits, but what's happened since the last time?

Music snobs try their hardest to ignore the annual pop and rock Brit Awards, but despite occasionally comical misjudgements, there’s no better way to assess the health of mainstream pop in the UK, while the mardy attitude of some of the winners (thank you Arctic Monkeys) is also traditional. 

Kate Moss doesn't usually act as a messenger girl but CW supposes even she makes an exception for the man who bestrides 20th century pop like a colossos. She picked up David Bowie's going for Best British Male Solo last night wearing the bunny print playsuit Yamamoto designed for Ziggy Stardust, with a gracious message from the star delivered in her trademark cockney rhyming Sphinx. 

In other highlights, Harry Styles of One Direction was 'having a wee' when the boys were called on stage to receive their first award (yeah, whatevs Harry), Bastille and Rudimental performed a mash-up with mixed results for the former's pedestrian guitar rock and Beyonce descended from pop's Mount Olympus to perform XO (tbh, CW are very slightly bored of her at this point).

For the full list of winners, go here.

To celebrate Bowie's return to form, CW looks back at the best bits of the Brits...

1984: David Bowie’s Tonight album, a collaboration with Tina Turner and Iggy Pop, came at the height of his uncool lost years, the wildly successful and critically panned ‘dance’ period. Off the back of it, and the Serious Moonlight Tour, he wins best male solo. Paul Young wins best British newcomer and promptly vanishes into obscurity.

1992: Avant-garde electronica outfit KLF win Best British Group with Simply Red and, in disgust, hijack the proceedings with a death metal version of 3am Eternal and a dead sheep.

1996: Michael Jackson wins an Artist of a Generation Award and stages a performance of Earth Song starring himself as the Messiah. Jarvis Cocker invades the stage and points his bottom in Jackson's direction. No charges are pressed. 

1997: Geri Halliwell's sister sews a Union Jack tea towel on to Ginger Spice's dress and an iconic look is born, with the dress later being auctioned for £41,320

1998: Chumbawumba throw a bucket of water over Labour's John Prescott, arguing 'If John Prescott has the nerve to turn up at events like the Brit Awards in a vain attempt to make Labour seem cool and trendy, then he deserves all we can throw at him'.

2007: Russell Brand hosts the awards and after jokes about Robbie Williams's treatment for rehab, the Queen's 'naughty bits' and friendly fire in Afghanistan, is the subject of 300 complaints.

2011: Adele has the nation in pieces with her pared-down rendition of Someone Like You.

2013: Robbie Williams complains that the atmosphere backstage at the Brits is more 'dentists' convention' than sex, drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll.

2014: The Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner is mightily unimpressed with the group's awards for Best British Group and Best British album, dropping his microphone on to the stage and delivering a cross-sounding speech about rock 'n' roll's Phoenix-like reappearance from the ashes. The fans love it.