Here showbiz Editor Rick Fulton gives you the Razz Awards 2011.
Can it be anyone else? Adele’s second album 21 is the biggest-selling album of 2011. Along with her debut album 19, she sold more than 20 million albums in 2011 with 21 shifting 16 million copies alone. It is now the biggest selling album of the century. She also become the first living artist in nearly 50 years to have two top five singles and albums in the charts at the same time. Problems with her throat dampened the celebrations but 2012 will hopefully see more touring.
UK Band - The Horrors
The Southend band started off as a goth joke, using daft names and raiding The Cure’s back catalogue. But this year’s third album Skying was incredible. The band, lead by Faris Badwan, made an album that sounded like The Doors. A must-see at T in 2012.
Just because you sell alot doesn’t always mean you’re any good. But Adele certainly was. Once seen as Amy Winehouse lite, Adele showed she had the songs and the pipes to match the other troubled British soul star.
UK Male - Ed Sheeran
At the start of the year there were claims rock music was dead but Ed Sheeran proved the doubters wrong. With no more than a battered guitar Ed mixed personal folk tunes with R&B rhythms and urban poetry.
This year Bruno followed 2010’s Grenade and Just The Way You Are with number one The Lazy Song and Marry You. Never off the airwaves he also performed a show-stopping gig on The X Factor.
International Female - Rihanna
A very hard category this with Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Beyonce all worthy winners. But Rihanna pips it for her amazing tour, her number one with Calvin Harris, We Found Love that gave the Scot his first American number one and showed she had good taste in collaborations and her changing hairstyles.
Best pop act - The Wanted
The nicest guys in pop offer a little something more than JLS, Take That, One Direction or the almost departed Westlife. Adding dance groves on songs like Glad You Came and Lightening add an edge often lacking in the other boybands.
OK so they’ve only had one single, a cover and won X Factor but Little Mix have already shot to the top of the girl group tree. It’s not hard really. They were the first girl band to do so well and the first group to win. Girls Aloud are still on hiatus (but due to return in 2012), Sugababes are all but over and The Saturdays just don’t seem to find a bigger fanbase.
Newcomer - Emeli Sande
It’s been an incredible year for the Scots singer (whose real name is Adele fact fans). Not only did she go to number two with her debut single Heaven she then went to number one singing on Professor Green’s Read All About It.
Scottish Band - Twin Atlantic
It’s been a long time since a Scots act broke through into the UK mainstream charts. We have to look back to 2006 and The View and The Fratellis. But Twin Atlantic could buck the trend. Offering a hard rock edge like Biffy Clyro, they are on the cusp of big things.
Best Live Gig - Adele
Given her on-going throat problems just seeing Adele live in 2011 was an event in itself, especially as she doesn’t like festivals. The September gig at the 02 Academy, Glasgow was a moment to savour.
Best Festival - T in the Park
No not because it’s Scottish. T in the Park continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the English festivals and with its decent food and dance tent offered a festival-beating line-up in 2011 of Beyonce, Coldplay, Plan B, Foo Fighters and Pulp.
Best Festival moment - Primal Scream
When the lad set off the flare in the King Tut’s tent on the Saturday night the whole crowd came together like it was a rave in 1988. Free of drugs the Scream have never been better live and after playing Screamadelica did the big hits. Utterly amazing and for me the best T moment - ever.
Most Surprising Reunion - Stone Roses
After two albums they split very acrimoniously and it didn’t look like Ian, John, Mani and Reni would ever play again. But in October they announced they were back and would tour in 2012 including a headline slot at T in the Park. Baggy’s back but let’s hope Ian’s voice is better than in the Nineties.
Sadly missed - Amy Winehouse
Many thought it would happen but everyone was still shocked when the Rehab singer was announced dead. A troubled soul who had so much more to give, already with Lioness, the vaults are being ransacked.
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