BRIT Awards 2015: The full list of winners and nominees

2015 saw a big change for the BRIT Awards – after four consecutive years as host, James Corden stepped aside and handed the presenting baton to Ant & Dec, the first time the duo had fronted the show since 2001.

Winner of the previous year's Critics' Choice Award, Sam Smith had the biggest clutch of nominations, with five nods, for British Album with debut In the Lonely Hour, Video and Single for Stay With Me, British Male, and British Breakthrough. Close behind were Ed Sheeran, George Ezra and Royal Blood with four nominations apiece. But who would take home the Tracey Emin-designed statuette? Let's see!

Taylor Swift was having a huge year thanks to the release of 1989 in 2014 (stay with us) and she opened the show with a stylish rendition of its biggest hit Blank Space, before the first award of the night went to Ed Sheeran for British Male, presented to him by Rita Ora and Orlando Bloom.

Lots of dancers taking up Taylor's blank space. Image: Joanne Davidson/Shutterstock

2015 was Sam Smith's year as he took home two awards, one for British Breakthrough Act and another for BRITs Global Success. Sam also performed his single Lay Me Down and his album In The Lonely Hour returned to Number 1 as a result. Nice one!

Royal Blood won British Group after a successful breakthrough year, and then it was Sam Smith's turn to kick off his big night with a heartfelt performance of Lay Me Down – a month later he would take a new version of this song to Number 1, with John Legend lending a hand, and his voice.

Taylor Swift took International Female, thanking British pubs and tea in her speech, before winners Royal Blood performed a rousing version of Figure It Out. Paloma Faith gets emotional after Mark Ronson presents her with the award for British Female – her first win after three nominations.

First win for a pleased Paloma. Image: Joanne Davidson/Shutterstock

Next up, Ed Sheeran performs a Rudimental redo of Bloodstream, which helps the song peak at Number 2 a few weeks later. After a quick selfie with Ant & Dec, Kim Kardashian handed Sam Smith the Global Success Award then introduced her husband Kanye West, who gave an electrifying performance of new single All Day, which suffered many a bleep on the live telecast.

Pharrell won International Male and thanked everyone via a video message for the success of million-selling, record-breaking single Happy, before Take That took to the BRITs state as a trio for the first time, to perform Let in the Sun.

Lionel Richie teamed up with Lisa Snowdon to present Mark Ronson with the British Single award for Uptown Funk, and comedian John Bishop was on hand to announce Foo Fighters as winner of International Group – sadly it was another video message. 

George Ezra did his breakthrough hit Budapest, and Sam Smith took home his second award of the night, the British Breakthrough – presented by Charli XCX and Fearne Cotton – and Paloma Faith gave one of the most impressive performances of the night as she sang Only Love Can Hurt Like This on a rainy stage.

One Direction won the public vote for British Video, for You and I, but Simon Cowell had to accept the award as the fab five (as they were then) were on tour – Zayn would quit the band just a month later.

Ed Sheeran "multiplies" his BRITs collection. (Sorry.) Image: Joanne Davidson/Shutterstock

The big award of the night was presented by Russell Crowe to… Ed Sheeran, who equalled Sam Smith's BRITs haul of a pair of statuettes, for second album x (pronounced "multiply", if you remember).

Rounding off the show was a performance by Madonna, which would have been memorable on its own, but acquired instant access to the BRITs Hall of Fame when a wardrobe malfunction sent the Queen of Pop tumbling from quite a high platform as she started to sing Living for Love. The star's cape was tied round her neck, and set to be yanked away by backing dancers at the right moment – however the cape was tied too tight and Madonna couldn't loosen it in time and the mighty pull took her with it, ensuring worldwide headlines the next day. Needless to say, she recovered in seconds and finished the song.

The calm before the fall… Image: Joanne Davidson/Shutterstock

Look back at BRIT Awards winners from years gone by: 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007.

The full list of winners and nominees for the 2015 BRIT Awards:

CATEGORY	ARTIST	SONG/ALBUM
British Artist Video Of The Year	Calvin Harris	Summer
British Artist Video Of The Year	Charli XCX	Boom Clap
British Artist Video Of The Year	Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones	I Got U
British Artist Video Of The Year	Ed Sheeran	Thinking Out Loud
British Artist Video Of The Year	Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars	Uptown Funk
British Artist Video Of The Year	One Direction (WINNER)	You and I
British Artist Video Of The Year	Rita Ora	I Will Never Let You Down
British Artist Video Of The Year	Route 94 ft. Jess Glynne	My Love
British Artist Video Of The Year	Sam Smith	Stay With Me
British Artist Video Of The Year	Sigma	Nobody To Love
British Breakthrough Act	Chvrches
British Breakthrough Act	FKA Twigs
British Breakthrough Act	George Ezra
British Breakthrough Act	Royal Blood
British Breakthrough Act	Sam Smith (WINNER)
British Female Solo Artist	Ella Henderson
British Female Solo Artist	FKA Twigs
British Female Solo Artist	Jessie Ware
British Female Solo Artist	Lily Allen
British Female Solo Artist	Paloma Faith (WINNER)
BRITs Global Success	Sam Smith (WINNER)
British Group	Alt-J
British Group	Clean Bandit
British Group	Coldplay
British Group	One Direction
British Group	Royal Blood (WINNER)
British Male Solo Artist	Damon Albarn
British Male Solo Artist	Ed Sheeran (WINNER)
British Male Solo Artist	George Ezra
British Male Solo Artist	Paolo Nutini
British Male Solo Artist	Sam Smith
British Producer of the Year	Alison Goldfrapp & Will Godfrey
British Producer of the Year	Flood
British Producer of the Year	Jake Gosling
British Producer of the Year	Paul Epworth (WINNER)
British Single	Calvin Harris	Summer
British Single	Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne	Rather Be
British Single	Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones	I Got U
British Single	Ed Sheeran	Thinking Out Loud
British Single	Ella Henderson	Ghost
British Single	George Ezra	Budapest
British Single	Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars (WINNER)	Uptown Funk
British Single	Route 94 ft. Jess Glynne	My Love
British Single	Sam Smith	Stay With Me
British Single	Sigma	Nobody To Love
Critics' Choice	George The Poet
Critics' Choice	James Bay (WINNER)
Critics' Choice	Years & Years
International Female Solo Artist	Beyonce
International Female Solo Artist	Lana Del Rey
International Female Solo Artist	Sia
International Female Solo Artist	St Vincent
International Female Solo Artist	Taylor Swift (WINNER)
International Group	5 Seconds Of Summer
International Group	First Aid Kit
International Group	Foo Fighters (WINNER)
International Group	The Black Keys
International Group	The War On Drugs
International Male Solo Artist	Beck
International Male Solo Artist	Hozier
International Male Solo Artist	Jack White
International Male Solo Artist	John Legend
International Male Solo Artist	Pharrell Williams (WINNER)
MasterCard British Album of the Year	Alt-J	This Is All Yours
MasterCard British Album of the Year	Ed Sheeran (WINNER)	X
MasterCard British Album of the Year	George Ezra	Wanted On Voyage
MasterCard British Album of the Year	Royal Blood	Royal Blood
MasterCard British Album of the Year	Sam Smith	In The Lonely Hour

Article image: Rex/Shutterstock